“We regret implementing XYZ finance system.”
It’s a sentiment we hear too often from CFOs—particularly those who were focused on fixing yesterday’s problems instead of preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Many finance teams implement ERPs or EPMs that solve point-in-time pain. The result? A complex patchwork of solutions that fit the past but fail the future. Even when these projects aim to streamline and modernize, they frequently fall into the same trap—recreating legacy thinking with a newer interface. Said differently, the technology is only as good as the implementation.
The real problem isn’t technology—it’s perspective.
The ERP Trap: Optimizing the Past
Too many implementations begin with the wrong question: How can we make what we have work better? Instead, CFOs should ask: What would we like to do that we can’t do today?
That shift in mindset can unlock the true potential of an ERP initiative—not as a system implementation, but as a strategic transformation. Our Finance Technology team believes that enterprise technology should be the foundation for agility, insight, and scalability. It should be the backbone of how your organization makes decisions, manages resources, and measures performance.
In other words, it’s not about closing the books faster – it’s about looking forward with clarity and confidence.
A Platform for Performance
The most successful CFOs aren’t implementing tools. They’re architecting ecosystems.
Our Financial Technology Implementation team partners with clients to design scalable, intuitive solutions that support real-time analysis, enterprise-wide planning, and automated reporting. Whether you’re moving off Excel or re-implementing an existing EPM, we start with a simple idea: technology should help you run the business—not just report on it.
Tools like Workday Adaptive Planning help finance leaders:
- Break free from the Excel inferno of disconnected spreadsheets and outdated processes
- Design driver-based models to project revenue, expense, and headcount
- Quickly run what-if scenarios and compare outcomes and assumptions seamlessly
- Collaborate with budget owners to build annual budgets faster and more efficiently
- Automate reporting and build executive-friendly dashboards to drive collaboration
Most importantly, the right tools align solutions with your strategic vision, not just your current state.
What CFOs Should Be Asking
Before you rush into an ERP or EPM implementation, slow down and answer the questions that matter:
- What does “better” really look like for our finance function?
- Are we designing systems that support strategy execution—not just compliance?
- Do we have the right data, the right people, and the right design to scale?
- Is our implementation team truly aligned with our business model and goals?
And don’t forget to assess your organization’s ERP and planning readiness. Too often, failure stems not from the system—but from skipping the foundational work of aligning goals, data, and people.
Build the System You’ll Be Proud Of—Years From Now
ERP and EPM implementations are among the most disruptive and defining projects a CFO will lead. The system you put in place today will likely serve as your finance backbone for the next 5 to 10 years.
You spend 1/3 of your life on your mattress, so you find the right mattress. You spend another 1/3 at work, so you find the right systems. We believe it’s worth doing right.
That means designing for adaptability, not rigidity. Thinking long-term, not just go-live. And making sure that your financial technology does more than automate reporting—it empowers decision-making.
The future is coming fast. Let’s make sure your financial tech stack is ready for it.
E78 Financial Technology team helps CFOs unlock the full value of enterprise systems. If you’re preparing for a new implementation, re-implementation, or just want to explore how better systems can drive better outcomes—get in touch with our team. Let’s build for the future, together.
