Webinar Recap: Key Takeaways on EPM Accelerators & Faster Finance Transformation

There is an increasing demand for faster finance transformation initiatives, but finance teams are often struggling with limited resources and capacity alongside BAU activities. 

Our recent webinar explored how accelerator-led approaches can help organisations modernise Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) processes faster and with lower implementation risk.

During the session, our team discussed the practical realities of EPM transformation projects, where accelerators fit best, and how organisations can balance speed, flexibility and long-term value.

A quick refresh: what is an EPM accelerator?

An EPM accelerator approach is a structured implementation methodology that combines pre-built technology, proven finance processes and delivery frameworks to help organisations deploy EPM solutions faster and with lower risk.

Rather than starting with a completely blank-sheet implementation - where requirements gathering, design workshops, testing frameworks and technical configuration are all created from scratch - an accelerator approach begins with established best-practice templates and pre-configured solution components.

These accelerators typically include:

• Best-practice finance process templates
• Pre-configured technical models for areas such as consolidation and reporting
• Pre-built dashboards and reports
• Integration templates
• Project execution methodologies
• Testing libraries, scripts and documentation

Webinar takeaways

1. Accelerators can be particularly effective for organisations earlier in their EPM journey

For organisations still heavily reliant on spreadsheets and manual processes for planning, consolidation or reporting, accelerators can provide a strong starting point.

Rather than spending months designing foundational structures such as charts of accounts, reporting hierarchies or planning frameworks from scratch, organisations can adopt proven starting models that are already aligned to finance best practices — and then evolve them over time.

The webinar highlighted that the real value of accelerators is not simply the software itself, but the methodology behind them: leveraging pre-built thinking, proven frameworks and implementation experience to help organisations move from “A to B” more quickly and with less risk.

2. Accelerators will not be the right approach for every organisation or every EPM project

One of the most important themes discussed was that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to EPM transformation.

While accelerator-led implementations can significantly reduce project timelines and implementation risk, they are not always the right fit for every organisation. Business complexity, reporting requirements, existing processes and long-term flexibility requirements all need to be considered carefully during the discovery phase.

As discussed during the webinar, some mid-market organisations can be highly complex, while some much larger organisations may actually have relatively straightforward reporting requirements. The decision should ultimately be driven by the specific use case and business objectives.

3. Starter kits do not constrain your long-term roadmap

Another key discussion point centred around the misconception that starter kits limit future flexibility.

Modern EPM accelerator approaches are designed to provide a scalable foundation, not a dead end. When implemented correctly on a unified platform such as OneStream, organisations can continue extending and evolving their solutions as reporting maturity and business requirements grow.

This allows organisations to realise value quickly today, while still supporting broader long-term transformation goals tomorrow.

4. Think in phases, not “big bang” transformation programmes

The session also explored why phased delivery approaches are often more successful than large-scale “big bang” implementations.

A common challenge in transformation programmes is not necessarily the technology itself, but the availability of internal business resources needed to support a large implementation effort alongside day-to-day responsibilities.

For this reason, the recommendation throughout the webinar was to “start small and scale” — prioritising high-value business outcomes first, then expanding capabilities progressively over time using the flexibility of the platform.

This phased approach often enables organisations to achieve faster time-to-value while reducing delivery risk.

5. Align the implementation approach with business goals and available resources

Finally, the webinar reinforced the importance of selecting an implementation strategy that aligns with both organisational priorities and practical delivery constraints.

One example discussed involved a large IT services organisation that had initially considered a broad 18-month multi-phase EPM implementation programme. After reviewing an accelerator-led approach and the CPM Express solution for OneStream, the organisation recognised that a significant proportion of its requirements could be delivered far more quickly than originally anticipated.

In this case, the decision was driven less by functionality and more by achieving business value sooner.

Ultimately, successful EPM transformation is not simply about implementing technology — it is about choosing the right delivery approach for your organisation’s goals, complexity and capacity for change.

If you were unable to attend the webinar live, you can catch up and watch the session on-demand below:

If you would like to continue the conversation around your EPM roadmap, finance transformation priorities or reporting challenges, we would be delighted to speak with you. Contact our consultants for a no-obligation discussion: