ABSTRACT: APPLICATION PROCESS AUTOMATION – A FINANCE SYSTEMS MANDATE

Business Intelligence (BI) and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software enables the office of the CFO to gain better insight into business performance and make timely business decisions based on today’s market demands. However, significant costs and challenges impair a business’s ability to derive optimum value from its critical applications on a timely, predictable, accurate and consistent basis.

This whitepaper describes the challenges in connecting and managing an ecosystem of finance related applications, and illustrates a new approach called Application Process Automation. It addresses the most critical priorities facing finance organizations:

• Improving financial close processes for faster and more accurate visibility into the health of your business
• Predictable, and reliable, continuous planning and forecasting processes
• Spending quality time on analysis and planning
• Compliant finance systems and processes
• Cost-effectively managing and integrating a heterogeneous finance ecosystem with diverse applications and tools from multiple vendors
• Reductions and/or repurposing of resources to other projects

View the whitepaper

ABSTRACT: SUPPORTING A SCALEABLE AND FLEXIBLE MULTI-VENDOR ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) is the natural evolution of Business Intelligence (BI) and Business Performance Management (BPM) systems, extending decision-making and accountability across the enterprise. EPM systems require the confluence of data from across the business environment and between all stakeholders: customers, supply chain, internal departments, investors and regulatory bodies.

In this volatile and merger-frenzied economy, decision-making has to be instantaneous, complete and based on profitability. A Finance executive cannot allow non-communicative systems to stand in the way of Financial data being latent or absent from a downstream business decision using only Operational data. Planning and Budgeting data has to be available to ensure timely and strategic decisions.

This white paper examines creating a Multi-Vendor EPM Strategy using applications of SAP, Oracle, IBM or Microsoft to easily create a dynamic end-user path to Financial Data Integration and time-sensitive profitability. Alternative methods for data integration and extraction are compared as well.

Register for this download

ABSTRACT: FROM LAGGING TO LEADING: IMPLEMENTING AN ENTERPRISE CONTINUOUS PLANNING CYCLE

With the demand to adapt quickly to changing markets in order to stay competitive and still operate at maximum operating efficiency, companies are recognizing the need for a continuous planning cycle that provides an accurate and real-time view of their operations. By creating an innovative, flexible, and dynamic planning cycle, companies can quickly recognize changes in the competitive landscape, model scenarios, determine the best alternatives, implement, and accurately measure results.

This white paper discusses the role of continuous planning within a larger Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) system, and explains how to successfully enable real-time continuous planning within your organization.

Register for this download

ABSTRACT: REALIZING THE POTENTIAL FROM FINANCIAL ANALYSIS APPLICATION INVESTMENTS

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) systems extend decision-making and accountability across the enterprise. EPM offers a holistic approach to business and management processes, and the framework for creatively responding to subtle business changes across the organization.

While EPM provides the framework for a new approach to business, it is only as effective as the data that feeds the system. EPM requires the confluence of data from across the business environment; information must be updated in near real-time in order to provide decision makers with an accurate reflection of the broad business ecosystem.

This white paper discusses how companies who have made strategic investments in Business Intelligence (BI) or Business Performance Management (BPM) financial analysis applications can leverage the key financial data stored in these applications to create a scalable, integrated architecture that will meet the requirements for true Enterprise Performance Management.

Register for this download