The digitalization of the Finance function is not merely an IT topic — it determines the speed of closing, compliance with accounting and reporting frameworks (IFRS, French GAAP, ESG), the management of end-to-end transactional processes in real time, and the ability to leverage both financial and non-financial data through new AI-driven capabilities.

In this context, a financial ERP software centralizes data and processes on a single platform, giving the CFO a reliable foundation for creating value. To unlock the full potential of this tool, three decisive steps are required: accurately defining business needs, objectively comparing solutions, and managing implementation to deliver the expected added value while maintaining control.

Identifying financial needs

Analyzing the company’s specific requirements

Before comparing ERP vendors, the finance department must first define its priorities: accelerating closing, ensuring IFRS compliance, improving cash visibility, and integrating non-financial reporting. This scoping exercise keeps business needs at the heart of the project and avoids a tech-centric approach led solely by IT.

It should also consider confirmed regulatory milestones: the rollout of e-invoicing and the progressive implementation of the CSRD. Mapping these “must-haves” early on minimizes rework during testing and secures statutory audit timelines.

Assessing business processes to optimize

To optimize a financial ERP project, start by mapping the transactional processes to be covered (Record-to-Report, Purchase-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, etc.). Then, identify key pain points, such as duplicate entries or manual reconciliations. Finally, define optimized target processes. Once validated by project sponsors, this General Design serves as a roadmap for the project and secures the timeline.

Defining the key functionalities of a Financial ERP

The essential features of a financial ERP revolve around six pillars:

  • multi-GAAP/IFRS accounting to support international expansion;
  • real-time financial consolidation for reliable group closing;
  • an integrated treasury module to secure liquidity and risk management;
  • pre-configured internal controls compliant with SOX/ICFR;
  • financial and non-financial reporting to measure company performance;
  • finally, CRM APIs linking the sales pipeline and financial forecasts to refine revenue management.

At the same time, the finance department must take part in data structuring and governance initiatives. Ensuring long-term data quality is key to delivering the ERP’s expected value.

Choosing the right Financial ERP

Total cost and implementation budget

To build the budget for a financial ERP project, first calculate the TCO: subscriptions or licenses, integration and customization, project management support, change management, data cleansing, asset management, and business backfill costs.

Also plan for related components (tax engine, ESG reporting, planning tools) and expense tracking, and include them in the business case. A monthly cost-benefit committee led by the CFO secures financial oversight and prevents uncontrolled overruns.

Experience shows that a quantified roadmap, reviewed at each milestone, is the best lever for negotiating with vendors and integrators and for keeping the project within the original budget.

Scalability and flexibility for the future

For a sustainable financial ERP, prioritize a modular, open architecture (API-first) delivered in Software-as-a-Service mode — this approach reduces integration and maintenance costs by around 30 %.

Also adopt a multi-tenant SaaS model: SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft each offer four functional and AI updates per year, while the vendor fully manages security patches.

Finally, ensure that adding new subsidiaries, industry modules, or ESG reports can be done through configuration rather than custom code. A “future-proof” roadmap supported by value indicators (costs, deadlines, risks) helps arbitrate extensions and preserve the TCO over five years.

Why entrust the ERP project management (AMOA) to Ginesis ?

With its triple expertise in finance, project management, and IT, its agnostic multi-technology approach, and extensive large-scale project experience, Ginesis advises finance departments on defining the target core model, supports teams through implementation alongside the integrator, secures data, drives change, and ensures controlled and measurable adoption of the new environment.

Ensuring a successful implementation

Project phasing and governance

Adopt joint CFO-CIO governance centered on a PMO and a steering committee responsible for allocating resources and documenting each business decision.

To secure a financial ERP project, Ginesis recommends the Target → Gap → Roadmap approach:

  • define the operational target,
  • measure the gaps,
  • then plan priority workstreams with a realistic timeline.

Maintaining a decision log, reviewed at each committee, limits scope creep and protects both budget and schedule.

Configuration and adaptation to the core model

When configuring a financial ERP, start by choosing between two approaches: ADOPT, which emphasizes rapid standardization of the core model, or ADAPT, which allows targeted customization where business value justifies it.

Regardless of the scenario, the final arbitration must remain under the finance department’s control to preserve the project’s value-risk balance. In multi-business, multi-country, and multi-GAAP groups, setting up a “local design authority” per country prevents proliferation of exceptions while maintaining core-model consistency. Documenting each approved exception in a shared log simplifies design workshops and minimizes future deviations.

Change management and user training

To ensure successful change management for a financial ERP, three levers make the difference: visible executive sponsorship, role-based training, and continuous adoption KPIs.

According to KPMG’s Finance Transformation Guide 2024, 66% of finance departments with a clear talent strategy achieve their transformation goals.

The same guide recommends freeing up to 70% of process-owner time during UAT and skill-building phases to ensure a smooth go-live. Complement this with practical workshops in the vendor sandbox and an adoption dashboard tracking actual usage to adjust training plans throughout deployment.

Maximizing long-term value

Centralization, automation, and real-time performance management

With a financial ERP, the finance department gains real-time reporting and a unified view, significantly reducing the monthly close duration for certain cycles such as accounts payable.

By adding predictive modules — for example, cash forecasting — the tool can rapidly model several liquidity scenarios and propose budgetary trade-offs, turning controllers into true liquidity-oriented business partners. These capabilities, based on machine learning and real-time dashboards, accelerate decision-making while safeguarding financial performance.

Supply-Chain / Accounting visibility and risk management

A financial ERP with native Supply-Chain–Finance integration provides a unified view of inventories, orders, and cash flows.

From a compliance standpoint, the Contract & Lease Management module facilitates IFRS 16 application: contracts are identified and valued in the general ledger without re-entry, reducing the closing workload. This centralization of accounting rules and operational indicators secures risk management while speeding up financial reporting.

Financial KPI tracking and continuous improvement

To extract maximum value from a financial ERP, build a cockpit of indicators — DSO, free cashflow, payment terms, automation rate, unit transaction cost — updated in real time. Using a process mining engine helps identify process deviations and analyze their root causes.

Scheduling a quarterly review of key flows (Record-to-Report, Purchase-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash) and incorporating corrective actions into a prioritized backlog creates a continuous-improvement loop and strengthens the finance function’s data-driven culture.

The Ginesis six-step method

1. Scoping – align vision, sponsors, and scope.

2. Business Case – estimate ROI and prioritize levers.

3. Core Model – design the group framework and target procedures.

4. Configuration – set up the financial ERP while minimizing gaps.

5. Change & Testing – train key users and secure UAT.

6. Hypercare – stabilize operations post-go-live.

Each phase is led by a business owner, tracked with value indicators (costs, timelines, quality), and protected by an evolving risk plan covering data quality, backfill, and interfaces. This end-to-end discipline maximizes adoption and operational performance from the first closings.

Selecting and deploying a financial ERP launches a continuous-improvement cycle rather than a one-off technology sprint. From scoping to run phase, the finance department plays a central role: defining KPIs, arbitrating deviations, and fine-tuning processes to reflect business priorities.

A solid core model and joint CFO-CIO governance preserve end-to-end consistency while managing risks.

Driven by a data-centric culture and enhanced by process mining, RPA, and analytics, the financial ERP transforms each evolution into a competitive advantage — from faster closing to more informed decision-making. Armed with a proven methodology and best practices, your teams now have a sustainable roadmap to secure lasting performance.