element61's Role in CPM Implementation
element61 has a particular focus on assisting organizations in defining a roadmap and executing it, to automate Corporate\Enterprise\Business Performance Management processes in their company, whilst building on the data warehouse infrastructure that the company already has invested in.
Financial Close & Consolidation • Consolidation & Intercompany matching• Account Reconciliation
• Disclosure Management/Reporting
Financial and Extended Planning & Analysis • Budgeting, Planning and Forecasting• Sales, Capex, Opex, Workforce, Cash, ...
• Supply Chain Planning
ESG & Regulatory Reporting • CSRD, Carbon Emissions, EU Taxonomy, SBTi, CBAM• IFRS 16 (lease), iXBRL
Corporate Performance Management (CPM) was a term originally coined by Gartner in the early years 2000. Also Enterprise or Business Performance Management (EPM / BPM) are used as synonyms, depending on the vendors.
Performance management is focused on the common objective of linking enterprise-wide strategy with enterprise-wide operations through the use of :
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Balanced Scorecard
- Linking this to the core processes of Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting including Simulation and Scenario Modeling
- Integration with the Financial Consolidation & Management Reporting processes
- Activity Based Management/Activity Based Costing or Profitability Analysis
- Strategy Formulation and Strategic Planning
Defining the framework for Performance Management
Typically a broader framework is defined. Most definitions of Performance Management build on the work from Gartner. According to Gartner, the framework consists of :
- methodologies (Balanced Scorecard, EFQM, Six Sigma, Beyond Budgeting, Time-Driven ABC, ...)
- metrics (leading and lagging, financial and non-financial, short-term & long-term, quantitative and qualitative, aligned, ...)
- processes (Strategy Formulation, Goal Setting, Business Activity Monitoring, Performance, Feedback, ...)
- systems (Business Intelligence & CPM / EPM software suites, data warehousing, advanced analytics ...)
Role of Finance in Performance Management
Often the Office of Finance will take a leading role in the definition of the EPM / CPM strategy for the company. This means the role of Management Accounting evolves into what has been coined as Performance Management Analytics (PMA) (Silvi, Moeller, and Schlaefke).
Integration of CPM and BI Solutions
Given the Mergers & Acquisitions of the last years, most CPM and BI Solutions now are owned by a few leading software companies, who focus on integrating both functionalities tightly into one suite and architecture. As such, companies need to develop an integrated vision on how Business Intelligence and CPM converge to support one single version of the truth and one single, iterative process for managing information on corporate performance, whether it is past, future or current management information.
Contact us for more information on Corporate Performance Management.
FAQ
Corporate Performance Management (CPM) is a performance management discipline that helps organizations plan, monitor and steer performance in line with strategic objectives. It combines processes, methodologies and systems to connect strategy with execution through planning, forecasting, consolidation and performance reporting.
CPM enables organizations to translate strategic goals into measurable targets and manage performance in a structured and consistent way. It improves decision-making, financial control and alignment between strategy, operations and finance.
CPM, EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) and BPM (Business Performance Management) are closely related concepts and are often used interchangeably. While terminology varies by vendor or context, all focus on managing organizational performance through integrated planning, reporting and analysis.
CPM consulting helps organizations design, improve and implement performance management processes and systems. It typically covers strategy alignment, process design, governance, tool selection and implementation support to ensure CPM delivers measurable business value.
Corporate Performance Management consulting at element61 includes planning, budgeting and forecasting, financial close and consolidation, regulatory and ESG reporting, and performance analytics. Engagements usually start with a clear roadmap and focus on sustainable process and system design.
Finance typically owns CPM processes such as planning, forecasting and consolidation. CPM enables finance teams to move beyond traditional reporting towards forward-looking performance management and analytics that support strategic decision-making.
Business Intelligence focuses primarily on analyzing historical data and reporting insights, while CPM adds planning, forecasting and performance steering capabilities. In modern analytics landscapes, CPM and BI are increasingly integrated to support both past analysis and future-oriented decision-making.
A CPM roadmap defines how an organization evolves its performance management capabilities over time. It typically outlines target processes, governance, data architecture, tooling and implementation phases aligned with business priorities.
element61 approaches CPM implementation in a structured and pragmatic way, starting from business and finance requirements rather than technology. The focus is on process alignment, data consistency, governance and gradual implementation to ensure adoption and long-term value.
Yes. element61 conducts CPM assessments to evaluate processes, data flows, governance structures and supporting systems. The result is a clear view of strengths, gaps and improvement opportunities translated into actionable recommendations.
element61 applies a vendor-independent CPM tool selection approach based on functional requirements, technical constraints and organizational maturity. Tools are evaluated against real business use cases to ensure they fit current and future performance management needs.
Organizations typically invest in CPM when planning, forecasting or reporting processes become complex, fragmented or slow. CPM is also relevant when strategy execution, financial control or regulatory reporting require more structure and consistency.
CPM is relevant for organizations of all sizes and industries that need structured performance steering. It is particularly valuable in complex environments with multiple entities, reporting requirements or strategic initiatives.
CPM provides a structured framework for collecting, validating and consolidating financial and non-financial data. This makes it well suited to support regulatory, tax and ESG reporting requirements alongside financial performance management.
element61 combines deep Corporate Performance Management expertise with strong analytics and performance management knowledge. Its vendor-independent approach and experience in complex finance environments ensure pragmatic CPM solutions that deliver sustainable business value.