Unit4 Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)Unit4 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Author: Unit4 Communications October 22, 2025 3 min read

What is EPM? A Complete Guide for Finance Leaders

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) continues to transform how organizations plan, analyze, monitor, and report their financial performance. Understanding the value of EPM systems becomes crucial as finance leaders seek integrated solutions that deliver benefits beyond traditional reporting. 

In this blog we will cover what EPM systems are, how Cloud technology and AI shape adoption, as well as Unit4’s own EPM capabilities and awards – keep reading to learn more with Unit4.

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What is Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)?

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) is a comprehensive approach that enables organizations to plan for the impact of various internal and external factors on their future performance and business outcomes. 

As Dresner Advisory Services defines it, EPM software allows organizations to conduct "strategic, operational, and financial planning and forecasting" while providing robust reporting and analytics capabilities.

EPM systems vary significantly across different vendors in complexity and automation capabilities, ranging from sophisticated multi-user systems that support collaborative planning to advanced platforms that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive analytics. 

These systems serve as the foundation for setting organizational goals, monitoring performance against budgets or targets, and satisfying regulatory and statutory reporting requirements, with 89% of those surveyed by Dresner stating they are critical, very important, or important for their organization.

The Rise of EPM Systems and Cloud Adoption

The adoption of Enterprise Performance Management systems has been steadily increasing as organizations prioritize smarter financial planning tools. 

According to Dresner, over 60% of organizations have implemented some form of EPM solutions, with a significant shift toward Cloud-based platforms. Research indicates that nearly 45% of EPM systems are now deployed in the Cloud, driven by the need for scalability, fast accurate data access, and reduced infrastructural costs. 

This transition underscores a broader trend where finance leaders are moving away from traditional on-premises or legacy systems such as Excel spreadsheets, in favor of agile, Cloud-based solutions that better support strategic decision-making and digital transformation initiatives.

EPM vs. Related Financial Systems: Understanding the Distinctions

EPM vs. FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) 

While EPM and FP&A are closely related, they serve slightly different scopes within financial management and reporting. EPM represents a broader umbrella term covering all types of performance analysis across the organization, while FP&A focuses specifically on financial performance analysis. 

Unit4's Financial Planning and Analysis solution exemplifies this focused approach, providing specialized tools for budget management, forecasting, and financial reporting.

EPM vs. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) 

The distinction between EPM and ERP centers on their primary focus areas. 

ERP systems are a system of record, helping to manage and unify various business operations including finance management, HR, procurement, and projects.

EPM systems concentrate specifically on performance analysis, strategic planning, reporting and forecasting. Many modern organizations benefit from integrated solutions that combine both capabilities, as Unit4 demonstrates with its connected ERP and FP&A platforms.

Click to read FP&A product brochure gated

Unit4's Award-Winning FP&A Performance

Unit4 has consistently demonstrated excellence in the EPM market through multiple industry recognitions. According to Dresner's comprehensive market studies, Unit4 FP&A has achieved notable analyst recognition over several years:

Dresner Advisory Services Recognition (2021-2025)

Unit4's performance in Dresner's annual "Wisdom of Crowds" EPM Market Study shows consistent leadership:

  • 2021: Named "Overall Leader" in Customer Experience and Vendor Credibility in the first year of coverage, with perfect recommendation scores
  • 2022: Maintained leadership position as "Overall Leader" in Customer Experience Model and "Trust Leader" in Vendor Credibility Model
  • 2023: Recognized as "Credible Leader" with strong ratings for user recommendation, value, integrity, and flexibility
  • 2024: Achieved "Overall Credibility Leader" in Customer Experience Model and "Trust Leader" in Vendor Credibility Model, with high value and low total cost of ownership
  • 2025: Continued as "Overall Experience Leader" in Customer Experience Model and "Trust Leader" in Vendor Credibility Model, maintaining perfect recommendation scores for the fifth consecutive year

Unit4's Comprehensive EPM Capabilities

Unit4's approach to EPM centers on delivering integrated, Cloud-based solutions that transform financial planning and analysis. Key capabilities include:

  • Cloud Financial Planning & Analysis - Unit4's Cloud FP&A solution provides smarter planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting capabilities. Organizations gain efficiency and flexibility while reducing upgrade costs through faster innovation and digital transformation.
  • Integrated ERP and FP&A - By seamlessly aligning operational, strategic, and financial planning, Unit4 improves visibility and decision-making through a single source of truth. This integration raises productivity through best practices and automation while lowering operating costs.
  • Advanced Analytics and Reporting - The platform enables organizations to consolidate data from different sources, view numbers across actuals, plans, and forecasts, and drill down to identify root causes and dependencies. Automated financial analysis saves significant time for finance teams.
  • People Planning and Analytics - Unit4's solution expands beyond traditional financial metrics to include granular employee-level planning, broader workforce analytics, and end-to-end planning across workforce, finances, and operations.
  • Financial Consolidation - The system easily consolidates financial data by integrating with ERP systems, delivering consistency for consolidators, auditors, FP&A teams, and leadership while meeting accounting standards across complex organizational structures.
  • Compliance and ESG Reporting - Unit4 supports mandatory ESG reporting requirements such as EU Taxonomy reporting, helping organizations collect, analyze, and monitor ESG data while supporting compliance with statutory reporting requirements.

Why EPM continues to matter

Modern EPM systems like Unit4 FP&A enable finance teams to evolve from traditional control functions to strategic business partners. Organizations using EPM systems report high success rates, with 89% of organizations rating EPM as critical, very important, or important to their success according to Dresner's 2025 study.

The market continues to demonstrate strong growth, with EPM usage stabilizing at 72% in 2025, while Cloud deployment preferences continue to dominate at 63%. This trend reflects the proven maturity of Cloud-based EPM solutions and organizations' preference for replacing older generation solutions with modern, Cloud-based alternatives.

Unit4's consistent recognition for low total cost of ownership, combined with high value delivery, positions it as an ideal choice for finance leaders seeking to optimize their EPM investments while achieving strategic transformation goals.

To see Unit4’s FP&A solution in action, consult our webpage, get a demo, or talk to sales - today!

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