What ROI Really Looks Like After a CPM Implementation

Why Value Realization Starts Long After Go-Live

When most organizations invest in a Corporate Performance Management (CPM) platform like OneStream, they’re chasing ROI.

Faster closes. Better data. Streamlined reporting. Predictive forecasting. Decision-ready insights.

But here’s the truth: none of those gains are automatic. And they definitely don’t show up just because your implementation project crossed the finish line.

For too many teams, “go-live” becomes the goal. The software is up and running. The platform is functional. But the real value? Still out of reach. Until users are trained, data structures support real analysis, and the platform becomes part of daily financial operations, ROI remains theoretical.

So, what does ROI really look like after a CPM implementation?

Let’s explore three real-world examples that demonstrate how true value realization happens: not at launch, but after alignment, adoption, and scale.

When Health Checks Drive High Impact

When Gabby Morales joined IPS Corporation as Global Financial Systems Manager, she assumed she’d inherit a robust OneStream environment. What she found instead was a platform that had technically been implemented but functionally abandoned. There was one active user. And he was in IT.

Rather than accept the status quo, Gabby initiated a system health check and led a reimplementation effort. Working with Nova Advisory, she reevaluated the original design and scoped the project around what the business actually needed, this time with extensibility, user dimensions, and Task Manager fully leveraged.

The results?

• Over 50 active users across accounting and finance

• Task Manager used to manage month-end close with full task visibility

• Onboarding support and job aids to accelerate adoption

• A purpose-built help desk dedicated to OneStream not buried in IT queues

• Full account reconciliations moved out of shared drives into the OneStream platform

Gabby’s story is a clear reminder: if no one is using the platform, there is no ROI. The reimplementation wasn’t just about technical fixes. It was about change management, training, and making OneStream part of the team’s actual workflow.

Real ROI Requires Real Visibility

While some companies need to course-correct, others arrive at implementation with a clear vision. That was the case for Aldo Tesi, CFO of Mauser Packaging Solutions, a global manufacturer with over 200 plants and $4.5 billion in revenue.

Mauser didn’t just want better reporting. They needed plant-level profitability, product-level forecasting, a unified platform for onboarding acquired businesses, and standardized financial governance across global operations.

By partnering with Nova Advisory and owning the project from the CFO’s seat, Aldo and his team achieved measurable ROI on their terms. The chart of accounts expanded from 12 lines to more than 150, while visibility down to individual plants identified underperformance and triggered turnaround plans. Acquisitions were integrated into OneStream within a month of being finalized. Monthly close times dropped across entities without sacrificing accuracy or control. And the platform now supports forecasting, budgeting, reconciliation, and expansion planning.

More importantly, Aldo didn’t stop at technical success. He invested in internal admin ownership, trained business units in platform usage, and created a Playbook to scale OneStream adoption across new acquisitions.

“ROI for us wasn’t just time saved,” he noted. “It was about enabling the kind of financial visibility that drives better decisions, faster.”

The Measurable ROI Behind Unified CPM

It’s one thing to talk about ROI. It’s another to measure it. That’s why OneStream created a dedicated Value Transformation team, to help customers benchmark, track, and report post-implementation gains.

According to their most recent research:

• 54% average efficiency improvement in financial close

• 58% faster planning and budgeting cycles

• 75% improvement in reporting productivity

These aren’t projections. They’re real numbers, collected from post-go-live clients. And they reflect what’s possible when organizations move beyond “module-based” CPM into a truly unified financial platform with strategy, reporting, and decision-making all under one roof.

What’s also clear from OneStream’s internal data is this: the biggest ROI gains don’t come from the software itself. They come from how it’s used.

Clients who track baseline metrics, invest in training, and iterate their platform use over time are the ones who see the most transformation. Those who treat implementation as a one-time event? Not so much.

What Does ROI Really Look Like?

It looks like more users engaging with the platform more often. It looks like automated processes that free up your finance team’s time, and decision-ready data delivered faster and with more trust. It looks like real-time visibility into underperformance, paired with the tools to address it. And it looks like having an internal team that truly owns the platform, rather than relying on an outside vendor to keep it running. Most importantly, it looks like no longer having to wonder if your investment was worth it, because the results are already built into your operations.

If You’re Not Measuring Value, You’re Not Realizing It

Ask yourself whether your CPM platform is used daily or only at month-end. Do your users feel confident in the system, or do they avoid logging in? Can your CFO drill into performance at the plant or product level? Do you know if your post-implementation ROI is improving, flatlining, or falling short?

If the answer to any of these questions is “I’m not sure,” then your implementation may be complete, but your value realization journey is only just beginning.