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Data Transparency EPM – Sactona Solution Helps Businesses Manage Reliable Financial Data

In the data era, businesses cannot manage performance if data is not transparent, not consolidated and not unified. EPM is the bridge between operational data (ERP) and business strategy, creating a “single source of truth” – the foundation for all financial and strategic decisions to become more accurate, faster and more transparent than ever.

This article will analyze in detail the role of EPM data transparency to show how Enterprise Performance Management systems ensure that all financial data is clearly displayed, traceable, and consistent.

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What is EPM? Why data-transparent EPM is the foundation of enterprise performance management

EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) is a comprehensive management solution that helps businesses plan, forecast, analyze and report on operational performance in a synchronized manner. If ERP focuses on “current operations” (recording daily transactions), EPM helps leaders understand and control the future through aggregated data, forecasting and analyzing business performance.

In financial planning and reporting, trust in data is paramount. A report may look good, but if the numbers are inaccurate or of unknown origin, it cannot be used as a basis for decision making.

However, in reality, many Vietnamese businesses today still have the problem of “data silos” — fragmented data in departments, separate Excel files, and no change control process. The result is:

EPM Data Transparency is the ability of the Enterprise Performance Management system to ensure that all financial data is clearly displayed, traceable, consistent across departments, and reliable for decision making.

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EPM is a comprehensive management solution that helps businesses plan, forecast, analyze and report operational performance in a synchronized manner.

EPM Data Transparency bring 3 core values:

  1. Traceability: each number has a change history, who entered it, and the reason for the adjustment.
  2. Consistency: same financial indicators, but displayed the same way in every report, every department.
  3. Auditability: CFOs can track and verify right in the system, without needing to “ask for the original Excel file”.

When data is transparent, FP&A teams can analyze with confidence, and CFOs can sign off on reports with confidence — knowing that every number is accurate and provable.

Core Components of Data Transparency EPM 

In the era of data-driven businesses, data transparency and reliability are not just technical requirements, but vital for CFOs, FP&A, and management to make informed decisions.

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) is the tool that helps businesses achieve that — by building a transparent, comprehensive, and unified data foundation.

Data Governance – A strong data governance framework

Data governance is the foundation layer for all data in EPM to be controlled uniformly.
It includes:

When there is governance, data no longer a "gray area" but become responsibly managed assets – the foundation for ensuring reporting accuracy and consistency.

Data Accuracy & Integrity – Ensure data is correct, complete, and reliable

Data is only valuable when correct and complete.

EPM supports this through:

As a result, CFOs can have absolute confidence in financial data without manual reconciliation.

Data Consolidation – Consolidation of multi-source financial data

In most businesses, data is scattered among ERP, CRM, HRM, internal Excel files... EPM acts as a consolidation layer, automatically synthesizing data from different systems, including:

As a result, businesses have a consolidated financial picture, updated in real time, instead of relying on manual synthesis.

Data Lineage & Data Quality Management – Traceability and Quality Control

Data lineage is the ability to trace the entire journey of data – from its origin to its appearance in the final financial report. For example, revenue in a consolidated report can be traced back to a specific invoice from the ERP.

Combined with data quality management, EPM continuously:

This helps prevent errors before data is used for decision making.

Single Source of Truth – The only and reliable source of data

The ultimate goal of every EPM system is to create a “Single Source of Truth” (SSOT) – a unified, transparent, and synchronized data source for the entire enterprise.

When a business has a true SSOT, every decision – from budget adjustments to strategic planning – is based on validated data, not on gut feeling or judgment.

Data Transparency – The Importance of Performance Management

Data transparency is the ability to “see, understand, and believe” data.
In performance management (EPM), it delivers three key values:

  1. Reliable: All numbers are verifiable, giving CFOs peace of mind when signing reports.
  2. Responsibility: Easily identify who entered – who approved – who is responsible.
  3. Speed: The decision-making process is faster because there is no debate about “which number is right”.

EPM helps make data transparent through:

When data is transparent, businesses not only have accurate reports, but also create a data-driven culture.

7 Benefits of EPM Data Transparency in Finance for CFOs and FP&A 

As businesses increasingly rely on data to plan, forecast, and make decisions, data transparency has become a top priority for CFOs and FP&A teams. Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) systems emerged as a strategic solution to standardize, consolidate, and control financial data – ensuring that every number is “actionable.”

Reduce data discrepancies and manual errors

Traditionally, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting consolidation processes were handled in Excel, which was prone to data entry errors, incorrect formulas, and version overlap. EPM makes data transparent and automates the entire process, helping to:

CFOs can be confident that every report accurately reflects operating reality, with no more “Excel risk.”

Increase accuracy and traceability

Transparent EPM data provides audit trail – detailed logs that tell Who entered the data, when, and what changed?This helps FP&A:

Data transparency not only helps report “correctly,” but also helps CFOs prove that the numbers are correct.

Consolidate financial data from multiple systems (ERP, CRM, Accounting…)

EPM plays a role consolidation layer, connect with ERP, CRM, HRM, accounting systems and internal files.
Thanks to that:

Creating “Single Source of Truth” – a single, trusted source of data for the entire organization.

Improve compliance

EPM helps businesses Standardize reporting structure and ensure compliance international financial standards:

The system automates the reconciliation process, eliminates internal transactions, records audit logs and locks data periodically, helping businesses Maintain transparency and be audit-ready at any time.

Improve the speed of analysis and decision making

With data consolidated and validated automatically, FP&A can focus on analysis instead of data entry.
EPM provides:

Decision making is no longer based on emotions, but on accurate and timely data.

Supporting CFOs in risk management and data control

EPM enables CFOs to:

Thanks to that, the system becomes proactive financial data risk control tools, instead of only detecting discrepancies after the report is submitted.

Reduce Dependence on Excel – Towards Modern Finance

Excel is still useful, but as businesses grow, it is no longer enough to ensure data integrity and transparency. Legacy EPM The Flexibility of Excel, but upgrade it with:

Help CFO Move from manual Excel to a smart finance platform, where all data is controlled, connected, and transparent.

The EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) system was born as a strategic solution to standardize, consolidate and control financial data - ensuring that every number is "actionable"

Sactona: Automate – Standardize – Make Financial Data Transparent for CFOs and FP&A

Sactona is a software solution/enterprise management system (EPM/FP&A – planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysis) developed by Outlook Consulting. In Vietnam, Bizzi To be exclusive distribution partner and official implementation support for Vietnamese businesses.

Sactona is designed to Direct connection to ERP platforms, CRM, accounting systems, and internal Excel filesAutomatic system:

As a result, CFOs and FP&A don’t need to manually reconcile files or systems — every number is processed, validated, and consolidated in a standardized way, creating the foundation for a “single source of truth.”

In addition, Sactona not only collects data, but also turns data into insights with a dynamic financial dashboard display system: revenue, costs, profits, cash flow, forecasts...

Any data changes from ERP, CRM or accounting systems are updated in real time. In addition, FP&A can create scenario planning or customized reports in just minutes, without waiting for Excel compilation.

Sactona helps businesses see the entire data journey – from ingestion, approval, consolidation to reporting:

Sactona is a software solution/business management system developed by Outlook Consulting, officially distributed and supported by Bizzi for Vietnamese businesses.

How EPM manages and integrates financial data from multiple sources 

Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) systems are designed to solve exactly that problem – by connecting, consolidating, and standardizing financial data from multiple sources, creating a unified, transparent, and reliable data base.

EPM Data Integration & ETL Process

Progress ETL (Extract – Transform – Load) is the heart of data integration capabilities in EPM:

Centralized Data Repository & Real-Time Synchronization

After the data is ETL, all the information is stored in Centralized Data Repository.
This is the “heart” of EPM – where:

Metadata & Master Data Management (MDM)

EPM maintenance metadata (descriptive data) and master data (standard list) to ensure all information is interpreted consistently:

As a result, even though data comes from many different systems, EPM still Read and arrange them according to the same structure, ensuring consolidated and consistent reporting.

Data Mapping & Multi-Source Data Normalization

When integrating with different systems, data structures are often heterogeneous.
EPM uses data mapping to map the respective information fields, for example:

Cross-Department Visibility – Connecting Finance, Sales, and Operations

A particular strength of EPM is its ability to breaking down data barriers between departments:

The entire organization operates on same data set, helping to improve inter-departmental coordination and optimize enterprise-wide performance.

Integrate EPM with major ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics…)

EPM can connect directly with many popular ERP platforms such as:

Integration enables automatic synchronization revenue, expenses, liabilities, cash flow and budget planning – completely eliminates manual data entry or file uploading.

Sactona – API Integration ensures real-time synchronization and accurate data

Unlike traditional solutions that require CSV file uploads or semi-manual connections, Sactona uses API Integration technology to:

With Sactona, CFOs and FP&A can see the financial picture “in real-time” – where all data is standardized, consolidated and continuously synchronized, helping to make quick and accurate decisions.

The EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) system connects, consolidates, and standardizes financial data from various sources, creating a unified, transparent, and reliable data base.

 

EPM and financial data compliance control: security, audit, GRC

In the modern financial environment, compliance and data control are vital. Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) not only helps with planning and reporting, but also serves as a comprehensive risk management and compliance control system for CFOs and FP&A.

Financial Compliance & Audit Trail

EPM records the entire history of operations and data changes (audit trail), allowing businesses to:

Risk management & internal control framework, role-based delegation

EPM setup Risk & Control Framework with strict role-based access:

Data Traceability & Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) Compliance

EPM ensures data traceability at every level—from accounting transactions, cash flows, to consolidated results. This is especially important to meet Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and international financial regulations on transparency and internal controls.

Internal Control & Operational Transparency

EPM helps to establish automatic internal control mechanisms, detect and warn of data discrepancies, support:

Governance – Risk – Compliance Framework (GRC Framework)

EPM serves as a unified GRC platform where:

Solution Sactona mechanism integration data lineage tracking – record the entire data journey from ERP, CRM sources to final reports.

With Sactona, CFOs and FP&A can Make confident decisions based on transparent data, control and absolute compliance.

Application of EPM in corporate financial data transparency 

System EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) Plays a central role in consolidating, standardizing, and monitoring enterprise-wide financial data.

EPM in Consolidation & Reporting

EPM manages data and automatically consolidates financial data from multiple subsidiaries, departments or regions, eliminating manual Excel operations. Accounting standards such as IFRS or VAS are applied throughout the consolidation process, ensuring:

Data Transparency in Forecasting & Budgeting

In the process budgeting & forecasting, EPM helps:

EPM Helps CFOs Control Data Risks

CFOs often face risks from fragmented, erroneous, or inconsistent data across systems. EPM helps by:

Application in Multi-Branch Corporation Model

For corporations or businesses with many subsidiaries and branches, EPM brings:

Increase Confidence with Investors and Auditors

Data transparency is key to helping businesses:

Sactona Case Study: Transparency of FP&A Data at Multi-Subsidiary Enterprises

A Vietnamese retail group owned 8 subsidiaries and 3 different accounting systems had difficulty consolidating reports and reconciling data. After implementing (Sactona):

Results: Management can Full confidence in consolidated reports and forecasts – the foundation for making accurate strategic decisions.

Indicators for evaluating data transparency effectiveness in EPM 

EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) implementation does not stop at automatic planning and reporting, but also requires measuring the system's operational efficiency with specific KPI indicators.

These KPIs help CFOs and FP&A assess the level of transparency, accuracy, and control of financial data after implementing EPM.

KPI Meaning / Objective Measure The Value Sactona Brings
Data Accuracy Rate

(Data accuracy rate)

Evaluate the accuracy and consistency of post-consolidation financial data. Exact records / Total records (%)

→ Target: >98%

Automatically standardize and validate data via API Integration, reducing manual errors.
Consolidation Speed

(Data consolidation speed)

Measure the time it takes to complete consolidated financial statements. Number of days/reporting period to complete consolidation. Real-time consolidation, shortening closing cycles from days to hours.
Reporting Transparency Index

(Reporting Transparency Index)

Assess traceability and verify data. Based on traceability, number of errors, and reliability of data source. Have data lineage tracking Helps track every change, ensuring absolute transparency.
Audit Compliance Score

(Audit compliance score)

Measure the level of compliance with internal audit and control standards. Scoring based on audit trail, role-based access, and audit readiness. Report audit-ready, IFRS/VAS/SOX compliant, with strict access control.

 

“Technology Supporting Data Transparency in EPM – From Oracle to Sactona”

Leading solutions like Oracle, SAP, Workday, Anaplan, OneStream, and Bizzi all aim to achieve the same goal: Single Source of Truth – a single and reliable source of data for businesses.

Oracle EPM Cloud – Data Management & Validation

Oracle EPM Cloud stands out with Data Management Module – help businesses:

It is a pioneering platform for quality control and transparency of financial data on a global scale.

SAP, Workday, Anaplan, OneStream – Standardize & Control Multi-System Data

These international EPM platforms focus on:

Sactona – Centralized Data Hub & Real-Time Dashboard

Sactona Bringing international EPM technology closer to Vietnamese businesses, with 3 strengths:

Sactona solves the problem of “Excel is messy, data is scattered, reporting is slow” – very suitable for businesses that want to upgrade their management.

AI in Financial Data Control

AI technology integrated in EPM helps:

API Integration – Continuous data synchronization

Both Oracle and Sactona use API Integration to:

Comparing EPM, ERP and BI in data management – Why is EPM more transparent about data? 

In the modern financial management ecosystem, three systems ERP – EPM – BI are often mentioned together. However, each platform has its own different roles in the data value chain, and only EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) that really helps businesses achieve single source of truth.

Comparison Table of ERP – BI – EPM in Data Management

Criteria ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) BI (Business Intelligence) EPM (Enterprise Performance Management)
Main function Recording and processing operational transactions: accounting, purchasing, sales, inventory, human resources. Visualization and data analysis from multiple sources to support decision making. Financial performance management, plan, forecast, consolidate, and control enterprise data.
The nature of the data Realistic, detailed, “historical” data. Aggregated data, used for analysis and display. Standardized, unified, and served data strategic planning – forecasting – analysis.
Level of transparency Data is distributed modularly, with little ability to fully control. Depending on the accuracy of the input data, no data origin management. Have data governance, lineage tracking, audit trail, ensuring data is transparent, traceable and verifiable.
Consolidation No multi-company data consolidation. Consolidate via manual reporting or temporary connections. Automatically consolidate data from multiple systems (ERP, CRM, accounting) → Single Source of Truth.
Compliance & Control Limited in accounting process, not ensuring IFRS/SOX standards for the whole enterprise. No compliance control function. Integration risk & control framework, audit-ready and ensure compliance with international accounting standards.
Main users Accounting, operations, human resources. Data analysis, marketing, sales. CFO, FP&A, Board of Directors, internal audit department.
Output results Transaction reports, ledgers, balance sheets. Dashboard, charts, analytical insights. Consolidated reports, transparent and controllable plans – budgets – forecasts.

Based on the table above, we can see why EPM is more transparent in data, which is shown through:

Data Transparency EPM: 10 Frequently Asked Questions from CFO & FP&A

Below is a summary of questions related to data transparency EPM, how EPM manages data.

How does EPM help make financial data transparent?

EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) helps businesses Centralize and standardize all financial data from multiple sources (ERP, accounting, CRM, Excel files, etc.) in Single Source of TruthThe system records the entire process of data entry, processing and consolidation, ensuring Each number can be clearly traced back to its origin., thereby creating character transparency and consistency in financial reporting.

Can EPM guarantee data accuracy?

Yes. EPM applies ETL (Extract – Transform – Load) process along with automatic data validation rules to eliminate errors, duplication or incorrect formatting. In addition, the metadata and master data management system helps to unify account categories, cost codes, currencies, etc. → ensuring accuracy and consistency throughout the entire organization.

How does Sactona manage and consolidate data from multiple sources?

Sactona use of technology API Integration to connect directly to ERP, accounting, CRM, POS systems or internal data files.
System:

 As a result, businesses no longer rely on manual data entry or discrete Excel reports.

Is the data in EPM traceable and auditable?

Absolutely. EPM is designed with audit trail and data lineage tracking – record the entire history of data changes:

How does EPM help CFOs trust reporting data?

Ask for a favor Single Source of Truth, every part of the business works on the same set of validated data.

EPM helps remove the doubt between “department report” and “actual report”, bring Absolute data confidence for CFO and FP&A in every financial decision.

Sactona – Transparent data management solution for Vietnamese businesses

Sactona provides transparent, unified, and compliant financial data management. For CFOs, FP&A, and businesses transforming finance digitally, helping ensure reliable data for every decision.

Data Transparency – The Foundation of Financial Performance Management

In the context of Vietnamese enterprises undergoing digital transformation, financial data transparency not only is it a requirement of compliance but also Performance Management Platform. When financial data is standardized, clearly traceable, and consolidated, CFOs and FP&A can trust in every number, make fast, accurate decisions based on real data – instead of guesswork or manual reporting.

Sactona – International standards, designed for Vietnamese businesses

Sactona is the foundation Enterprise Performance Management developed from technology Sactona – Japan, help:

Bizzi inherits international data management standards (IFRS, SOX, GRC framework), but is optimized for Vietnamese business reality — from language, process to implementation costs.

Transparent Data – The Power Source for Strategic Decisions

Sactona financial data management is not just about storing, but also about lifecycle management: from data entry, consolidation, analysis to auditing.
Thanks to the ability data lineage and audit-ready reportingBizzi helps businesses:

Conclude

Data-transparent EPM is the foundation for automating financial reporting, helping CFOs, FP&A, and management make decisions based on accurate, traceable, and audit-ready data. Sactona is both a reporting tool and a transparent and unified financial data management system – helping Vietnamese businesses operate like an international organization, making quick, accurate and controlled decisions.

With Sactona, Vietnamese enterprises can build a transparent financial system like international corporations, but with costs and implementation capabilities suitable for the reality of the Vietnamese market.

Registration here to receive the earliest consultation schedule and experience the Sactona solution!

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