Empowering Finance in ERP Transformations: Lessons from the F&C Process Coordinator Role

In significant, organisation-wide transformations, finance is often one of the most impacted functions—but also one of the most critical to get it right. Finance should not be a follower in the transformation—it should actively ensure end-to-end process efficiency and quality.

Liisa Taipale

13.10.2025

In significant, organisation-wide transformations, finance is often one of the most impacted functions—but also one of the most critical to get it right. Finance should not be a follower in the transformation—it should actively ensure end-to-end process efficiency and quality.

Finance Leader’s Dilemma - Should I, or Shouldn't I?

In these uncertain times, organisations are carefully considering when the right time is to transform their business, support systems, or both. There may be compelling reasons, such as cost optimisation opportunities, to move ahead—now or never! Then there may be counterarguments: Is this the right time to invest, or should we wait for better times? If transforming is indeed critical, you may ponder how to navigate such an extensive program. How can you ensure overall cost optimisation and realise the expected benefits?

Transformation Program costs are typically labour-driven. Technology and infrastructure costs play a significant role, especially on an ongoing operational basis. The planning, design, and implementation phases require time and are about hard work. You may have an external integrator partner with whom you have negotiated on the deliverables, timetable, and budget. The Project Management Office is getting organised; they present you with a program organisation structure and ask you to nominate your team to contribute to the work during the coming years. Yes, we are talking about a commitment of 1 to 5 years. We are also discussing your future system, which will shape how your teams—from finance to supply chain and customer service—collaborate and perform daily operations. Your business leaders will be making business-critical decisions based on the data provided by the new system. Your organisation's public reputation will rely on compliant and transparent reporting. No doubt, high stakes in play.

If I should, then how?

What are the roles you need to succeed? What are the competencies required to excel in these roles? The program organisation template has roles such as Finance Functional Expert and Finance Functional Stream Lead, with your integration partner nominations already filled. Empty boxes are waiting for your nominations. This partnering structure, integrator and client representatives, is to ensure efficient collaboration throughout the program phases. Your nominations depend on where you are in your own finance transformation journey. The overall program complexity, such as the number of independent and interconnected parallel projects, as well as the geographic scope, has an impact. How much should you invest in addition to the already sizable contract with the technical integrator?

You may argue that you are already paying for an Integrator Finance Stream Lead who has in-depth knowledge of the target solution. That should be enough, you think. You may have made a wise strategic decision to implement the standard solution. The Integrator Finance Stream Lead is securing their technical team to deliver a solution in accordance with the specifications, based on your business requirements. You will be surprised to hear how often these business requirements mimic current solutions. Target solution functionalities may be overlooked, either because your team does not fully comprehend the available functionalities or the technical team is unable to accurately interpret your business requirements and apply their technical expertise accordingly. Business process integration, where, for example, the solution derives indirect taxes based on product information, customer master data and transaction types, differs from the manual tax code entry you may apply in your current system. To design the most efficient tax solution, your integration partner needs to have a comprehensive picture of all your business flows. Building a solution based on wrong assumptions or incomplete input leads to rework and delays.

You may also argue that you have a competent and experienced finance process specialist team. That is an excellent starting position, but you should still consider the following:

• Do they know the target solution?

• Are they familiar with end-to-end business process integration?

• Are they open-minded and eager to learn about the new functionalities offered by the target solution, and do they feel comfortable adopting those?

• Are they experienced in implementing new finance solutions and able to represent the finance organisation at large, and thereby commenting on behalf of their colleagues? Or do you need to allocate 5-10 finance process experts (AR/ AP/ FA/ GL/ Tax/ Credit Management/ Collections/ Treasury/ Business Controlling/...) to be on call for the entire program duration, just in case?

• Do your finance process specialists have a strong network and working relations with your business process specialists?

• Are you comfortable that the technical team has sufficient information to build all finance-critical solutions in compliance with your accounting and reporting principles for product costing, inventory valuation, and revenue recognition, to mention a few important ones?

• How to safeguard that finance solutions are reviewed and approved on time by the appropriate governance body?

If these questions raised any concerns, you need an experienced finance representative in your transformation program, someone who will ensure that the finance organisation is engaged at the right time to the extent required in each program phase. In this context, I want to emphasise the ability to identify and act on cross-functional and cross-finance process topics, and the courage to drive end-to-end process efficiency and quality beyond the finance organisation's own domain.

I have a tangible role proposal. A couple of years ago, I joined Vaisala’s core system transformation as the Finance & Control (F&C) Processes Coordinator.

Bridging Finance and Transformation

Already at the definition phase, Vaisala’s transformation program was not making expected progress. The CFO and CIO jointly agreed they would need a dedicated Finance & Control Process Coordinator to bring transparency to the growing complexity and ensure alignment across finance and project teams.

Throughout the program, the F&C Process Coordinator role drove key activities and milestones across change management, training, governance, and readiness. I led the development of change impact presentations and coordinated finance updates in global F&C meetings. I ensured that all involved stakeholders understood the changes, and teams were well-prepared for the new system. In collaboration with operative Finance Stream Leads and the global organisational change management (OCM) team, we designed and delivered a comprehensive end-user training curriculum through the client’s learning platform. I facilitated weekly F&C Concept Approval meetings. This governance forum is dedicated to approving all elements of the finance solution before the technical integrator builds it and thereafter monitoring implementation.

When the program progressed to reviewing the E2E processes, we realised that we had to revisit the already built independent technical solutions and define common concepts and solutions that work for E2E processes. I coordinated these review sessions between the technical teams and the client process teams. I supported the planning and execution of user acceptance testing (UAT). We ensured that finance validation steps were integrated into the end-to-end business process testing and aligned with the overall program schedule. During the cutover phase, I coordinated finance migration testing and cutover planning to secure a seamless transition and validation of all critical data. Additionally, I contributed to audit readiness by facilitating collaboration between the internal teams and external auditors in the pre-go-live phase, ensuring compliance and preparedness.

Strategic Impact of the F&C Process Coordinator Role

Studies reveal that top transformation performers maintain implementation rigour, especially across the program's later stages. Secondly, high performers use the program to upgrade their talent base. Thirdly, they invest in the right resources in every stage of the program. *

The F&C Process Coordinator serves as the bridge between the client’s finance leadership and the technical implementation teams, ensuring that the transformation program not only preserves the finance processes but also optimises those for the future. The F&C Process Coordinator has an overall view and can therefore keep the Finance Leadership well-informed about program progress. In return, Finance Leadership is readily available to support when required.

Further, this role drives alignment across multiple ERP cross-process streams to ensure prioritisation of finance requirements. I, for example, sat with the program organisation, next to the integration partner’s and the client’s own technical teams. This way, I was able to coordinate the right specialists to discuss any topical issue.

Vaisala’s finance organisation owned the finance processes and solutions. Teams were committed and stayed focused on the tasks at hand. The teams provided the subject matter expertise, which matured during the program in accordance with the new system requirements.

Reflections and Takeaways

The transformation programs are an actual test of cross-functional collaboration and adaptive leadership. For me, those reinforce the importance of embedding finance deeply into transformation programs—not just as a compliance function, but as a strategic enabler.

This role requires a comprehensive understanding of finance operations, ERP program dynamics, as well as general knowledge of the end-to-end business processes, and comprehension of the specific requirements of the client’s line of business. Together, we determined the priorities for a successful go-live. The F&C Process Coordinator role was pivotal in ensuring that finance not just survived the transformation but evolved through it.

At Midagon, we want you to succeed in your transformation.

Transformation programs are a great way to build process ownership and change management capabilities in your organisation.  Program roles can be stepping stones to other, ongoing finance development roles. Unless you have a strong in-house finance development organisation, I recommend integrating external experience into your project team. I am happy that I was able to contribute to this client case. The original scope of the role evolved as the client teams took more ownership of specific sub-projects.

Midagon offers an independent perspective to help organisations navigate their transformations. Our senior consultants bring deep experience from finance transformation programs and operational finance roles. Our role is to help you define the program roles that best serve your organisation, leveraging your current capabilities while building the competencies needed for the future.

 *McKinsey & Company: how-to-implement-transformations-for-long-term-impact.pdf