The Capability Maturity Model for Finance is a comprehensive program that includes both immediate exercises and activities, and guidance for long-term success and continual improvement. Participating companies receive: * An in-depth two-day workshop, under OpenView's guidance, that establishes the fundamentals of the program and serves as its launch point * A 12 - 18 month development outline that sets objectives, prioritizes initiatives and guides progress * Individualized check-ins and assessments to help CFOs overcome obstacles, monitor results and make adjustments, as needed

1. Building a Roadmap for High-Performance Financial Leadership:
Capability Maturity Model
for Finance Workshop
In the high-performing enterprise,
A time for reflection that
Finance must drive extraordinary
leads to meaningful action.
execution.
With the CMM for Finance, OpenView
As companies move from the start-up to
Venture Partners integrates much of the best
the expansion stage, financial leadership
thinking regarding financial performance into
may be the missing link for efficient growth.
an actionable process appropriate, in scale
No other role has as comprehensive a view
and content, to expansion-stage enterprise.
of the entire enterprise. Finance serves as
Participating companies gain:
the vital connection between daily operations
and the ultimate results executives and
A tool for organizing a step-by-step improvement
shareholders want to see.
process
The problem? Too many high-potential Self-assessment analytics that establish a base-
enterprises are hobbled by a financial line for future progress
organization fixated on minimum require-
ments for transactions, budgets and Techniques for aligning finance priorities with the
reporting. The Capability Maturity Model company’s strategic objectives
(CMM) for Finance guides CFOs and other
leaders responsible for Finance in a rigorous,
yet practical program for assessing current
capabilities, identifying gaps, establishing
priorities and, most importantly, aligning
financial initiatives with their companies’
strategic interests.

2. “We’ve all seen too many
great start-ups fumble as
AtTask CFO accelerates
they move into the expan-
improvements through
sion stage. Finance is at the
heart of a successful transi-
CMM for Finance
tion. My colleagues and I
have designed the CMM As a four-year veteran of Arthur Anderson, AtTask
for Finance to give CFOs CFO, Mike Olson appreciates “the importance of
and other financial leaders a chance to step back repeatable processes for error-free reporting and
controls.” Since his Anderson stint, more stringent
from the day-to-day to take a deep look at the big
regulatory obligations, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, have
picture: Where is the company now? Where does
made financial accountability even more urgent.
it need to go? What financial infrastructure and
skills must be in place to fulfill enterprise strate- When he joined AtTask, Mike found a situation
gies, now and two-to-five years from now? CMM common to many expansion-stage companies.
“Our processes were all ad hoc,” he says.
for Finance helps participants blaze a trail for
“We needed to build a foundation of standard
their companies’ futures.”
procedures.” In October 2009, Mike participated
Cynthia Mignogna, Financial Principal, in the CMM for Finance two-day workshop.
OpenView Venture Partners “It helped me establish a baseline for improving
processes and moving to the next level,” he
explains. “The workshop exposed our deficiencies
OpenView Partners provides a and identified target areas
to prioritize. It has saved
structure for performance us tremendous time in
evaluation and assessment.
The Capability Maturity Model for Finance is
With CMM and OpenView’s
a comprehensive program that includes both
support, AtTask has been
immediate exercises and activities, and guidance
able to make tremendous
for long-term success and continual improvement. improvements in a matter
Participating companies receive: of months.”
An in-depth two-day workshop, under OpenView’s
guidance, that establishes the fundamentals of the
program and serves as its launch point
A 12–18 month development outline that sets
objectives, prioritizes initiatives and guides progress
Individualized check-ins and assessments to help
CFOs over-come obstacles, monitor results and make
adjustments, as needed.

3. Expect an intensive program
to kick-start improvement
CMM for Finance helps Central The initial two-day CMM for Finance workshop
Desktop through growing pains includes presentations and hands-on exercises
that help participants:
With more than 2,600 CrEATE an overall plan for improving finance
customers—and several Establish reference point of current state
hundred thousand users— Identify gaps that need improvement
on its collaborative workplace Prioritize actions
platform, Central Desktop is Design roadmap for future efforts
Set criteria for reviews and appraisals
well on its way to growth. But,
notes Steve Anderson, Director
COnnECT financial capabilities to company strategy
of Finance and Operations,
Define priorities consistent with key strategic themes
“our financial systems need
Financial perspective
to be prepared for two years, three years out. We’re
Economic model perspective
asking ourselves, ‘What do we need to do to be a Customer/market perspective
$10, $20 or $30 million company?’” Company output experienced by market participants
Internal methodologies and information capital
OpenView’s CMM for Finance is helping Central
People
Desktop build a foundation for continued success.
People and organizational methodologies
“After the workshop,” Steve says, “we completed
our first independent audit. Then we had a follow-up FulFIll a thorough self-assessment of current
analysis with Cynthia Mignogna, the OpenView functional strengths and weaknesses
Finance Principal, who walked us through a fifty-point
Prioritize gaps between financial capabilities and strategy by
diagnostics spreadsheet.” Working through the CMM Risk
model, Steve has identified three important target Value-add
issues for 2010: appropriate analytics, reliable metrics Cost
and KPI dashboards. “Now that we’ve completed Effort
our assessments, we know where the gaps are,” Alignment
Steve says. “We’re ready to focus on this year’s Target key initiatives for each gap
most critical issues, and match our efforts to key Identify initiatives
departmental goals.” Time frame
SMART goal
Dependencies
To learn more about the Capability Maturity
Model for Finance—and how OpenView Venture
Partners can accelerate your success—contact
OpenView directly at (617) 478-7500 or email
info@openviewpartners.com.