In 2026, most new EPM initiatives are moving towards the cloud. Vendors are concentrating investment on SaaS offerings, while companies seek greater agility, integration and access to AI innovation.
Why the shift is accelerating
- more frequent updates;
- less infrastructure to maintain;
- faster access to innovation;
- better support for distributed teams;
- scalability and industrialized operations;
- increasing pressure on legacy technical skills.
The cloud does not eliminate complexity
A SaaS project retains the same business challenges: chart of accounts, consolidation rules, security, interfaces, controls and governance. The functional debt of a legacy system does not disappear when moved to the cloud.
Arguments that still favor on-premises
Some groups retain on-site environments for regulatory, sovereignty, technical dependency or existing-investment reasons. Critical interfaces and extensive customizations may make a gradual migration more appropriate than an abrupt cutover.
The real decision criteria
- total cost over several years;
- upgrade frequency;
- data location and protection;
- reversibility and portability;
- flow and volume performance;
- degree of customization;
- business continuity and service commitments;
- available skills ecosystem.
Avoid the false license-versus-subscription comparison
On-premises costs also include infrastructure, backups, upgrades, security, operations and internal skills. SaaS includes some of these services but may introduce consumption, integration or storage costs. The comparison must cover total cost and delivered service.
Migration is an opportunity to simplify
The best path is not to reproduce every historical customization identically. Essential needs, obsolete workarounds and processes to be standardized must be distinguished.
Recommended approach
- map the architecture and dependencies;
- measure actual usage and volumes;
- define security and reversibility requirements;
- prototype critical interfaces;
- migrate by domain or cycle when this reduces risk;
- plan a period of parallel operation.
The shift is accelerating, but the cloud is not an end in itself. The decision must sustainably improve finance processes, data quality and the company’s capacity to evolve.