As CEPI grew and became more complex, the need for structure in financial planning became increasingly urgent. Together with Finext, CEPI revamped the planning process: more control, shorter lead times and one reliable source of truth - thanks to the deployment of smart, targeted financial planning software.
CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) was founded in 2017 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It is an ambitious global partnership between public, private and philanthropic organizations. Its goal: to accelerate the development of vaccines and countermeasures against epidemics and pandemics - with equal access for all.
Central to CEPI's strategy for 2022-2026 is the 100 Days Mission: a challenge to develop vaccines against new pathogens within 100 days. With operations in Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, CEPI requires not only innovation in science, but also resilience and precision in the financial function.
After a period of strong growth - due in part to the pandemic - CEPI's finance team realized that the existing way of working, based on extensive Excel files and manual consolidations, was no longer sustainable. The need for finance process automation became clear: processes had to become more efficient, more scalable and less prone to error.
"We were working with numerous tabs in large files, with too many details. Merging this information took an enormous amount of time and often led to errors. Workforce planning was particularly difficult, and investment templates required a lot of time from multiple teams."- Tuva Stolen, Head of FP&A at CEPI
Building progress together
An external evaluation led to the selection of a new FP&A tool that better suited CEPI's needs. But it wasn't just about technology - it was also about trust and collaboration. From the beginning, Finext played a crucial role in creating support. Where other parties focused on system demos, Finext offered direct answers to finance-specific issues and helped the team visualize how the new system would work in their context.
"Finext gave us direct answers to financial topics and instilled confidence in the process. They really understood our challenges and knew how to solve them."- Tuva Stolen, Head of FP&A at CEPI
The first application - focused on forecasting operational expenses - was live within three to four months. The implementation was intensive and co-creative, with the internal team closely involved in the design and setup.
"It was really learning by doing. Sometimes hectic, because you had to combine the implementation with your daily work. But Finext helped us focus, prioritize and free up the right time and resources."
Concrete results, immediately noticeable
The transformation brought immediate results. What was once a fragmented and error-prone planning process is now structured and scalable:
- The planning cycle was cut in half - processes that previously took two weeks now take only one week
- Better consolidation and version control
- More time for analysis instead of data collection
Thanks to structured workflows, clear ownership of data and the use of the right finance planning software, CEPI now has more control over costs, better forecast accuracy and the confidence to make faster decisions. The next step? CEPI is now preparing for a new phase, with contribution planning and consolidated cash flow planning.
"We are happy to have one overall picture instead of separate files. The new system allows us to respond flexibly to changes - almost in an agile way."
- Tuva Stolen, Head of FP&A at CEPI
Wondering how Finext can also future-proof your financial processes? Let's get acquainted.
