A Quick Hello: Your Finance Context

• Briefly describe your district (student count, number of schools) and the approximate annual operating budget.
• Which core financial system are you using today and how long has it been in place? Options: Homegrown system, Commercial ERP (education-focused), Commercial ERP (corporate adaptation), Cloud accounting package, Spreadsheet-driven processes, Other
• How many people make up your central finance/business services team (FTEs)? Options: 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, 11–20, 21+
• Which of these best describes your annual reporting burden right now? Options: Mostly automated with occasional manual fixes, Regular manual manipulation for key reports, Heavily manual—many exports and spreadsheets, We miss deadlines or pay for outside help frequently
• What triggered your interest in exploring a new ERP now (budget pressure, audit findings, staffing, scalability, retirements, other)? Options: Audit findings, State reporting changes, Staff turnover/retirements, Inefficient workflows, Growth/scale needs, Board pressure, Other
• How would you describe the mood in your finance office when month‑end and audit season arrive? Options: Confident and calm, Busy but manageable, Stressed and reactive, Overwhelmed and under‑resourced

Are We Still Band‑Aiding Reports?

• What would happen to your district if your team couldn’t produce one critical board or state report next month?
• Which specific reports cause the most rework (board packet summaries, fund-level budget vs actuals, grant roll‑ups, state templates, cash flow)? Options: Board packet summaries, Fund-level budget vs actuals, Grant roll-ups and compliance schedules, State template exports, Cash flow and projection reports, Other
• When you produce those reports today, how much staff time is spent manually manipulating extracts and spreadsheets per reporting cycle? Options: Less than 4 hours, 4–8 hours, 1–2 staff-days, Several staff-days, A full week or more
• Can you share a recent example where manual reporting produced an avoidable error or delay, and what the downstream consequence was?
• Who typically owns putting together the board packet and final sign‑offs? (role titles) Options: CFO/Business Manager, Director of Finance, Assistant Finance Officer, Business Services Coordinator, Superintendent, Other

When the Audit Clock Is Ticking

• If an auditor asked for a complete grant audit trail tomorrow, could you produce everything within 48 hours? Options: Yes, easily, Probably, with effort, Unlikely, would take longer, No, we'd need external help
• How many weeks does your team typically spend preparing for annual audit fieldwork (compiling schedules, supporting docs, reconciliations)? Options: 1–2 weeks, Less than 1 week, 3–4 weeks, Over 4 weeks
• Which audit items consistently cause findings or qualify opinions (federal grants, fund balances, capital assets, procurement documentation, state compliance)? Options: Federal grants documentation, Fund balance classification, Capital assets & depreciation, Procurement records, State compliance templates, Other
• Describe a recent audit interaction that felt adversarial or stressful—what evidence or process did the auditor challenge?
• How confident are you that your current system preserves an auditable trail for changes to budgets, encumbrances, and grant expenditures? Options: Highly confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, Unsure

Who Holds the Keys? Roles, Ownership, and Friction

• What would change if access, approvals, and ownership were unclear for critical financial workflows—who would you worry about first?
• List the internal stakeholders who must see or approve financial reports and budgets (finance, HR, curriculum, principals, board, auditors). Options: Central Finance, Payroll/HR, Curriculum/Instruction, Principals/School Admin, Superintendent, Board, IT, External Auditors, Other
• Where are approvals or sign‑offs most likely to bottleneck (purchase orders, budget amendments, payroll allocations, grant claims)? Options: Purchase orders, Budget amendments, Payroll allocations, Grant claims, Vendor invoices, Other
• How is role‑based access and segregation of duties currently enforced—system controls, manual checklists, or trust-based practices? Options: System-enforced roles & permissions, Hybrid (system + manual), Mostly manual checklists, Ad hoc / trust-based
• When staff turnover happens in finance, how long before replacements can reliably produce required reports and run critical month‑end tasks? Options: Less than 1 month, 1–3 months, 4–6 months, More than 6 months

What Keeps Budget Amendments from Being Quick?

• Why do budget amendments still take weeks instead of hours in your process?
• Which steps in your current amendment workflow are most manual or error‑prone (request, review, board packet prep, legal review, posting)? Options: Request submission, Internal review, Board packet preparation, Legal/compliance review, Final posting to ledgers, Other
• How often do budget amendments require board approval versus being able to be executed administratively? Options: Most require board approval, About half require board approval, Rarely require board approval, Unsure
• Describe a recent amendment that was particularly painful—what caused the delay and what was the impact?
• Who typically drafts, reviews, and signs off on amendments (role titles) and do any external stakeholders need to review them first? Options: CFO/Business Manager, Director of Finance, Department Heads, Superintendent, Board Chair, Grantors/state agencies, Other

If Multi‑Fund Reporting Could Be Effortless, What Would You Do with the Time?

• If multi‑fund consolidation and drill‑down were instant, which three decisions would you make differently this year?
• Which fund types or grant structures give you the most trouble (general fund, special revenue, capital projects, food service, federal grants, IDEA/Title programs)? Options: General Fund, Special Revenue Funds, Capital Projects, Enterprise/Food Service, Federal Grants (IDEA/Title), Local grants/donations, Other
• Do you have a state chart‑of‑accounts mapping requirement or template that must be preserved? If so, how often does it change? Options: Yes—static (rarely changes), Yes—changes periodically, No formal template, Unsure
• When stakeholders ask for variance explanations, how often do you have narrative context ready versus having to recreate the story from scratch? Options: Always ready with context, Usually have some context, Rarely have context, Never have contextual narratives
• Would you be willing to share sample reports or a redacted board packet so we can validate mappings and acceptance criteria? (this helps scope acceptance) Options: Yes—can share immediately, Yes—but need to redact first, Not yet—need approval, No

What Would Ready for a Parallel Run Look Like?

• If you attempted a full parallel run with a new ERP and it failed, which consequence would be worst—operational disruption, audit exposure, or loss of board confidence? Options: Operational disruption, Audit exposure, Loss of board confidence, All equally concerning
• Which legacy data sets are absolutely required for a parallel run (GL history, open encumbrances, vendor master, payroll, fixed assets, grants)? Options: General ledger history, Open encumbrances & POs, Vendor master, Payroll interface, Fixed assets, Grant award & expenditure history, Other
• What level of historical GL detail do you expect to migrate for reconciliation (current fiscal only, 2 years, 3+ years, year‑to‑date only)? Options: Year‑to‑date only, Current fiscal year full detail, 2 fiscal years, 3+ fiscal years
• What acceptance criteria must a report meet before you can sign off on parallel run readiness (accuracy, format, timing, audit trail)?
• How many staff hours per week can the finance team dedicate to a parallel run during peak implementation (0–5, 6–15, 16–30, 30+)? Options: 0–5, 6–15, 16–30, 30+

Change: What Would It Take to Make This Stick?

• What internal fears or resistance have you faced in prior system changes (loss of control, training time, data accuracy, vendor risk)? Options: Loss of control, Training/time burden, Data accuracy concerns, Vendor reliability, Cost concerns, Other
• Who needs to be in the room (or signed off) for a go/no‑go decision—finance leadership, superintendent, board, auditors, IT? Options: CFO/Business Manager, Superintendent, Board/Board Chair, External auditors, IT Director, School Principals, Other
• How do you prefer to be trained and onboarded—formal classroom, small cohort workshops, on‑the‑job coaching, recorded modules, or a mix? Options: Formal instructor-led, Small cohort workshops, On-the-job coaching, Recorded modules, Combination
• When change has gone well in your district, what factors made it stick (champions, incentives, clear process changes, measurable wins)?
• What would a reasonable timeline look like from contract to first parallel month (months)? Options: 1–3 months, 4–6 months, 7–9 months, 10–12+ months

What Success Actually Looks Like — Not the Sales Pitch

• If we walked away tomorrow, what measurable changes would prove this project was worth it to you (time saved, fewer audit findings, faster board approvals, clearer fund visibility)?
• Which of the following success signals matter most to you in year one? Options: Reduction in manual reporting hours, No audit findings on grants, Faster budget amendment cycle, Board‑ready packet automation, Cleaner audit trails and documentation, Improved financial forecasting
• What KPIs or metrics do you currently track that we should map to an implementation success dashboard?
• How quickly would you expect to see meaningful ROI before feeling the project is justified? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months
• Would you be open to acting as a reference or participating in a case study if outcomes meet expectations? Options: Yes—public reference, Yes—limited/anonymized, Maybe—need approval, No

• Solution Experience Intake & Preconditions Workshop
• Scenario Mapping & Live Report Rebuild
• Budget Amendment Workflow Simulation
• Audit-Ready Reporting & Evidence Package Validation

• Seller to provision sandbox or mapping template and confirm test data ingestion process.
• Produce a prioritized gap list with precise acceptance criteria for each report that fails to meet expectations.
• Agree on mapping adjustments and next steps to close gaps (config, ETL, formula changes).
• Quantify expected reduction in manual effort for producing validated reports.
• Seller to deliver rebuilt report PDFs and mapping documentation for each validated report.
• Customer to review and mark each rebuilt report as 'Acceptable / Needs Revision' with exact feedback.
• Technical team to estimate effort to close each gap (config, data transformation, template work).
• Schedule Budget Amendment Simulation meeting with approvers present.
• Problem Recap: Amendment Pain Points
• Prove the amendment workflow reduces manual handoffs and produces an auditable trail acceptable to the district's audit/legal team.
• Confirm that multi-fund accounting impacts are handled automatically and reconcile with legacy numbers.
• Agree on configuration items and timelines required to close gaps and meet board submission deadlines.
• Seller to configure any identified workflow rules and deliver a second pass simulation.
• Customer approver(s) to provide formal sign-off criteria for board packet acceptance.
• Technical team to document how amendment posting reconciles to legacy system exports.
• Recap Future State & Success Signals
• Confirm the ERP produces the full set of audit-ready reports and evidence that meet the district's acceptance criteria.
• Obtain explicit auditor feedback or formal validation statements on the provided artifacts.
• Agree on any outstanding adjustments and a sprint to close items before Pre-Deployment readiness.
• Seller to deliver the complete audit evidence package (exportable zip) and reconciliation workbook for customer review.
• Customer auditor to provide written acceptance or a list of remaining items required for audit readiness.
• Project lead to map remaining items to deployment tasks and update the mutual commit timeline.
• Document a crystal-clear one-sentence current state that will be used to tie every demo step back to the problem.
• Agree on explicit consequence metrics (time, cost, risk) to measure impact.
• Define a one-sentence future state (outcome-focused) that the experience will prove.
• Obtain all sample reports, extracts, and access required to run live scenario validation.
• Customer to deliver representative sample reports, GL extracts, and two budget amendment scenarios to shared folder by agreed date.
• Customer to assign SME(s) and an internal auditor or finance lead to attend validation sessions.
• Introductions & Objectives
• Set schedule for Scenario Mapping and Workflow Simulation meetings.
• Recap Preconditions
• Demonstrate at least one critical board-ready report produced from district data that ties to future-state outcomes.
• Capture One-Sentence Current State
• Generate Audit Report Set from Sample Data
• Walkthrough Amendment Scenario #1
• Walkthrough of Sample Reports
• Show Multi-Fund Impact & Rollups
• Surface Consequence Metrics
• Chart-of-Accounts & Fund Mapping
• Evidence Package Walkthrough
• Audit Trail & Board Package Generation
• Define One-Sentence Future State
• Reconciliation & Variance Explanation
• Live Rebuild: Report #1 (Board-Ready)
• Artifact & Access Checklist
• Validation & Acceptance Criteria
• External Auditor/QA Validation
• Live Rebuild: Report #2 (State Template or Grant Summary)
• Gap & Acceptance Criteria Log
• Pre-work Assignments & Timeline
• Define Go/No-Go Acceptance Checklist
• Triage Remaining Config Needs
• Validation Checkpoint

• Configure Chart of Accounts and Fund Structures
• Migrate General Ledger Opening Balances
• Load Historical Transactional Data
• Configure Budget Development and Multi-Year Budgets
• Implement Budget Amendment and Board Approval Workflow
• Deploy Electronic Purchase Order and Requisition Workflow
• Implement Accounts Payable Automation and Vendor Payments
• Integrate Payroll Posting and GL Interface
• Configure Fixed Asset Register and Depreciation Schedules
• Configure Grant Fund Tracking and Compliance Rules
• Deploy Board-Ready Financial Reports and Templates
• Configure State-Specific Reporting Exports
• Enable Budget-to-Actual Dashboards and Alerts
• Set Role-Based Security and Approval Routing
• Deliver Finance Staff System Training and User Guides

Configure Chart of Accounts and Fund Structures

• Does your state or district require a specific chart-of-accounts template we must map to? Options: Yes, state template available, Partially (custom mapping needed), No / state-neutral
• How many distinct funds and sub-funds need to exist in the system at go-live? Options: 1-5, 6-20, 21-50, 50+
• Which COA segments are used today (e.g., fund, function, object, program, project)? List primary segments and whether they are required.
• Do you have an existing COA file available for import (CSV/Excel) or only PDFs/manual lists? Options: CSV/Excel file available, Database export available, Only PDFs or printed lists, No formal file available
• Are there local codes, legacy account mappings, or roll-up groups that must be preserved for reporting? Options: Yes, No

Migrate General Ledger Opening Balances

• Do you require migration of opening balances for all funds or a subset? Options: All funds, Select funds only, Only summary/opening balances
• What is the source of opening balances? Options: Legacy ERP export, Spreadsheets (CSV/Excel), Trial balance PDF/manual, Other
• Do opening balances need to include encumbrances and commitments detail? Options: Yes - include encumbrances, No - exclude encumbrances, Only summary encumbrances
• Will you require a reconciliation/tie-out report between legacy closing balances and new system opening balances? Options: Yes, No
• Please list any manual adjustments or audit-approved restatements that must be reflected in opening balances.

Load Historical Transactional Data

• How many years of transactional detail do you want loaded (if any)? Options: None - only opening balances, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, All available
• Which transaction types should be migrated? (Select all that apply) Options: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchase Orders/Encumbrances, Payroll, Fixed Assets, Grants/Restricted funds
• What formats are available for historical transactions (CSV, database export, XML, PDF)? Options: CSV/Excel, Database export (SQL), XML/EDI, PDF only, Other
• Do you require validation such as transaction-to-trial-balance tie-outs after migration? Options: Yes - full tie-out required, Partial validation, No validation required
• Are there retention or audit record rules that affect which historical data must be migrated or retained?

Configure Budget Development and Multi-Year Budgets

• Do you prepare multi-year budgets or only single-year budgets? Options: Multi-year (2+ years), Single fiscal-year only
• How many budget versions/iterations do you typically manage during development? Options: 1 (final), 2-3, 4-6, 7+
• Which budget structures are required (select all that apply)? Options: Fund-level, Department/Program, Project-based, Grant-specific, School/site-level
• Do you need automatic roll-forward or assumption-based budgeting (salary increments, inflation factors)? Options: Yes - roll-forward and assumptions, No - manual entry only, Partial (some automated formulas)
• Describe your current budget approval cadence and any statutory deadlines the system must support.

Implement Budget Amendment and Board Approval Workflow

• Do you require a formal amendment workflow that produces board packets and audit trails? Options: Yes - board packet and audit trail, Yes - audit trail only, No formal workflow required
• Who are typical approvers for amendments (select all that apply)? Options: Business Office/CFO, Superintendent, School Board, Department Heads, Finance Committee
• Do you need threshold-based routing (e.g., different approvals based on amendment amount)? Options: Yes - numeric thresholds, Yes - role-based thresholds, No thresholds
• Should the system publish amendment items to a public-facing board packet or meeting portal? Options: Optional/By-item, Yes - publish to portal, No - internal only
• Please describe current pain points in your budget amendment and board approval process that must be resolved.

Deploy Electronic Purchase Order and Requisition Workflow

• Do you want electronic requisition-to-PO with encumbrance checks at requisition or PO? Options: At requisition, At PO, Both, No encumbrance checks
• Is integration with supplier catalogs or punchout required? Options: Yes - punchout catalogs, Yes - upload catalog CSV, No catalog integration
• Typical PO approval chain length (number of distinct approvers)? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4+
• Do you require budget checking and hold rules at the site/principal level? Options: Yes - site-level budget controls, No - central only, Partial
• What is your average monthly PO volume and any seasonal spikes we should plan for?

Implement Accounts Payable Automation and Vendor Payments

• Which AP features are required at go-live? (select all that apply) Options: Invoice capture/scan/OCR, Approval routing, Vendor portal, ACH/Check payment processing, 1099 reporting
• Do you require three-way matching (PO, receipt, invoice) for AP processing? Options: Yes - three-way match, Two-way match only, No matching required
• Preferred vendor payment methods to support at go-live? Options: ACH, Check, Credit Card, Card-on-file/virtual card, Multiple
• Are vendor master data attributes (W-9/Tax ID, multiple remit-to addresses, payment terms) standardized and available? Options: Yes - standardized, Partially standardized, No - needs cleanup
• Describe any regulatory or board controls around vendor payments (e.g., dual-signature thresholds).

Integrate Payroll Posting and GL Interface

• Do you require automated posting from payroll to the GL at each pay period? Options: Yes - automated posting, Manual uploads preferred, Hybrid (partial automation)
• Which payroll system(s) will feed the GL? (select all that apply) Options: District payroll module, Third-party payroll vendor, State-run payroll, Multiple vendors
• How detailed should payroll postings be (summary by fund vs. detailed by department/employee)? Options: Summary by fund, Detailed by department/program, Detailed by employee/job
• Do you require automated payroll reconciliation reports for benefits, tax liabilities, and employer contributions? Options: Yes, No
• Provide any mapping rules or cost-allocation methods used for payroll (e.g., split charges across grants/sites).

Configure Fixed Asset Register and Depreciation Schedules

• Will you maintain a fixed asset register in the system at go-live? Options: Yes - full register, Yes - summary only, No - external register retained
• What capitalization threshold(s) apply for assets? Options: No threshold, Under $5,000, $5,000 - $25,000, $25,000+
• Do you require multiple depreciation methods or lives by asset class? Options: Yes - multiple methods per class, Single method for all assets, Custom by asset
• Is an importable asset list available (CSV/Excel) including acquisition date, cost, location, serial numbers? Options: Complete CSV/Excel available, Partial data available, No structured asset list
• Are there GASB or local reporting formats for assets and disposals we must support?

Configure Grant Fund Tracking and Compliance Rules

• How many active grants and awards must be tracked at go-live? Options: None, 1-5, 6-20, 20+
• Do grants have differing fiscal periods or cost principles that require separate tracking? Options: Yes - different fiscal periods, Yes - different cost principles, No - uniform treatment
• Do you require automated indirect cost allocation and expense distribution for grants? Options: Yes - automated allocation, No - manual allocation, Partial
• Which compliance reports/templates are required for your major grants? Options: State-required templates, Federal grant forms, Donor-specific reports, Custom reports
• Please list the top 3 grants by funding and any special restrictions or deliverables.

Deploy Board-Ready Financial Reports and Templates

• Which board-ready reports must be available at go-live? (select all that apply) Options: Budget vs Actual, Statement of Revenues and Expenditures, Balance Sheet/Net Position, Cash Flow, Grant Activity Reports, Custom board reports
• How frequently are board reports produced and distributed? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, Ad hoc
• Do you require templated narratives, notes, or visualizations (charts) included with reports? Options: Yes - narratives & charts, Charts only, No narrative required
• Should reports auto-populate into a board packet or export to PDF/PowerPoint? Options: Auto-populate board packet, PDF export only, PowerPoint export needed, No auto-export
• Describe any existing report formats/layouts the board expects to see preserved.

Configure State-Specific Reporting Exports

• Does your state provide a mandated reporting template or electronic submission format? Options: Yes - standardized state template, No - state does not mandate, Multiple states
• Which state(s) must the system produce exports for? (list state abbreviations or names)
• What export formats are required for submission (select all that apply)? Options: CSV, XML, Excel, Proprietary state format, PDF
• How often are state submissions required (monthly/quarterly/annual) and are there firm statutory deadlines? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, As-needed/ad hoc
• Are there validation rules or pre-submission checks the state expects that we should enforce? Options: Yes - strict validation rules, Some checks recommended, No formal checks

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Order Form / Commercial Terms
• Implementation Milestones & Project Plan
• Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)
• Acceptance & Go/No-Go Criteria
• Data Migration & Cutover Agreement
• Change Order & Scope Management
• Training & Enablement Commitment
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) & Warranty
• Data Privacy & Security Addendum (DPA)
• Payment Authorization & Board Approval Evidence
• Termination & Transition Plan
• Insurance, Indemnity & Risk Allocation

• Success Validation Review
• Lessons Learned & Retrospective Workshop
• Audit & Board Readiness Confirmation
• Governance, Support & Escalation Setup
• Enhancement Prioritization & Roadmap Planning

• Establish governance cadence and escalation contacts for timely decisions.
• Confirm the audit artifact set meets the auditor's intake requirements and identify any outstanding items.
• Agree on audit day POCs and an escalation protocol for any auditor inquiries.
• Finalize and publish the board packet to the shared channel with version control.
• Upload the complete audit artifact pack to the auditors and confirm receipt.
• Distribute audit day contact list and contingency steps to stakeholders.
• Define Shared Channel & Access Controls
• Create and enable the shared channel with access and naming conventions.
• Agree on SLAs and triage rules that prioritize audit and board-critical issues.
• Put in place a repeatable enhancement intake process that ties requests to success signals and consequences.
• Opening & Objectives
• Provision the shared channel and assign initial access rights to named stakeholders.
• Publish the support SLA table and triage rubric in the shared channel.
• Create the enhancement request template and a short how-to guide for district users.
• Present Consolidated Backlog & Metrics
• Produce a prioritized short-term roadmap of enhancements tied to concrete success signals.
• Assign owners and define acceptance criteria and timelines for each roadmap item.
• Agree on a communication and deployment approach that minimizes operational disruption.
• Publish the prioritized roadmap and link each item to its acceptance criteria in the shared channel.
• Assign owners and set sprint/release dates for high-priority items.
• Schedule stakeholder communication and any required training sessions ahead of each release.
• Confirm which success signals are fully met, partially met, or unmet against the signed acceptance criteria.
• Produce a clear remediation plan (owners, due dates, success metrics) for any partial or unmet items.
• Obtain formal sign-off on accepted deliverables or documented agreement on next steps for closure.
• Ensure all findings are captured in the shared channel for traceability.
• Compile and circulate the evidence review notes and gap list within 48 hours.
• Assign remediation owners and target completion dates for each open gap.
• Publish a formal acceptance document for items signed off during the meeting.
• Schedule the first backlog review/triage meeting and governance checkpoint.
• Timeline & Milestone Recap
• Create a documented lessons-learned report with concrete, actionable items.
• Prioritize the improvement backlog using consequence-to-audit and operational-efficiency criteria.
• Assign owners and measurable acceptance criteria to each prioritized improvement.
• Agree on a follow-up cadence to track progress on the backlog.
• Produce and distribute the lessons-learned document within 5 business days.
• Create the prioritized improvement backlog in the shared tracker and tag each item with owner and acceptance criteria.
• Board Packet Walkthrough
• Green-light the board packet for distribution or document required edits before release.
• What Worked / Successes
• Audit Artifact Checklist Review
• Support Triage & SLA Definitions
• One-Sentence Current State & Consequence Recap
• Map Items to Success Signals & Consequences
• State Template & GASB Compliance Check
• Evidence Pack Review
• Prioritization Exercise (Impact vs Effort)
• Enhancement Intake & Prioritization Process
• What Didn't Work / Issues
• Roadmap Assignment & Acceptance Criteria
• Contingency & Audit Day Roles
• Escalation Path & Governance Committee Cadence
• Gap Analysis vs Acceptance Criteria
• Root Cause & Consequence Mapping
• Decisions, Sign-offs & Next Steps
• Improvement Backlog & Prioritization
• Communication & Release Plan
• User Communication & Training Plan
• Owners, Timelines & Measures of Success