Highly Mature EPM Market on Cusp of Major Change
NASHUA, N.H., June 30, 2026 — Enterprise performance management deployment rates are high, systems are mature, and the buying audience sees tremendous value and additional growth within and outside of their organizations in 2026, according to the Dresner Advisory Services Wisdom of Crowds Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Market Study.
Dresner’s annual EPM Market Study provides a comprehensive assessment of usage and trends around EPM, systems that enable organizations to plan for the impact of various internal and external factors on its future performance and business outcomes.
The 12th annual study offers in-depth analyses on all aspects of the market, including current usage, deployment intentions, software longevity and importance, success with EPM, implementation and sourcing strategies, planning priorities, and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in EPM.
According to the study, attitudes about the impact of AI on EPM remain divided, but acceptance of AI is growing rapidly. Roughly 75% of respondents report a positive outlook on AI’s impact vs 25% who remain skeptical, compared to 60% positive vs 40% skeptical in 2025, and 40%/60% in 2024.
“EPM is on the threshold of major change as rote activities are automated through agentic AI, access to EPM data is simplified through natural language questions and answers, and planning/budgeting moves from a timed activity (i.e., annual or quarterly) to a continuous flow underpinned by AI-driven forecasting and simulation,” said John Hagerty, vice president and distinguished analyst at Dresner Advisory.
Organizations report extraordinarily high levels of success with EPM, with over three quarters of respondents indicating they are extremely successful or very successful. But barriers prevent them from perfecting these deployments, with system complexity cited as the primary challenge in 2026.
In 2026, over half of all respondents rate financial budgeting and planning as being of critical importance, higher than all other capabilities. Yet there is clear evidence that organizations view EPM as a solution going beyond financial budgeting and planning to include finance close and consolidation capabilities as well as financial and management reporting.
The EPM Market Study includes a comprehensive industry section evaluating 14 suppliers of EPM solutions. Based on its trademark 33-measure evaluation criteria, vendors are ranked in four different representations – individual radar chart ratings with year-over-year performance comparisons, and three collective models including Value/Total Cost of Ownership.
Wisdom of Crowds research is based on data collected on usage and deployment trends, products, and vendors. Users in all roles and throughout all industries contributed to provide a complete view of realities, plans, and perceptions of the market. For more information visit www.dresneradvisory.com.
About Dresner Advisory Services
Dresner Advisory Services was formed by Howard Dresner, an independent analyst, author, lecturer, and business adviser. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership for AI, Analytical Data infrastructure, Analytics and Business Intelligence (BI), Performance Management, ERP, and related areas.
Source: Dresner Advisory Services
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