FAQs

Implementation can mean different things to different people, so let's discuss some implementation approaches and considerations.

For organizations using ESM in the cloud, we can activate a license within a few minutes. For organizations who elect to install ESM in their data center or their private cloud, the installation process takes 1-3 days depending on your policies and procedures.

Training on ESM can be as simple as a few web-based trainings on how to configure the application, how users can build and manage their data, and how users can report on their data. Automations and integrations can be simple "plug and play" or custom tailored to your data sources and require a few weeks to complete. On average, organizations are comfortable with ESM within a week or two from initial set up.

ESM offers live web-based and onsite trainings as well as self-paced exercise-based trainings. In addition to user guides, manuals, and videos, live ESM account managers are here to support your questions and offer best practice guidance. ESM trainers are both experts on the methodology and on the software so we are uniquely positioned to provide proven advice and tips to ensure your success.

ESM offers training on how to use the ESM products, consulting on what your strategy should be (typically working with your executive team), and technical consulting on measure data, data sources, data mapping, system level data flows, APIs, automations, and integrations.

Yes, ESM provides ongoing support. ESM offers unlimited technical troubleshooting support throughout the duration of your license term. We make every effort to support you in real time if issues arise.

ESM also offers managed services to support with your day-to-day reporting responsibilities. An ESM account manager can help with data entry, report production, configuration, meeting facilitation, and consulting support.

Yes.  Our expectation is that typical business end users, who are non-technical, are able to fully utilize any of our applications. ESM Basic is meant for you get get in and start using on your own with absolutely no training. ESM+Strategy, Perform and OKR all come with a free kick-off session to provide general orientation in the application. To accelerate the return on your ESM investment, we strongly advise customers to participate in additional trainings on configuration, data entry, and data reporting. This ensures you maximize your investment of time and resources.

Yes. The ESM platform supports multiple methods to integrate data from your current systems. Common methods include secure FTP file posts, email files as attachments for manual or automated import, API integration and direct database to database (local installations only). ESM also supports direct integration with Microsoft BI and is able to push data to websites, Microsoft SharePoint, and intranets via "HTML portlets."

ESM Supports manual data entry, Microsoft Excel uploads, Microsoft BI integration, secure FTP file posts, email files as attachments for manual or automated import, API integration and direct database to database (local installations only). ESM is flexible enough to allow for many different combinations of data automation on a measure by measure basis or for a group of measures.  Learn More

Yes. ESM data can be exported via Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe PDF, as HTML portlets for real time data display.  Additionally, you can access data in ESM using your internal BI tool(s) using our APIs. 

Yes. The ESM team works closely with your stakeholders to define the required ESM reports and dashboards that are used to drive your business on an ongoing basis. From there, we identify the necessary sources of data, descriptive elements and associated metrics that will be used to generate those reports and dashboards. We then work through the data processing methods, data exchange, and format. ESM is happy to advise on the data integration process or facilitate the entire process with your team.

It all depends on those needs! We consider the application very flexible and most of our clients successfully configure the application to meet their needs "right out of the box" while a few clients have a very unique requirement that we customize in the application just for them.

No worries, ESM was built to be highly configurable. Often times, customizations are really configurations in ESM, leveraging its drag and drop interface to achieve the layout of data that you want in your reporting and presentation views. You can reach out to ESM account managers for help with configuring ESM during your trial. As part of onboarding you as a client, we will train you on how to configure the application yourself so you will feel in control of your strategy and how it's presented.

Yes. ESM account managers will support your team with best practice configuration for both your online experience in ESM as well as with your reports and exports. Most importantly, account managers train you and your team on how to modify configurations to ensure you are empowered to edit views over time.

Yes. Each scorecard can be configured with unique layouts to reflect the corporate or business area's unique reporting requirements. While scorecard specific layouts are great for each respective team's needs, organization-wide layouts can be applied across all scorecards to ensure consistency when drilling down on data.

ESM developers can customize ESM to meet your team's unique needs. ESM will capture your requirements in the form of "user stories" to ensure the customization meets your needs and engage you throughout the development cycle.

Yes. We conduct a 3rd party security audit on our systems and processes to ensure we maintain leading edge security. ESM also maintains ISO 27001 compliance as another layer of security.

Yes. We employ SAML 2.0 for SSO. For local installations, we can also integrate directly with your active directory.

Yes. ESM can be installed within your organization's environment which might be a physical data center, often referred to as an Independent Data Center (IDC) or installed in your organization's Private Cloud environment. The installation process is often handled remotely over the course of 3 to 5 days, with the specific duration dependent on your organization's internal policies.

Yes.  ESM is ISO 27001 certified.

Yes. ESM goes through an annual security audit to ensure security best practices are followed. ESM is ISO 27001 certified and follows the processes to ensure compliance.

ESM offers a variety of best practice canned reports as well as reports that end users configure to their specific needs. Report types include PDF, PowerPoint, and Excel. Reports are exported on demand or are automatically scheduled to be generated and sent to a distribution list.

ESM data can be pushed into external BI tools as well as consume data from external BI tools. Data is mapped into specific fields and will then populate in appropriate reports.

Reports can be scheduled on a single or reoccurring basis to be generated and emailed to selected users.  Create a report once and send regular updates as you see fit.  This saves users tons of time!

Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe PDF, HTML

Yes, users can create an unlimited number of both personal and shared dashboards. Users can select who will see the shared dashboards so only those that should see them will see them.

Yes, ESM offers a free Basic Strategy account access with limited BSC design capabilities and a full trial version of ESM Strategy, ESM Cyber, ESM Perform and ESM OKR with reporting capabilities for a limited amount of time.

Yes, all ESM products offer unlimited user versions. ESM+Strategy is ONLY sold under an unlimited user version.

Yes, product bundled discounts are extended, depending on the products and license quantity ordered.  Give us a call and we can work together to come up with the best options for you.

Yes, non-profit discounts are extended, depending on products and license quantity ordered.  Give us a call to learn more.

ESM+Strategy is sold under an unlimited user license model and priced by Balanced Scorecard. Regardless of where that scorecard sits in the organization: corporate, business unit, support unit. An unlimited Balanced Scorecard license model is also available.

ESM+OKRs is sold by user.

ESM+Perform is sold by user.

ESM+Cyber is sold by under an unlimited user license model and priced based on the number of scorecards and cybersecurity frameworks you are tracking.