Four stages. One sequence. The PSI™ Service Tier Framework moves CFOs from discovery to embedded governance — built for finance leaders who need payroll risk treated as the financial control issue it actually is.
The PSI™ Service Tier Framework
Discover. Stabilize. Control. Protect.
Payroll risk doesn’t get fixed in one engagement. It gets identified, quantified, prioritized, controlled, and maintained — in that order. The framework moves CFOs through four stages. Pricing is fixed at the first three stages; the standing partnership runs on a monthly retainer.
01 — Discover
PSI™ Stability Assessment
$7,500 fixed · 3 weeks
The CFO’s entry point. Scores payroll exposure across the dimensions PE operating partners and external auditors actually probe: multi-state nexus, worker classification, controls maturity, vendor and system risk, and process documentation. Deliverable: PSI™ score with findings ranked by financial impact, written in language a CFO can present internally without translation.
When it fits: New CFO seat, multi-state expansion, pre-raise readiness, board exposure questions, or any CFO who wants a defensible baseline.
02 — Stabilize
PSI™ Stabilization Roadmap
$12,500 fixed · 4–6 weeks
For CFOs whose Assessment surfaced enough exposure to warrant a structured response. Translates findings into a sequenced remediation plan with owners, timelines, and financial impact estimates. Each finding gets a control recommendation tied to existing audit and diligence frameworks — not a custom invention.
When it fits: The Assessment surfaced material findings. The Roadmap is what you hand internal teams, external partners, or use to scope the Control Framework engagement.
03 — Control
PSI™ Control Framework
$25,000–$60,000 · 60–120 days
The build phase. Embedded work that installs the controls the Roadmap prescribed — process documentation, evidence routines, escalation paths, ownership maps, and the quarterly PSI™ tracking cadence that proves the framework is holding. Deliverable: a working Control Framework documented to the standard a PE operating partner or external auditor will accept on inspection.
When it fits: Pre-exit window 12–18 months out, post-acquisition integration, or any CFO ready to install controls rather than just identify gaps.
04 — Protect
PSI™ Governance Partnership
$4,000–$8,000 / month · 12-month minimum
The standing partnership. Once the Control Framework is installed, the Governance Partnership maintains it. Quarterly PSI™ rescoring, control evidence review, regulatory change monitoring, board-ready summaries, and direct CFO access on emerging exposure.
When it fits: You’ve completed a Control Framework, or you have an existing controls foundation that needs ongoing governance across CFO transitions, multi-state expansion, and the years between diligence cycles.
What’s Not Included
ValuGuard does not process payroll. We do not sell software. We do not take a back-end fee from the payroll provider. We are an advisory firm — paid by the company, accountable to the CFO, with no other party in the room.
Who We Serve
Built for High-Stakes Operators
ValuGuard works where payroll risk carries real financial and reputational consequence.
Private Equity Sponsors
Pre-acquisition due diligence, portfolio company monitoring, and pre-exit clearance. Payroll liability at the wrong moment destroys deal value — we prevent that.
Fortune 500 CFOs
Governance frameworks and ongoing advisory for finance leaders who need payroll risk treated as a financial control issue — not a back-office afterthought.
Get Started
Start with the PSI™ Stability Assessment
Take the 10-minute PSI™ Snapshot for a scored read on where your payroll exposure sits — instantly, no obligation. Or book a 30-minute Discovery Call to scope the full Assessment.