[Case study] How to optimise processes to increase cash flow

There are a thousand facets to the business world. Some of these facets are so important that they can be the beginning of the end. Or, optimistically, the beginning of success.

We all know that cash flow is vital... essential even. But how do you improve your cash flow? That's something entrepreneurs don't always know.

When Antony Bouteiller, head of Assistance Frigorifique, took over the family business, he embarked on a new adventure with many ambitions and one major imperative: he had to work with what already existed.

So how do you optimise the processes of a successful small business? How do you streamline and rethink a structure that has been in existence for 25 years? In this interview, Antony Bouteiller takes a look back at the Assistance Frigorifique team and explains why he turned to Evoliz for support.

See all software Treasury Management System

Assistance Frigorifique in a nutshell

Assistance Frigorifique was founded in 1994 and is based in the Saint Gelais industrial estate, specialising in refrigeration systems for both private customers (air conditioning, heat pumps) and professionals (industry, catering, food processing, refrigeration companies). The company's aim is clear: to provide customers with quality services using high-performance equipment and a skilled workforce. Today, seven people work every day to satisfy their customers.

Logistical and organisational difficulties impact cash flow

When he decided to take over the family business, Antony Bouteiller was faced with 3 major problems :

• The software equipment was managed locally, and was also expensive and energy-consuming. As Antony is based in Toulouse, he works largely remotely, which means he needs to have access to the company's management from anywhere at any time.
  
• 3 different tools are used to manage sales, accounts and quotations. He realised that these tools could not be interconnected and he noticed that time was being wasted (triple entry of the customer database) and that there was an increased risk of error.
  
• The manager has no overall view of his accounting situation. He wanted to monitor his sales and purchases in real time to anticipate the company's financial situation and highlight areas for improvement.

Implementing the right software

On the strength of his extensive professional experience and his mastery of management software designed for large groups, Antony Bouteiller set out to find a similar software solution, but one that was adapted to smaller structures. After testing nearly 5 different software packages, he set out in 2019 to discover Evoliz. By virtue of its DNA, Evoliz solves a number of problems for managers:

• firstly, its SaaS mode (100% online, no downloads), which allows him to manage everything remotely,
  
• secondly, the range of functions (sales, purchasing, banking) that make it possible to centralise the entire business in a single software package. Evoliz also offers a number of features that are rare in general-purpose software, such as status invoices and simplified stock management, which are essential to his business.

Among the software initially tested, some went further in terms of the functionalities offered, but the heaviness and complexity of use did not suit Antony's team. Accountant, sales representative, technician... at Assistance frigorifique, everyone has to be able to use the software... without getting their brains in knots!

After a few discussions with customer services to extend the trial period and test the data import function, Antony went ahead and chose the banana software!

Rationalise your cash flow, yes... but how?

Clean, compliant data

The choice of a software solution is also based on the guarantees it provides. Changes in the tool and in legislation are a guarantee of quality. However, it is possible for publishers to go even further by submitting to an annual audit to obtain NF203 certification - the VAT anti-fraud law.

Every entrepreneur is aware that non-compliant documents can lead to a number of inconveniences for the business (more frequent unpaid invoices, inability to seek legal recovery, tax audits, etc.).

Antony Bouteiller has therefore taken advantage of this change of software to make its sales process more secure: general terms and conditions of sale are automatically added to each quotation , delivery notes are created with a single click, invoices include all the compulsory information, etc.

Thanks to NF203 certification, Evoliz puts safeguards in place within the software itself. There's no room for error. So Assistance Frigorifique can be sure that its invoicing is completely legal !

Improve the conversion of prospects into customers

As Antony Bouteiller explains: "One of the main reasons I chose Evoliz was that it accepted quotations online, in web document format.

With more precise and comprehensive management of quotations, business owners have been able to secure their sales process and now have an official commitment document. The quotation is sent via web document, and the prospect can easily accept it, put it on hold or refuse it. The Assistance Frigorifique team validates receipt of the document, views its status and acts accordingly: an effective method for converting new customers. It also gives the team visibility of the conversion rate and the order book in real time. A real plus for your company's financial management!

Invoicing: save time... and money!

Every day you delay invoicing a customer is a day's cash lost. The ideal solution is to invoice immediately, as soon as the work has been completed. The digital tool can save time not only in creating the invoice, but also in sending the document : on Evoliz, directly by email, by post, by digital fax or even via Chorus Pro for Public Administration customers. In just a few clicks, the application takes care of everything. As invoices are sent more quickly, they are also paid more quickly.

For example, the manager of Assistance Frigorifique notes that "Before, there could be a delay of 2 or 3 weeks, or even 1 month, between the end of the intervention and invoicing. Today, on the 31st of the month, we have invoiced for the whole month".

And to speed up collection even further, customers can pay their invoices directly online using PayPal, Payzen or Stripe ( Payplug coming soon) , or be debited by the company via its connection to GoCardless.

"This has enabled us to reduce our DSO by 60%.

Track supplier expenditure at a glance!

See all software Treasury Management System

It's clear that in order to control his cash flow, Antony needs to know in real time the status of his past and future expenses. Although Assistance Frigorifique has not yet invested 100% in purchasing, the company director is already aware that he has considerably improved the traceability of his expenses.

They can now :

• know the status of their supplier invoices: outstanding, paid, overdue, etc.
• have almost direct visibility of their costs and the respective weight of each category, so that they can rationalise if necessary.
• monitor supplier price trends to negotiate contracts and reduce costs .

We often forget that a good relationship with our suppliers is just as essential as with our customers. That's why it's important to respect their payment terms in order to :

• ensure the durability and quality of your collaboration - and why not negotiate special payment terms,
• keep the whole sales process running smoothly .

After more than a year using the Evoliz software, the results are positive for the Assistance Frigorifique team, and progress is easy to measure. For Antony Bouteiller, remote management of the company and day-to-day monitoring are now possible thanks to "a simple tool with a pleasant interface". But changing tools is - very often - a difficult step! Changing working habits, training employees... it's tough! For Assistance Frigorifique, thanks to Evoliz, expense claims are reimbursed more quickly, and the free online training courses got the team on board in no time... And with a real buzz! A healthier cash position and greater peace of mind, with an average of €22,000 more at the end of each month!