Optimize procurement without sacrificing margins
Procurement is no longer just a cost center: it becomes a strategic lever to boost profitability. In a context of inflationary pressures and fragile supply chains, smart supplier negotiations can generate 10-20% savings on total costs. The challenge? Shift from transactional deals to partnerships while managing risks.
Keys to winning supplier negotiations:
Build a full mapping: analyze volumes, alternatives, price indices, indexing clauses, and critical dependencies.
Leverage volume and visibility: offer multi-year commitments for volume discounts or supply priority.
Share KPIs: quality, deadlines, CSR, product innovation to turn suppliers into value co-creators.
A solid procurement strategy anticipates cost increases (energy, freight, raw materials) and secures critical supplies, protecting cash flow and competitiveness.
International taxation: navigating opportunities and pitfalls
With globalization, optimizing international tax is no longer optional but essential to stay competitive. Transfer pricing, bilateral tax treaties, export tax credits — every decision matters to minimize global tax without audit risks.
Best practices for agile tax management:
Map intra-group flows: goods, services, royalties, interest to set arm’s-length transfer prices per OECD guidelines.
Leverage local incentives: free zones, R&D credits, parent-subsidiary regimes based on implantation countries.
Prepare for BEPS 2.0: pillars 1 and 2 demand greater transparency and a global minimum 15% tax rate, requiring hybrid structure reviews.
The goal? “Smart” taxation that supports international growth rather than hindering it, blending strict compliance with legal optimization.
Strategic accounting: turning numbers into decisions
Traditional accounting records the past. Strategic accounting lights the future: dynamic forecasting, scenario analysis, real-time dashboards to guide investments and trade-offs. For growing SMEs, it’s the difference between reacting and anticipating.
Tools and habits for business-driven accounting:
Adopt IFRS or harmonized local standards for consistent group visibility and easier financing.
Deploy advanced KPIs: cash conversion cycle, ROIC, gross margin per product/supplier to spot early signals.
Automate data collection and analysis: connected ERPs, AI for reconciliation and probabilistic forecasting.
Result: leadership steering on reliable, up-to-date data, able to adjust procurement or sales strategy in real-time to market shifts.