During an online seminar attended by some fifty purchasing, procurement and finance decision-makers, Acxias and SAP focused on presenting the multiple advantages offered by specialized digital solutions to manage and overcome the Covid-19 crisis. Whether it's accelerating savings plans or maximizing gains, they are powerful levers to get through this critical episode, like the Ariba Start sourcing solution offered free of charge for 90 days.
With the crisis born of the novel coronavirus, this is not the first time that an unpredictable event has disrupted the global economy. Going back less than two decades, we need only remember the SARS epidemic (2002-2003), the tsunami in Southeast Asia (2004), the financial crash of the "subprime" (2008), the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (2010) or the Fukushima disaster (2011). This time, the appearance of the problem at the heart of the global production system and its rapid spread have impacted the global and local economy on a scale not seen since the last world war.
After the time of emergency and state aid, companies are now organizing themselves to overcome the crisis. At the forefront of defining and implementing targeted projects with quick profits, their procurement and finance teams have a crucial role to play, facilitated by the specialized software available in these areas. "On the basis of the hundred projects Conducted in 15 years by our teams, we are convinced of the contribution of this software in such a situation, to quickly revise current contracts, amplify savings plans or make productivity gains, or even support reorganization plans, in the short and medium term, "says Bertrand Gabriel, director in charge of development at Acxias, which co-organized with SAP Ariba a webinar on the theme "How digital procurement and finance solutions are helping companies overcome the crisis?".
In times of crisis, various measures are required, leading purchasing, procurement and accounts payable functions to adapt their practices. If the necessary health protection obliges them to buy new products and services (protective equipment, hygiene products, cleaning services, etc.), companies must at the same time do everything possible to preserve their cash flow and Purchases are at the forefront of adapting contracts and underlying supply flows to the reduced pace of business, and identifying new avenues for savings. For Bertrand Gabriel, "this involves reducing expenses to what is strictly necessary, increased competition and negotiations during consultations, and the revision of existing contracts". They are also required to take action to mitigate the risks of disruption in their supply chain or product quality, by identifying suppliers at risk and imagining alternative solutions (substitution, internalization, relocations, etc.). "This approach must also anticipate restarts, to ensure that business partners will follow and that risks will be controlled," advises the director of Acxias. "It's a classic approach, but it now needs to be strengthened."
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Full report of the webinar: "How digital purchasing and finance solutions are helping to overcome the crisis"
More information: replay, demo, presentation slides