Record d'inflation, hausse des prix de l'énergie: Comment les entreprises peuvent -elles amortir le coût de la crise.

• inflation rates at record levels in Europe
• deterioration in customer payment practices
• negative consequences of inflation exacerbated on all sides

The figures are dramatic: In October 2022, the inflation rate in the euro zone was 10.7 percent. Never since the introduction of the euro in 2022 has the value of the currency reduced so rapidly. Only a short time before, the inflation rate across the European Union had reached a negative record level: In August, at 10.1 percent, it was at its highest level ever since the foundation of the EU in 1993.

This was due, in part, to the policies of the central banks, which provided all economic participants with money at an inexpensive rate. Then came the coronavirus crisis, which not only caused financial bottlenecks for many private and business customers, but also stalled the supply of goods and materials, leading to a general rise in prices. In addition to a decrease in purchasing power, companies have also had to contend with huge increases in energy prices since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

All in all, this has formed the basis for a number of threatening scenarios: In a study published in October 2022, the international credit insurer Allianz Trade forecast a global rise in company insolvencies of 10 percent for the whole of 2022 and a further 19 percent through to the end of 2023.

L'un des moyens pour les entreprises de briser ce cercle vicieux est de se concentrer sur leur cœur de métier, permettant ainsi aux décideurs d'explorer en interne les moyens d'atténuer au mieux l'inflation, par exemple via des processus allégés, un calcul plus précis des prix dédiés, des options d'achat alternatives, ou l'identification d'autres options d'économie d'énergie.

L'externalisation de la gestion des créances à des entreprises spécialisées ou la vente complète des créances peuvent également aider ces entreprises à cet égard, leur faisant gagner du temps, des efforts et du personnel, qu'elles peuvent utiliser pour leur cœur de métier. Une autre façon est de générer une flexibilité financière, car un avantage clé pour les agences de recouvrement en période de forte inflation est le temps. Ils peuvent fournir rapidement aux entreprises des capitaux frais.
Ceci est rendu possible par une efficacité difficile à mettre en place pour des entreprises non spécialisées. EOS, par exemple, s'appuie fortement sur les technologies et processus numériques, ce qui facilite l'accès structuré aux données et leur analyse automatisée.

L'ensemble de l'économie bénéficie d'une gestion professionnelle des créances. Rien qu'en Allemagne, les entreprises membres de l'Association fédérale des agences allemandes de recouvrement de créances (BDIU) transfèrent chaque année environ six milliards d'euros à leurs clients. Au cours des trois dernières années, les agences de recouvrement de créances telles qu'EOS ont réussi à sécuriser en moyenne 6 % des revenus de leurs entreprises clientes. C'est un facteur crucial pour les entreprises qui doivent préserver leur propre pouvoir d'achat et leur capacité à investir en période d'inflation record.

One way for companies to break this vicious cycle is to focus on their core business, thus enabling decision-makers to explore means of mitigating inflation internally to better effect, for example through leaner processes, more precise calculation of dedicated prices, alternative purchasing options, or the identification of further energy-saving options.

The outsourcing of receivables management to specialized companies or the complete sale of receivables can also help such companies in this regard, saving them time, effort and personnel, which they can use for their core business. Another way

is to generate financial flexibility, as a key advantage for collection agencies in times of soaring inflation is time. They can quickly provide companies with fresh capital.

This is made possible by an efficiency that is difficult for non-specialized companies to establish. EOS, for example, relies heavily on digital technologies and processes, which facilitates structured access to data and the automated analysis thereof.

The entire economy benefits from professional receivables management. In Germany alone, the member companies of the Federal Association of German Debt Collection Agencies (BDIU) transfer around six billion euros to their clients every year. Over the past three years, debt collection agencies such as EOS have succeeded in securing an average of six percent of the revenue for their client companies. This is a crucial factor for companies that must safeguard their own purchasing power and ability to invest in times of record inflation.

Photo credits: Stocksy, EOS