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As the key person responsible for governance and stewardship of the business, most CFOs are losing some sleep in these troubled times. There are plenty of balls to juggle and people to answer to, but whatever the pressures, a clear focus on Enterprise Value can provide an immediate improvement in cash flow and set the business up for future growth.

1 YEAR - 5 CUSTOMERS - £3M IMPACT - AVG 20% SAVINGS

It has been 1 year since I joined Insider Pro Ltd and I can safely say it has been the best decision of my career so far.

I remember receiving advice from colleagues, my professional network and family that it would be unwise to give up a secure senior position in a large blue chip corporation and move to a boutique consultancy. Yet here I am today with a huge smile on my face due to my current lifestyle and my achievements to date.

£3m impact to my customers within the first year is more than I could ever have imagined and I didn’t have to reach ‘burn out’ to achieve it!

Covid-19 is accelerating business transformation in the Healthcare and Lifescience sectors. The businesses which will be successful in this period of uncertainty are those which are able to embrace innovation and bring new propositions to market despite challenging headwinds on funding, working capital and supply chain integrity. Even before the pandemic, both sectors were facing a compelling need for change. The pressures on the NHS were well documented and the social care sector required new thinking. Drug regulation and long sales cycles created complexity and the fast pace of innovation added further challenges. Businesses involved in developing or producing pharmaceutical, medtech or digital health products faced many questions linked to patient experience including:

• new technology such as robotic surgery
• improving clinical trial outcomes
• ensuring greater participation including women, minorities and older patients
• and ensuring improved access to and better use of data.

Disruptive procurement is the process of creating real business value and competitive advantage by:

• deconstructing what the business really needs,
• challenging established business processes,
• leveraging knowledge from outside the normal points of reference, and
• designing, assembling and managing the supply chain in new and innovative ways.

Different businesses have different objectives and priorities. Some are focused on reducing debt and improving short-term cash flow whilst for others, top line growth is what it’s all about. But all seek to do more with less.

The focus is not just on saving money but maximising Enterprise Value (EV) for the future. In many growth businesses the team responsible for Marketing is lean and there is more reliance on 3rd party support. The CMO will typically have a broader remit beyond the traditional focus of promotion / marketing comm’s. This will include the CMO having direct input and responsibility for pricing, product innovation, business strategy & customer experience (CX).

The CFO needs to understand the path to value and when assessing how your business currently operates, we suggest you ask the following 14 key questions;

Saving money on marketing isn’t just about cutting the cost of a retainer or getting a new website cheaper.

Depending which study you read, marketers waste anywhere between 26% and 60% of marketing spend, and in our own experience of working with SMEs and larger businesses, up to 50% of marketing expenditure is wasted.

The key then is to identify and eliminate those areas of wasted marketing spend without impacting sales.

There are three key areas of waste:

Property directors and facilities management companies are always under pressure to reduce costs in everything that they do, but there often comes a point when a cheaper alternative fails to deliver the service that is required.

The world is experiencing a severe economic and social shock.  To achieve a more equitable society where growth is shared, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues need to be at the top of the agenda for both government and business.  Businesses, both large and small, are typically more agile and can make a real and faster difference if they choose now to change the way they impact the world.  Whilst containment is the main objective for many small and mid-sized businesses right now, taking the eye off the ESG ball would be a mistake and will impact growth and profitability long term.