Procurement consultancy

Making procurement data visible and structured

at Saluc (Peltzer & fils group)

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Project at a glance
Client
Saluc (Peltzer & fils group)
Function
Procurement
Challenge
Gaining a clear, structured and objective view of procurement, within an industrial SME that has no dedicated in-house finance department.
Solution
A Flash Cost diagnosis cross-referencing accounting and operational data to map spend by supplier, by category and by purchase type.
Impact
An external, structured reading of procurement, a shared basis for discussion across teams, and previously side-lined topics put back on the agenda.
The analysis puts figures where there were only impressions. It gives us an objective, quantified basis to decide together and move forward on topics that had been left aside.
dimitri lhoste
Dimitri Lhoste CFO of the Peltzer & fils group, parent company of Saluc

Context

Saluc, the world leader in the manufacture of billiard balls under the Aramith brand, operates in a demanding niche market. The company has solid accounting reporting but no dedicated in-house finance department. In this context, detailed procurement analysis easily takes a back seat, for lack of time.

 

Saluc requested the implementation of Flash Cost, Altesia’s procurement diagnosis. Altesia Procurement partner Nicolas Bègue led the analysis and delivered a report giving an overview of what is at stake in procurement.

Approach

The Flash Cost diagnosis unfolded in several stages:

  • 1

    Data collection and cross-referencing

    Nicolas cross-referenced accounting data with operational data (purchase orders, etc.).

  • 2

    Mapping the spend

    The analysis structured spend by supplier, by category and by purchase type, also highlighting volumes, the number of suppliers per department and situations of dependency.

  • 3

    Readout and report

    The report quantified purchases and savings opportunities in black and white. By quantifying and clarifying findings that had until then been diffuse (sometimes known to some, but never truly objectified), the report created a shared basis for discussion for all stakeholders.

  • 4

    Debrief and action plan

    The readout made it possible to prioritise topics and raise the teams’ awareness, notably about the fragmentation of small purchases.

Results

The engagement gave Saluc a structured and objective view of its procurement, at a level of clarity hard to reach without an external perspective:

  • A structured and visual view of spend by supplier, by category and by purchase type.
  • The highlighting of points that were sometimes suspected but barely visible: purchase volumes, fragmentation of small purchases, dependency on certain suppliers.
  • A shared basis for discussion among stakeholders, to dig deeper into unresolved topics and turn findings into concrete actions.
  • The contribution of an external, objective perspective, particularly valuable in the absence of a dedicated finance department.

 

Flash Cost thus makes it possible to decide and to make things visible: structuring indicators, objectifying the reality of spend, and giving teams a shared anchor point to decide and move forward.

The client’s feedback

  • dimitri lhoste
    Dimitri Lhoste CFO of the Peltzer & fils group, parent company of Saluc

    “These are analyses you could do yourself, but that you never take the time to do. The real value of Flash Cost is cross-referencing accounting and operational data and putting things down in black and white, with indicators. It gives us a shared basis for discussion between different people, to then pursue these savings opportunities, better structure procurement and better manage supplier risks. All topics that would otherwise have stayed in the drawer. And that’s the whole point of an external perspective: structuring the indicators and showing the reality of spend, by supplier and by purchase type.”