Seeing our partners thrive by implementing our solutions fills us with satisfaction. Today, we are pleased to share the inspiring testimonial of Freddy Araque, Co-Founder of Ebitda Group.
The company, comprised of professionals with extensive experience in countries such as Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, is headquartered in Quito and has a client network that extends beyond the borders of Ecuador. See what Freddy Araque says about our partnership:
“The strategic alliance we maintain with MyABCM has allowed us to stay ahead of the regional competition regarding Cost, Profitability, and Performance Management. Its specialized technology has facilitated the support of our clients in their efforts to assess, quantify, and execute strategies, allowing for consideration of historical trends and fostering future projections.
The different business sectors in which we have carried out joint implementations have experienced a transformation of their cost, expenditure, and indicator information, which have become true management insights that support decision-making. Without a doubt, the future of finance is connected to Industry 4.0 through agile processes, use of analysis, and integration of financial, commercial, operational, and administrative information sources and, for these challenges, we see MyABCM as the ideal technology to combine the best practices related to Performance Management.”
This testimony reinforces that, together, we have transformed the cost, expense, and indicator information of the various business sectors into real management insights that support strategic decision-making. And the support of partners like Ebitda Group is indispensable in this process. Through this partnership, we have brought about a notable change in the ability of more organizations to understand and use their data to drive their business growth.
We are committed to working closely with Ebitda Group and other partners to drive our customers’ business transformation, providing innovative solutions, exceptional support, and real results. Together, we are prepared to face the challenges of the modern business world and embrace the opportunities of the digital era.
Parametrus, a Brazilian company based in Porto Alegre, with a global reach, is a Platinum Partner with over a decade of work alongside us and has been a key player in the marketing of our solutions. Through this collaboration, customers from multiple segments and of varying sizes chart their strategies and make decisions based on accurate cost and profitability information generated by our solutions.
With access to advanced resources, these companies can solidify their presence in the current highly competitive business environment. The accurate information on costs and profitability provided by MyABCM solutions, with the technical support of Parametrus, allows organizations to make managerial and operational decisions assertively, in addition to enabling the implementation of actions to maximize profits, expanding their competitive advantage.
Therefore, we are very happy to share the testimony of Rodrigo Campagnolo, Managing Partner at the helm of this valuable partner:
“We have been partners of MyABCM for over 10 years and the use of its solutions has allowed us to model complex cost and profitability management systems, capable of adapting to the operational reality of any company. The tool allows us to use different costing methods, according to the operational needs of each company, consolidating everything into an integrated model for analysis and decision-making. In addition to this, the competence and dedication of the MyABCM team facilitates our work and helps us to ensure customer satisfaction.”
With the support of Parametrus, we have taken our solutions to more customers and new market segments, always delivering together expertise in cost and profitability management and a differentiated service. As a result of this collaboration, year after year we share knowledge, strategies, and of course: a lot of growth!
We are proud to be part of this journey of success and we reaffirm our commitment to continue providing innovative solutions and exceptional support for Parametrus, its customers, and all of our partners.
There are many challenges to pricing BPO services, as the outsourcing company practically absorbs its clients’ costs with the promise of reducing them. This is why it is essential for BPO companies to be able to visualize and properly control their own internal costs.
Especially because it’s an industry with few entry barriers, where competitiveness tends to grow. In such cases, the tendency of organizations in the sector to resort to low prices as a competitive tool must be resisted. Incorrect pricing, neglecting cost information, makes BPO companies highly vulnerable to financial difficulties and compromises the quality of the services provided.
The importance of cost management for BPO companies
Many management challenges lead companies to adopt cost-cutting measures. In this scenario, costs are generally selected on fronts that supposedly don’t deliver direct value to service users, in an attempt to reduce the impact of these cuts.
However, what we observe in practice is that this analysis is often done incorrectly when not well supported by management models suitable for the activities performed. Therefore, regardless of their niche of specialization, companies that provide BPO services need to implement cost management tools to ensure that their rates are set correctly and to avoid damaging the service when the need arises to reduce costs.
It is essential to establish standards capable of identifying the different costs related to each of the organization’s activities, and then allocate them properly and set prices for the services offered based on the resources they consume. In this way, it is possible to price the BPO service with adequate profit margins and maintain the company’s financial health.
Main costs for BPO companies
The costs of a business can vary significantly, even within the same sector. However, for didactic purposes, we will illustrate below some of the main costs involved in the operations of a Financial BPO company.
Costs of Financial BPO companies
Infrastructure, rent and space
The cost of physical space depends on several factors, such as location, the number of workstations (and the space required for each one), and decompression areas, restrooms, among others. All these factors must be considered as cost generators and the impact of each one on the quality of service provision must be assessed in order to understand when it is possible to reduce costs on this front and when it is worth investing in this sector, even if the relative costs increase.
In the case of organizations working with a remote model, it is necessary to observe the costs generated on other fronts, such as technology, staff allowances, etc.
Energy
We present energy costs separately from other infrastructure-related costs because they can be substantial and often offer opportunities for reduction. Depending on the number of employees and workstations, as well as the type of equipment used, energy costs can vary significantly.
Staff Costs
Financial BPO companies must pay attention to personnel costs. The activities of each department or customer service cell must have their employee costs carefully tracked, especially since the workforce required to provide a service, when underestimated, leads to a drop in productivity that impacts the profitability of the business.
Here, it is worth noting the importance of listing all the costs of labor obligations, which extend far beyond the monthly salary. Training, vacations, Christmas bonus, benefits, taxes and bonuses need to be accounted for properly so as not to affect the pricing of services.
In this context, it is necessary to establish methods for monitoring productivity and properly estimating the size of the team, so as not to waste resources or underestimate the workforce needed to deliver quality services.
Technology: equipment, software, and obsolescence
Technology costs can be some of the most difficult to measure and control, as they are not limited to the initial investment in equipment, but also its maintenance, replacement, upgrades, etc. It is also necessary to account for the costs of the software used in the organization’s activities, as well as making the correct relationship between technology costs when assessing the possibility of expanding the team, for example.
Indirect costs (back office)
Indirect costs are some of the most challenging for organizations because they don’t have such an explicit relationship with the company’s activities. However, tracking and allocating them correctly can be the difference between a profitable or loss-making service for the organization.
Cost drivers for BPO companies: a structure for every business
Here you have seen in general terms some of the main costs to be taken into account when pricing BPO services. However, it is important to note that each organization will have different cost drivers, depending on the various activities carried out internally.
Therefore, correct pricing for BPO, with a guarantee of profitable margins, depends on the application of studies to understand how your organization, with its specificities, applies resources to different activities and services.
Do you need expert help identifying costs and pricing your BPO services? Fill in the form and talk to our team!
Cost reduction in companies is always a goal, but it is becoming an urgent need as organizations’ margins shrink worldwide. Some contributing factors include government pressures, rising taxes, new competitors, increasingly demanding customers, issues now such as ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance), shortages of skilled labor, and supply chain problems.
Therefore, reducing costs and expenses is the top priority for companies. And when we talk about reducing costs, we immediately think about laying off employees.
What is the difference between costs and expenses?
Before we start, let’s clearly understand the differences between costs and expenses. Then, we will discuss the reasons why we are looking to make a cost reduction in companies.
What is cost?
Cost is any value applied in producing a product (in the case of manufacturing companies) or in providing services (for service organizations). Some examples of costs are labor, raw materials, inputs, as well as the amount spent on the production of this product or the provision of this service with electricity, maintenance, depreciation of machinery and equipment, cleaning, and conservation materials, among others.
In addition, costs can be classified into:
Direct Costs: everything that is directly linked to the production of the product or service offered by the company, such as raw materials, labor, and inputs, among others. They are the easiest to identify.
Indirect Costs: values linked to the production of the goods or services offered, but indirectly. Examples of indirect costs are items such as maintenance, cleaning, warehousing, logistics, electricity, food, and all other manufacturing expenses that do not directly affect the product itself.
What is an expense?
Expenses include all the amounts spent by the company to keep it running.
Usually, the expense is related to everything spent in the area of sales, finance, administration, human resources, systems, marketing, and the BackOffice in general. Therefore, expenses are a type of expenditure that has no direct connection with the company’s “core” activity, such as producing goods or providing services.
However, even if they do not contribute directly by generating new items to be marketed, expenses play an important role and certainly their use can have an influence on increasing the company’s revenue.
And in turn, expenses can be classified as fixed or variable:
Fixed Expenses: those that do not vary according to the volume produced or sold by the company. Examples of fixed expenses are physical structures, furniture, and office supplies, among others.
Variable Expenses: any type of expense that will vary proportionally according to the volume produced or sold by the company. Examples of variable expenses include sales commission and taxes.
In this context, it is worth noting that expenses are costs and expenses in general. And typically, when someone talks about reducing costs they are talking about “reducing expenses”, but in a “colloquial” way. Thus, it is worth remembering that it is also essential to analyze the possibilities of reducing expenses in the organization.
But its answer is inversely proportional, proving to be extremely complex.
Reducing costs is one of the greatest allies of profitability. Every company seeks to reduce costs without measuring efforts, but as we mentioned, it is a very complex task. We must be aware that when reducing costs, we must always be cautious not to cause negative impacts and end up in deficit.
To better understand how to adopt a cost reduction strategy without negatively impacting your results, click here and read our full article.
Reducing costs in companies is not an easy task
Were companies that attempted cost-cutting satisfied with their initiatives?
Not always: research by the US Conference Board found that of all the companies that have tried to cut costs:
33% were successful in reducing costs
30% actually took the wrong actions and ended up with increased costs
22% laid off the wrong people
80% experienced what they referred to as a “collapse in employee morale”
A study by Deloitte showed that 75% of companies that laid off employees to reduce costs had to rehire others for the same positions within one year.
Another survey, this time by McKinsey, showed that only 10% of cost reduction projects were successful three years after implementation.
But why did these reduction initiatives fail? Surely because of the lack of a better understanding of how resources were consumed in organizations. The natural consequence of not measuring properly is the inability to manage well.
How to reduce costs in companies efficiently?
To solve this problem, see 8 actions that will reduce your costs and, consequently, increase your profits:
Set goals
Be careful with false impressions
Analyze your costs in percentages
Use a reliable recording system
Re-evaluate your tax regime
Learn to negotiate with suppliers
Hire qualified professionals
Invest in marketing actions
But the main lesson of all is: understand your costs.
Not understanding exactly how much a product, service, customer or channel costs ends up damaging the entire decision chain of companies! Definitions such as what prices and tariffs to practice, which customers to serve, what discounts we can grant and what commissions to pay our salespeople among many others go through a real understanding of costs and the ability to measure them properly!
Did you know, for example, that between 20% and 40% of products and services make a loss? And that 20% of customers are loss-making? See more on the subject in this article dedicated to service costs!
So, it raises the question: what actions will we take immediately after identifying bottlenecks in our organization?
Sergio Marchionne, the former CEO of Fiat/Chrysler, played a significant role in the company’s revival in the 90s. Besides being a great manager, Sergio Marchionne has always had a great sense of humor. After the launch of the Fiat 500e electric car (better known as the “cincoecento electrico”) Sergio went public and asked, “Please don’t buy our cincoecento!”.
A few months earlier the Fiat 500e had been launched with much pomp and circumstance, consuming many millions of Euros with the promise of being the great European competitor of Tesla and with the advantage of being extremely economical. The product launch experienced many delays, and when it was finally ready, only a few units were sold. Studies showed that the loss for each unit sold was 20,000 euros!
Undoubtedly, understanding costs and establishing strategies to control them are significant challenges in company management. And this cannot be overcome if we do not have a clear ability to make the best decisions, with well-defined methods, processes, and appropriate methodologies for the significant challenges that lie ahead.
Do you need help with cost reduction in your company? Fill out the form to talk to our experts!
BPCE is one of the largest banking groups in Europe. For this reason, it requires cutting-edge technological support, which is provided by Informatique Banque Populaire (IBP), one of the group’s affiliated entities. IBP’s role is to create innovative technology solutions that simplify banking processes.
In addition to developing information systems for the group’s member institutions, IBP’s experts are responsible for designing, testing, and launching IT applications across various business sectors, including consumer finance, trade promotion, leasing, and other related services.
Challenges in banking technology development
Managing the development of solutions in the banking industry, with its stringent requirements for security and usability, presents several challenges. In this context, IBP suffered from some difficulties associated with its billing model and a heavy reliance on Excel in its internal management activities.
Therefore, the institution sought a system that could meet these demands, optimize workflow, and fully automate the billing process.
The selection of MyABCM to adjust the billing model
Among the various options available, IBP selected MyABCM, based on its cost-effectiveness and the positive experience of BPCE in implementing the software.
Choosing MyABCM provided IBP with scalability beyond what Excel allowed. Additionally, it benefits from an optimized workflow on the platform that promotes user collaboration. Other significant benefits positively impacting the organization’s routine include scenario simulation, previously impossible with simple spreadsheets, and the ability of each operational department to analyze results confidently and reliably. Implementing MyABCM also enhanced data management security, reduced the risk of errors occurring, and increased team productivity.
Using specialized software for cost and profitability management, IBP now has a clear understanding of its costs and the impact of its business activities, linking cost sources to corresponding activities. The management team also values the increased control over refund and traceability resources, which are now acknowledged as valuable business assets, and experiences increased production capacity within the team.
ChatGPT has become a topic of discussion, especially in the business world. Entrepreneurs and professionals from various segments tirelessly debate about how it will impact the labor market and how it can help organizations lower costs thereby increasing profitability.
But the truth is that ChatGPT is only the visible portion of a large and constantly developing field that has been already in operation among us for a long time. If we investigate the history of artificial intelligence as they are known today, we will find their origins in the mid-1950s, when technologies such as the Logic Theorist, developed by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon at RAND Corporation in the United States; and the Perceptron, created by psychologist Frank Rosenblatt in 1957.
While the first reproduced human reasoning and problem-solving, even proving mathematical theorems, the second was a network of artificial neurons capable of learning, being one of the main precursors of Machine Learning, which is now the driving force of mechanisms such as ChatGPT.
Who is ChatGPT in the universe of AIs and what else is there beside it?
ChatGPT is a technology based on natural language processing (NLP), which enables it to understand text in multiple languages and generate natural language responses, without the need for specific programming to perform each task. In other words, it literally speaks our language.
And this is part of the reason it causes such a stir. Besides optimizing Web searches (posing a threat to powerful representatives of Big Techs, such as Google), promotes a conversational experience with the machine, without requiring the user to know any programming language. With the liberated access to its technology, those who are not feeling like the protagonist of a science fiction movie are living in the past.
But countless Ais work daily in other functions. In the financial market, for example, there are systems not only based on NLP but also on machine learning, fraud detection systems, as well as robo-advisors and trading algorithms. The latter two stand out because they act directly on transactions.
While robo-advisors offer automated investment guidance based on information provided by investors (being great allies for beginners in the financial market and for those who don’t have time to monitor the scenario), trading algorithms employ market data obtained in real-time to make critical decisions to buy and sell financial assets. This is possible because they are programmed to identify price patterns and market trends, enabling traders to make data-driven decisions and execute trades with much more agility and confidence.
And those who think this is new are wrong. The use of AIs in the financial market began in the 1970s, with systems like INGRES (Intelligent Graphic Reinvestment System). Developed by the investment company Dean Witter Reynolds (now part of Morgan Stanley, a world leader in financial services) it was a pioneer in the industry. By applying neural networks (in a Perceptron-like fashion), it analyzed transaction data and predicted market trends.
INGRA is no longer in use, but today systems like Sentieo, Kavout, Kensho, and Acorns are some of the AI technologies in application in stock buying and selling and investment advice.
What can we expect from the participation of AIs in the financial market and business environment in the coming years?
Amidst so many fears about information security (and even a possible machine revolution), it is difficult to predict exactly where these technologies will go and what role they will play in our daily lives soon. However, the market expectation is that their use will become more and more massive, as a tool to boost results and reduce costs in the medium and long term.
According to research by Market Data Forecast, the AI market in the financial sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 41.2% between 2020 and 2027, jumping from $6.7 billion to $15.8 billion over the period. This is in line with research by Tractica, whose estimate is that by 2025, AI-mediated e-commerce transactions worldwide will exceed $36 billion.
This growth is a result of the increased efficiency produced by these technologies. Nasdaq itself applies AI algorithms to accelerate and reduce trading costs, taking transactions to a new level.
Of course, such an advance would not be restricted to the financial market. Research indicates that the use of these technologies can also benefit companies and that this is why they will also play a greater role in the corporate environment.
According to Accenture, the AIs applied to business management can reduce costs by up to 30% and increase revenue by up to 38% in 16 different segments, such as Education, Food Service, Hospitality, Healthcare, Wholesale, Retail, and Manufacturing, among others. A true springboard of profitability for organizations that invest in these tools.
And businessmen are already keeping an eye on this trend. From a complementary perspective, data from Forbes indicates that by the end of this year, business process automation with AI systems is expected to grow by 57%.
Looking beyond ChatGPT, it is easy to note that the use of Artificial Intelligence has already become a giant competitive advantage aggregator for businesses across all industries. Thus, it’s up to CEOs and CFOs to be on the lookout for ways to get ahead in this race, investing in solutions that can make their businesses stand out from the competition.
The last few months have been marked by high-interest rates and many uncertainties regarding the global economic scenario. The recent bankruptcy of two large American banks has increased tension and the expectation of a possible recession of worldwide proportions.
The bankruptcy of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank is for many one of the expected symptoms of an inevitable crisis. But it is necessary to understand what happened in order to assess the possible impact on the activities of other banking institutions.
The startup’s bank
Located in the Silicon Valley region of California, SVB was one of the leading institutions providing credit to startups and technology companies. It was considered the 16th largest US bank by the Fed (the US central bank) and in 2021 it declared that Silicon Valley Bank was the main financial institution for 50% of venture startups in the US.
According to Alexandre Cancherini in an interview with InfoMoney, the SVB had a large fundraising through deposits. And according to the expert, the response of a bank when there is a lot of liquidity is to give loans and invest in securities.
But as the Covid-19 pandemic slows down investments in many areas, and therefore on credit applications, the bank directed its management to buying bonds. Now, with the increase in interest rates, investors that used to make large deposits are now making large withdrawals.
Cancherini explains that in order to cover the turnover, Silicon Valley Bank was forced to sell many bonds with low returns. In this way, the deficit that led to its bankruptcy was formed. The same phenomenon of bankruptcy was repeated with Signature Bank, which suffered the same fate.
A cascading effect with the potential to worsen the crisis
Two major bank failures in such a short time and in an unstable economic environment could trigger a cascading effect that worsens the situation in the markets. With the insecurity in the economic scenario, clients from banks all over the world have started a process of withdrawing their accounts and investments.
A possible massive movement of flight from the banking institutions would inevitably result in the bankruptcy of more banks, causing an implacable domino effect on the global economy. Not surprisingly, President Biden has spoken out on the matter, stating categorically that the deposits of US bank customers are safe.
As Biden put it: ‘The American people can trust that the banking system is safe. Your deposits will be there when you need them.”
In an effort to restore investor confidence in the American banking system, Biden indirectly referred to some of the safety measures implemented following the recession caused by the American housing bubble.
The lessons learned from the 2008 Subprime Crisis
The 2008 housing bubble in the US, known as the Subprime Crisis, impacted countries across the world and had severe consequences for the US, which in 2012 still had a public debt of 103% of its GDP. Therefore, during the recovery the country instituted a series of actions to protect banks, customers, and investors, such as:
Creation of an agency to protect consumer rights in the financial sector, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB);
Periodic and mandatory “stress testing” of the largest U.S. banks to assess whether they have the resources to survive major crises;
The Volcker Rule prohibits banks from making speculative investments that do not benefit their clients;
Creation of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), a body with authority to monitor risks and prevent the collapse of large interdependent banks in a cascade effect.
In summary, the American system is prepared with numerous instruments to prevent the spread of a crisis throughout its entire banking system. Hence Biden’s request that investors maintain confidence and not withdraw their assets from their banking institutions.
One of the moves that confirm the availability of instruments to prevent further bank failures was the injection of about 30 billion in resources into First Republic Bank. The bailout was provided by a group of 11 US banks, which issued a statement informing that the action reflected the confidence of the institutions in the American banking system.
On the same path, but on another continent, Credit Suisse received support that could reach 50 billion Swiss francs (equivalent to more than 53 billion dollars). The bankruptcy of the institution culminated in its sale, the result of which will be the formation of the largest banking conglomerate in Europe since the Subprime Crisis.
Assuming the scenario stabilizes, and investors keep their assets in the banks where they are deposited, the expectation is that the bankruptcy of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and the injection of funds into other banking institutions should not trigger a global recession. should not trigger a global recession.
Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, Duke University research gathered 848 financial executives in the United States and asked, “What are your organization’s top three concerns?” The number one concern of these executives was “Being able to maintain margins.”
Another study, this time from Gartner, of 482 executives asked, “What is your biggest technological challenge?” The biggest challenge identified was “Properly measuring Product and Customer profitability.”
In other words: obtaining adequate profit margins has been a difficulty and a widespread concern among companies. In this article, we will shed light on some of the factors that may be causing this problem in your organization, and how you can reverse the situation.
Every customer matters when it comes to improving your profit margin
In fact, we realize that the margins of organizations have fallen dramatically in recent years. This is due to several factors, such as the pandemic itself, pressure from government agencies, logistics problems, competition, and even increasingly demanding customers.
It is common to find companies that do not realize that one of their products is making a loss and continue to sell it below cost out of total ignorance! And in their eagerness to serve customers, organizations are often practically forced to give significant discounts – which in many cases ends up generating a loss-making sales operation, resulting in a significant impact on the overall profit margin.
In this context, it should be noted that those customers who demand a lot of effort from the organization are deficit customers. They are those who make special orders, impose a great logistical challenge of any nature, or require significant post-sales. Now imagine what it is like to sell to such a customer!
And, making matters worse, many of these clients are treated as “key” customers, because they buy a very large volume of goods (or in the case of the services segment, transact a large volume of services), often giving the false impression that they are “profitable” when in many cases they are loss-making!
On the “shop floor” the adversities are equally great. Every process or activity done in duplication, the rework, represents huge costs that the company must bear. Defective products or layout problems and high idleness are good examples.
If we go to the back office, several factors must also be evaluated in order to maximize the company’s profit margin. Is the size of the organization adequate for the challenges of producing, selling, delivering, and after-sales? Is there a way to be more efficient? These are some important questions.
These scenarios are reinforced by a study done at Harvard. The research found that on average, 20% of customers are very profitable, approximately 70% “stall”, and 10% are loss-making. The big challenge is to understand which ones they are and what to do with this information!
Know the results generated by each client and improve your organization’s margins
The issue of controlling profit margins is urgent for companies in all sectors. A pre-pandemic survey by Exame magazine pointed out that the average net margin of organizations in the last 10 years was 2.54%.
This means that a transaction made outside of compliance, or some additional discount offered to a customer is often the difference between profit and loss for the company.
From the moment we can measure costs and results properly, we can make the best decisions. Discount policies, salespeople commissioning, process outsourcing, exporting or not, opening new divisions, etc., are just some of the possibilities when we have true information for this decision-making.
Want to find out what is causing your company’s profit margin to drop and reverse this process? Contact our experts!
Let’s recapitulate some trivial points that underlie “Activity-Based Costing”.
Control associated with direct and indirect costs;
Allocation criteria respecting a cause-and-effect relationship
Robust data analysis;
Identify all activities related to services / products, customers and channels;
Traceability of expenses;
Accurate information for decision making;
And much more.
If you are already familiar with the term, let’s go ahead and discuss why ABC (activity-based costing) has the power to increase your profitability.
What is the main objective of the ABC method?
Let’s get right to the point.
The focus of the ABC method is to have maximum control over the indirect costs (also called overhead) as well as the direct costs associated with a product, service, customer, or channel.
Through a costing system using drivers that respect a cause-and-effect relationship and aiming to bring an advanced analysis of the costs per activity within the operation.
And with this dense range of data, intelligently filter the numbers and transform them into strategic decisions.
Data-driven decision making
The first step comes from what we call “data-driven culture”.
This is the natural habit of ALWAYS making decisions based on collected data and not on a gut feeling.
It all starts by identifying the main KPIs (key performance indicators), which are our key performance indicators.
Do I need KPIs?
If you intend to make decisions based on data and not just intuition, yes.
Performance indicators make it possible to measure how much a strategy is generating the expected result or not.
It is important to mention that KPIs are always measurable and concrete.
My data is not conclusive, now what?
Analyzing data is something automatic in large companies, however, not always creating strategies and defining next steps is provided by a study on top of what has already been collected and digested.
The ABC costing method is useful for companies that already have this data-driven culture and are looking for optimizations through detailed data analysis.
The more knowledge you have about how much and where your resources are being spent, the more precise your improvements associated with cost management will be.
And that is what we at MyABCM offer.
Pricing
The ABC method results in an advanced costing analysis based on each activity involved in producing some product, providing some service, or serving some customer or channel.
This is where pricing comes in.
One of the biggest challenges within a business can be made easier by applying the ABC method.
Keep in mind that failing to calculate your total costs can result in sub-optimal pricing, resulting in an unfavorable profit margin for the company.
With all the control of segmented expenses in the palm of your hand, pricing becomes clearer and effectively correct. The consequence of this is the real impact on negotiations with customers, discount policies and commissioning of salespeople, resulting in the end in greater profit for the company!
ABC Advantages:
1. Reliable and accurate data throughout the value chain
The option of being able to precisely manage all the organization’s costs. This opens up the possibility of making more assertive decisions about where to act to reduce costs, invest, and even serve the best channels and customers from a profitability standpoint.
2. Associate overhead costs with the products, services, channels, and clients that actually consume it
Instead of associating the same cost to all products, services, customers, and channels, you can allocate the fair value consumed by each.
This also helps identify costs that apply to more than one segment, making this feature more valuable because it potentially eliminates distortions in cost calculations.
3. Evaluate production efficiency and apply improvements
The ABC method makes it possible to assign value to overhead costs by working the data as if it were direct costs. By breaking down overhead costs and assigning them by activity, we can look for breakthroughs with precision.
In the same way, we can make processes more efficient and correctly monitor the key KPIs for each activity in the organization.
4. Accurate data to obtain the desired profit margin
Having accurate data will directly impact a leader’s decision making. It opens up the possibility to reduce or shift production costs and apply effective pricing strategies to obtain an adequate profit margin.
5. Unique Benefits
Other methods cannot cover what the ABC costing method provides.
Directly related to the particularity of activity-based costing, it can measure expenses related to activities, however small they may be.
How do I know if I should use an ABC system?
All the questions below must be answered with a yes.
Do you have a diversity of Products and Services?
Diversity of Customers and Channels
Diversity of Processes?
Your overhead costs are high, and you have difficulty in allocating them correctly to products, services, customers, and channels?
Do you notice that your margin has been falling in recent years, often even though you have higher revenues?
Do you use data to make decisions?
Do you have pricing problems?
Then you are prepared.
To be clear, there are not only advantages.
But it is the solution to a number of complex problems for those seeking cost optimization through a robust system.
After you have finished reading this post, you certainly have the clear answers as to how ABC cost management can increase your profits.
São Paulo — July 14, 2022 — Abcosting Produtos e Servicos LTDA, doing business as MyABCM, today announced that its MyABCM – Cost Management and Profitability solution is now available on SAP® Store, the online marketplace for SAP and partner offerings. Integrated with SAP HANA®, MyABCM delivers state-of-the-art technology to manage cost and profitability.
“As our customers mature in their deep experience of cost and profitability, the importance of integrating with SAP cannot be overstated,” said Andre Sanseverino, Global VP Sales and Marketing with MyABCM. “Together with MyABCM’s expertise and market leadership, businesses that use SAP technology will now have access to a complete modern package for cost and profitability modeling and analysis, providing customers with strategic decision-making tools.”
MyABCM has helped transform how companies experience cost and profitability management by providing powerful real-time tools that impact the day-to-day work of over 1,000 companies in more than 50 countries. Customers also have access to sophisticated decision-making tools, what-if simulations, and more. The solution is available on-premise or in the cloud in just a few clicks. Apply for a free trial on SAP Store.
The integrated solution enables customers to:
Understand the profitability of products and services
Increase profitability with powerful analysis tools
Improve cost drivers and assignments that include indirect expenses
Perform sophisticated what-if simulations and planning analysis
Provide a management solution integrated with SAP
SAP Store, found at store.sap.com, delivers a simplified and connected digital customer experience for finding, trying, buying, and renewing more than 2,000 solutions from SAP and its partners. There, customers can find the SAP solutions and SAP-validated solutions they need to grow their business. And for each purchase made through SAP Store, SAP will plant a tree. MyABCM is a partner in the SAP® PartnerEdge® program. The SAP PartnerEdge program provides the enablement tools, benefits, and support to facilitate building high-quality, disruptive applications focused on specific business needs – quickly and cost-effectively.
About MyABCM
ABCosting Produtos e Servicos LTDA, doing business as MyABCM, is a global organization that offers solutions for controlling costs and optimizing profits. Our main mission is to help companies get a detailed and deep understanding of their costs and make better decisions based on reliable information. The company offers a full range of cost and profitability solutions ranging from prototypes and pilot installations to integrated, enterprise, and global-wide information systems. Visit www.myabcm.com for more information.
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