Testimonials
Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution, a subsidiary of the Groupama mutual group, is a general insurer and partner of Groupe ACFI in the implementation of guarantees for Reverse PME® programs.
Jérôme, could you give us a brief overview of the company's business and positioning? Groupama Credit & Surety in your market?
For more than 40 years, Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution has been offering a comprehensive, tailor-made range of guarantees for trade receivables.
First and foremost: credit insurance for commercial and political risks, whatever the size of the company, as demonstrated by its portfolio of over 8,000 policyholders.
Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution is first and foremost a general insurer with expertise in agri-business.
Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution also offers surety bonds and financial guarantees.
Find out more about Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution here
Looking beyond your traditional business as a credit insurer, what is your vision of reverse factoring for SMEs?
We set up our first Reverse Factoring program 11 years ago. It enables us to secure suppliers, which is particularly differentiating in these times of pressure on energy prices and high inflation. Our arbitration teams have the expertise in this field. In my opinion, Reverse provides complementary financing for working capital. It does not replace existing financing.
The common benefit is greater stability in the customer/supplier relationship, with a regular flow of supplies and precise timing of payments to building professionals.
In this sense, Reverse Factoring contributes to making Oaan Rénovation énergétique an extended company that embraces all the players involved in energy renovation.
Reverse Factoring programs are part of a tripartite relationship. We deliberately choose programs with a small number of suppliers, notably because of the need to enrol these suppliers in the program and to have real visibility over the customer's development, as Groupama Assurance-crédit & Caution is committed to a long-term support approach.
You act as credit insurer for Reverse PME® programs managed by Groupe ACFI. Could you tell us what this management brings to your risk assessment?
ACFI's contribution, in terms of analysis and auditing of current programs, is a complementary element for our monitoring. We appreciate the responsiveness and professionalism of ACFI's teams, who have been working on this product since 2014. ACFI has real expertise in program management, which reinforces our approach to risk.
Thank you very much, Jérôme and the entire Groupama Assurance-Crédit & Caution team, for sharing your experience and our partnership!
Oaan Rénovation énergétique is a hypergrowth Greentech founded in 2014 by Mathieu Guéret. It produces and finances energy efficiency work in agriculture, industry and the building sector, using the Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) scheme.
Frédéric, pould you tell us about your company and the background that led you to study Reverse PME®?
Faced with the challenges of climate change, decarbonization is a goal to be achieved collectively, whether you're an individual, a company or an institution. This means improving the energy performance of buildings (residential and commercial) and of industrial and agricultural activities.
At Oaan Rénovation énergétique, our mission is to build a measurable, reliable and secure energy efficiency ecosystem. Our ambition is to become a benchmark in energy performance.
We ensure that our renovation work plays an active and genuine part in the energy transition and in achieving our decarbonization objectives.
Our teams are there for you every step of the way, from energy diagnostics to implementation by our network of demanding, environmentally responsible craftsmen, as well as the financing of subsidies, to guarantee the energy benefits you can rely on.
Find out more about Oaan Rénovation énergétique here
The DNA of Oaan Rénovation énergétique is clearly in line with a CSR approach. Do you think Reverse Factoring contributes to this, and if so, in what way?
In the package of services offered by Oaan Rénovation énergétique to its network of craftsmen, the regularity and speed of financing corresponds to a premium service, reserved for our best partners who are evaluated on two levels: a KYC and a regular measurement of their operational excellence.
The common benefit is greater stability in the customer/supplier relationship, with a regular flow of supplies and precise timing of payments to building professionals.
In this sense, Reverse Factoring contributes to making Oaan Rénovation énergétique an extended company that embraces all the players involved in energy renovation.
Ultimately, we are pooling human skills, material resources and the fluid circulation of financial flows in the service of a more sustainable life, for both our environment and our well-being. Reverse Factoring ensures the smooth circulation of financial energy within our ecosystem, and thus feeds our CSR approach.
In your experience with Reverse PME®, what are your sources of satisfaction and what aspects could be improved?
The membership process can be improved from a contractual point of view. In today's digital age, when we offer speed and agility, it's a good idea to generalize electronic signatures and have several payment sessions per week.
But we know from experience that ACFI is ready to listen to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, to make things even smoother, and to further improve its already pragmatic customer service to make Reverse Factoring, which until recently was only available to large companies, more accessible.
Thank you very much, Frédéric, for sharing your experience!
Delta assurances, an independent insurance broker, chose Groupe ACFI to help its customer Laudevco structure and manage its Reverse Factoring program.
Laudevco is a French company specializing in the distribution of heating systems to a network of professional installers.
Véronique, you are the Sales Manager for Delta assurancesCan you tell us a little about your business and, more specifically, your role in corporate financing?
Delta assurances is an insurance brokerage firm with over 100 years of experience. We advise and design insurance programs for our customers in social protection, business risks and financial risks. In 2022, we are ranked 18th French general broker and3rd in financial risks.
Since joining Delta Assurances nearly 5 years ago, I've been working to help our customers meet their financing needs. Our business gives us access to all the offers on the market. As a result, we can save our customers time and money.
You recently decided to offer Reverse Factoring to your customers. What were your motivations for proposing this still highly confidential financing solution?
Coming from the world of finance, I always thought that this supplier financing offer was, wrongly, reserved for a restricted category of companies. Then I found partners who work with SMEs. I think it's an ideal complement to bank financing, and also has an extraordinary power to build loyalty between a company and its suppliers. For all these reasons, my team and I offer it whenever we can.
Find out more about Delta assurances' Reverse Factoring offer here
You use ACFI Group's services to manage your customers' reverse factoring programs. Can you tell us why you made this decision, what potentially held you back and what conclusion you've reached today?
Groupe ACFI's services enable suppliers to be integrated more quickly into a Reverse Factoring program. This is a major advantage, considering that the difficulty of enrolling suppliers in a Reverse Factoring program is often the main cause of failure.
Initially, I was hesitant about integrating an additional player into the financial institution. Today, I'm totally convinced that this is one of the prerequisites for a successful Reverse Investing program.
Finally, how do you see the reverse factoring market in a few years' time, and what role does Delta Assurances intend to play in it?
Like the rapidly expanding factoring market, Reverse Factoring is set to become an indispensable additional tool for financing companies' working capital, complementing bank financing.
Delta assurances, a forerunner in the Reverse Factoring approach to supporting its customers and prospects, is keen to expand its reach.
Rodolphe, before joining Delta assurances as Customer Director, you were familiar with reverse factoring for key accounts. You recently experimented with an approach dedicated to SMEs and ETIs. Can you give us some feedback on the differences, advantages and disadvantages compared with what you knew before?
In both cases, the approach to program design is the same, focusing on securing the supply of products and ensuring smooth relations with suppliers, in particular by guaranteeing payment of their invoices.
For SMEs, our approach is more agile. We structure a tailor-made program within a short timeframe, enabling rapid decision-making. The responsiveness with which we build the offer remains a considerable advantage, compared with the longer and more complex retro planning required for large accounts.
Our facilitative approach does not rule out the one point of attention that we must have, particularly in this unstable context: the ability to find the guarantee line on the principal. Our role as experts is to provide our partners (insurance companies and financial institutions) with all the information they need to make the right decision.
William, you are a founding partner of the company Laudevco. Can you tell us about your company?
Laudevco is a national player specializing in the distribution of biomass heating solutions to professionals. We distribute stoves, inserts, stoves and pellet and wood-fired boilers. We also supply hydraulic accessories and flue pipes for complete installations. Finally, we guarantee the availability of spare parts for the appliances and brands we distribute.
We want to position digital technology at the heart of our offerings to our customers, to simplify processes and save time. This is a real asset both for our customer relations and for our team of 10 field sales and support staff.
When Rodolphe spoke to you about a Reverse Factoring offer for SMEs, what was your initial reaction and what did you wonder about?
We'd heard of Reverse Factoring, but thought it was a solution reserved only for large groups and ETIs. We weren't aware of this solution dedicated to SMEs, and therefore didn't think we were eligible for it. Following the presentation given by Rodolphe and the ACFI team, we immediately understood the potential of this tool for financing our growth.
And Rodolphe, why did you decide to present this solution to your customer Laudevco?
In view of the company's excellent growth prospects, it became necessary to structure services and secure supplier relations and working capital. And so, 18 months ago, the collaboration between Laudevco and Delta assurances was born.
Thanks to the program we set up, Laudevco was able to invest in its future and secure its purchasing. The initial investment enabled them to obtain an exclusive contract for France with one of its suppliers.
William, as a manager, can you give us some initial feedback on your program? And Rodolphe, what are your reasons for satisfaction and what do you think could be improved?
Rodolphe: Thanks to the project team we were able to put together, we were able to come up with the best solution for the company within the short timeframe set by Laudevco's management. The guarantee agreement we obtained was crucial to the management's negotiations with the supplier.
We owe this responsiveness to our constructive exchanges and collaboration, which enabled the project to move forward with a shared vision and aligned objectives.
William : We are also very satisfied with the tool and its day-to-day operation, thanks in particular to the support of the ACFI teams. The interface is very ergonomic.
However, it took longer to set up because we work with suppliers based abroad, so we had to explain to them how to do it, and the formalities involved in involving various partners (ACFI, insurer and funder).
Urios is a partner of Groupe ACFI in the implementation of guarantees for Reverse Factoring programs managed by Groupe ACFI.
Didier Monteiro, you are the Chairman of URIOS. Could you tell us about your company?
URIOS is a consulting firm and software publisher specializing in working capital performance.
We help companies to develop and secure sales in France and abroad, accelerate cash flow and finance working capital.
We have unique expertise in real-time financial analysis of companies. This high value-added information enables us to offer market-leading solutions: a company solvency study, a guaranteed solvency study that secures payment of invoices in the event of default, and theguaranteed study "This enables the purchasing company to offer a guarantee to its own suppliers.
With sales of €14.5 million, 90 employees and over 1,300 customers, URIOS is a true creator of sustainable growth and a partner for all businesses.
Find out more about the URIOS guarantee study here
Speaking of one of your specialties, Garantie Reverse, you set up a partnership with ACFI in 2018. Can you tell us what led you to this collaboration?
Reverse Factoring is based on 2 fundamentals: financing and guarantees.
ACFI is the French leader in the structuring and management of Reverse Factoring for SMEs and ETIs, and URIOS is a major player in Reverse Guarantees for the same target group.
This collaboration is the fruit of the coming together of 2 complementary "reverse" skills unheard of on the French market. The strength of the ACFI and URIOS alliance lies in democratizing this innovative financing solution, traditionally reserved for large companies, to give SMEs and ETIs room to maneuver.
Thanks to your tailor-made approach, URIOS has become a key player in the guarantee of Reverse Factoring programs dedicated to SMEs & ETIs. How do you explain your success in this niche market?
The Reverse Factoring has an image of being a complex mechanism. ACFI and URIOS' innovation was to create a "turnkey" solution, making it extremely simple for companies and removing all obstacles.
Decision-makers are convinced by 3 advantages of Reverse Factoring :
- Supporting suppliers and building their loyalty by offering them secure payment of their invoices
- Optimize cash flow management by benefiting from extended repayment terms from the financier
- Negotiate better purchasing conditions.
4 years after setting up the partnership with ACFI, how do you see the future for this offering, in a complex economic and geopolitical context?
Whatever the context, this solution is appreciated by companies that want to rrengthen their ties with their partners. Historically, we have tended to support companies undergoing restructuring that had lost the confidence of their suppliers. Today, the context is tougher and Reverse Factoring is even appealing to companies with a large financial base, as they need to reassure their suppliers and obtain preferential status.
In a context of inflation, supply difficulties and increased risk of partner default, reverse factoring is a powerful lever for securing the supply chain and preserving cash, Reverse Factoring is a powerful lever for securing the supply chain and preserving cash flow..
Founded in 2010, EnergyGo has become a key player in the comprehensive energy renovation of single-family homes. EnergyGo offers a unique combination of expertise and professionalism, backed by years of experience in the field.
As part of our commitment to supporting responsible purchasing, we took part in the Webinar "BFR et RSE : Quelle Stratégie pour les PME et ETI ?" organized by the CNA (Conseil National des Achats), with a testimonial from our customer EnergyGo.
Krystel Brassac, CFO of EnergyGo, an expert in comprehensive energy renovation, reflects on her experience:
"Following containment, several major changes impacted our market, including :
- Major regulatory changes: access to low-cost work for a new category of households
- A growing awareness of housing quality
We're in a fast-growing market, and at the same time our business model has changed. Historically, we were paid directly by private individuals, with no payment delay, and the installer was paid within 30 days. Now, thanks to government schemes, we receive subsidies on average 3 to 6 months in advance, which has led to a sharp rise in our WCR.
Our suppliers are craftsmen and fitters who have experienced the same growth in business as we have. In order to secure our development, it was important for us to retain their loyalty and support them in financing this growth.
We took the decision to structure ourselves in order to be able to pay our suppliers quickly and to cope with the time it takes to pay grants.
We raised funds to support our growth, but we didn't want to take out a traditional loan to cover our payment arrears. Our partner, La Banque Postale Leasing & Factoring, introduced us to Reverse PME® and ACFI Associés to meet this new challenge of financing working capital.
Thanks to Reverse Factoring, we have found an important differentiating argument for our craftsmen.
We started the program with two suppliers to validate the solution, costs and operation. After 3 months of use, we are completely satisfied with the flexibility and ease of use.
We have just increased our line to keep an envelope available for our negotiations with new installers or to secure loyal installers who may need our support. Suppliers are paid within a week, with a discount applied to each invoice, so we've found a fair system for all concerned. We can now control our disbursements, thanks to a simple, adapted and secure tool. It's an agile offer for a growing SME!"
ABN AMRO Commercial Finance offers asset-based financing solutions. ABN AMRO Asset Based Finance has offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and France.
ABN AMRO Commercial Finance has been a partner of Groupe ACFI since its creation, in particular for the implementation and management of Reverse Factoring programs.
Cédric, ABN AMRO positioned itself on the Reverse Factoring offer about a year ago. What motivated this choice?
In France, ABN AMRO, independent of any banking network, is a challenger in the trade receivables financing market. As such, we are committed to providing our customers and prospects with differentiating and innovative offers. Reverse PME® is in line with this strategy in the mature factoring market. It is a more precise response to the need felt by SMEs & ETIs for financing and securing their trade receivables.
Reverse Factoring is still a niche financing offering in France. What constraints, both internal and external, did you face in setting up and deploying this offering?
The main constraint was the need to create a suitable legal and operational framework. ACFI played a key role not only in training and supporting our employees, but also in implementing this new offer.
Now, in collaboration with ACFI, we are working on improving our tools and processes to make the management of these programs even more fluid, and to broaden our scope of intervention. Yes, there were constraints, but the fluidity of communication and transparency with our partner enabled us to successfully complete all the stages.
Looking back on this first year, what are the keys to success in this positioning?
In my opinion, the main success factors were transparency and responsiveness on both sides: transparency that enabled ABN AMRO to learn from ACFI's know-how, and conversely that enabled ACFI to understand ABN AMRO's constraints. Reverse FactoringIf we had to single out a major event in our partnership on Reverse Factoring, I'd say it was the setting up of a program with ACFI and an external broker. Spreading ACFI's image as a structuring partner for Reverse Factoringand no longer as a rival broker is a real success. This should enable us to further intensify our activity in this area, by enabling other brokerage firms to offer Reverse Factoring to their customers, while using ACFI's know-how and tools as a service provider.
How do you see the future of the offer, both at ABN AMRO and on the French market?
The Reverse Factoring enables us to make contact with companies that are not concerned by factoring. A rebound period such as the one we're experiencing today, where real problems in managing supplier policy are being raised, enables us to highlight the full value of the Reverse Factoring.
Today Reverse Factoring is still a niche, as we are only just beginning to set up programs for SMEs. Not all factors want to develop such an offering, since it requires the implementation and development of processes that are not necessarily strategic for the major banking players. But at ABN AMRO, we are convinced that the offer is well-founded, and that it should be democratized for SMEs. I believe that, like confidential factoring, which was originally reserved for large companies and is now offered to SMEs, Reverse Factoring is a very attractive solution. Reverse Factoring will become more widespread in the years to come. It's not going to be easy because, unlike factoring, this offer is part of a tripartite relationship, with suppliers having to be enrolled. We shouldn't confine this relatively technical and innovative tool to large companies, but rather democratize it by streamlining processes, while mastering our regulatory aspects: knowledge of the beneficiary of the financing, anti-money laundering, etc.
Our experience proves that Reverse Factoring brings value to the customers who benefit from it. It's up to us to spread the word about our successes, and to get more credit insurers on board, as they are essential links in this type of financing. We'll get there!
Part of the Martin Belaysoud Group, Téréva specializes in supplying and advising on air conditioning, ventilation, heating, plumbing, sanitary and electrical equipment, spare parts, tools and personal protective equipment.
TEREVAdistributor of electrical, plumbing and heating products, and MABEOdistributor of protective equipment and industrial supplies, both part of the Martin Belaysoud GroupGroup, set up a Reverse Factoring program with ACFI Associés at the end of 2016. Reverse Factoring for their strategic suppliers.
Bernard Buthod
Group Chief Financial Officer
"Groupe Martin Belaysoud Expansion operates in the BtoB distribution sector through its 2 major banners, Tereva and Mabéo, and in a context of strong development, notably through external growth. In this context, optimizing our inbound flows is a key challenge. To this end, we are investing heavily in our supply chain to ensure the fluidity of physical flows with our suppliers, and we are seeking all possible solutions to enable us to process the corresponding financial and administrative flows as efficiently as possible. That's why we worked with ACFI Associés, who convinced us of the benefits of Reverse Factoring and helped us implement it, first with Tereva and then with Mabéo. The results:
- greater automation of flow processing, leading to productivity gains
- a privileged relationship with our premium suppliers
- a flexible method of financing, with the option of choosing the due date for payment to the factor".
Gaëlle Perret
Group Treasury Manager
"As far as cash management is concerned, the impact of such a project is threefold:
- Improved visibility of cash flow forecasts, insofar as payment to the financial partner takes place on a date and for an amount known in advance.
- A change in the procedure for drawing up cash flow forecasts, especially when this procedure is well established and controlled. This point is, and remains, difficult to grasp, in the context of a gradual ramp-up of the program linked to the enrolment of suppliers.
- It enables us to work closely with departments with which the treasury department is not necessarily accustomed to collaborating. These include the supplier payment department and the DMA (Purchasing Marketing Department). So it's a cross-functional and rewarding project to manage.
This structuring project is time-consuming at every stage (preparation, training, start-up/receipt, development). This point must not be overlooked when making a decision.
The most critical points in this project management are:
- the legal/contractual part, with the financial department.
- the IT part, with the definition of our needs, the study of the current process and its adaptation, the constraints and expectations of the various parties involved (financial department, software publisher), and the coordination between all these parties.
- the supplier payment part, which has to review its procedures and integrate this new payment method.
After convincing us of the benefits of Reverse Factoring, ACFI Associés put all their energy into managing the call for tenders, structuring the program to adapt it as closely as possible to our processes, coordinating the various external parties involved, and remaining attentive to any difficulties we encountered, so that together we could find the most appropriate solutions".
Dominique Curt
Group Administrative Manager
"With a strong desire to modernize our "tools", the implementation of Reverse Factoring has enabled us to deploy EDI flows with our main suppliers more rapidly (orders, AR orders and invoices), guaranteeing rapid and reliable information processing.
The organization of our supplier accounting department has had to evolve in order to process their invoices and any disputes as a matter of priority.
We have not encountered any particular difficulties, apart from the need in some cases to question logistics platforms about the correct receipt of products, as invoices are sometimes issued when goods are dispatched.
The introduction of the portal gives suppliers day-to-day access to the status of their invoices (validated invoices, invoices in dispute, invoices in the process of being paid). This gives them full visibility of their accounts in our accounting system, which in turn reduces the need for reminders.
Our suppliers can also integrate payment information directly into their ERP systems, making lettering more reliable and highly productive.
The support provided by ACFI Associés enabled us to deploy the platform required for this new organization and to enrol suppliers very quickly. "
Sylvain Bernard
Marketing and Purchasing Director TEREVA
"We have always been very selective and rigorous in selecting our suppliers, with the aim of signing "fair", long-term commercial agreements.
In this period of growth for our Group, Reverse Factoring strengthens our partnership with our strategic suppliers.
Our buyers were responsible for selecting suppliers, presenting the program to them and negotiating the discount rate granted for all the services put in place.
ACFI Associés supported us in the negotiations and helped us to move out of the Finance scope by highlighting:
- the priority treatment of invoices and disputes,
- the fluidity of exchanges,
- the provision of information via the platform,
- faster payment times".
The Steva Group 's main activities are the cutting and stamping of steel parts, for medium and large production runs.
Sales are divided between the Automotive, Agricultural, Electrical, Industrial Equipment, Trucks and Aerospace sectors.
Feedback from Philippe Lassabliere, factoring and Reverse PME® user.
"STEVA benefits from a factoring contract and a reverse factoring contract. We realize that, particularly in the current period (editor's note: exit from the 1stst confinement following the COVID pandemic) of all the advantages of these systems. The first advantage I'd like to highlight is flexibility, particularly with Reverse Factoring. We have full control over the insurance of our supplier panel. It's an evolving system that can, depending on the evolution of your supplier panel, enable you to adjust/shift more or less cover to a particular supplier. We have a real mastery of supplier panel insurance. In terms of image, during the current period, we are the customer who pays within 10 days, and this customer who pays within 10 days inevitably has a "preference" over others who pay within 60 days and who sometimes pay in an uncertain manner. We also have competitors who have lost all or part of their credit insurance cover, and who now find themselves considering pro-forma payments with some of their suppliers. We are protected from this with Reverse Factoring, on our main suppliers, the strategic suppliers that for us are the aseris. We're an industrial group with 250 employees, sales of around €50 million and a purchasing volume of €20 million, so our suppliers are very strategic for us:
- to reassure them,
- to be able to guide the insurance of our panel in these fast-moving times
- Above all, using the 2 systems has a multiplier effect on WCR financing. Factoring, with accounts receivable paid within 5 days, and Reverse Factoring, with suppliers paid within 60 days. We've been up and running again for the past month, and in terms of cash we can really see the double leverage that factoring and reverse factoring combined provide.
The Ludendo Group Ludendobased in Paris and operating throughout France, has been specializing in games and toys since 1977. Ludendo is one of the leaders in the French toy market, with several banners including La Grande Récréwhich today boasts 140 integrated and franchised stores in a variety of formats (city centers, suburbs, shopping malls), as well as 140 other outlets in Total stations and Club Med centers.
How did you come to set up Reverse Factoring?
"The contract started in July 2020. During this particular Covid year, we wanted to build up our end-of-year inventories more quickly (between August and September) with payment deadlines allowing repayment in December."
After 8 months of use, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of Reverse PME® in your situation?
"Reverse is an ideal product for the retail sector, and particularly for our company, which is highly seasonal, with two distinct periods: the "permanent" period, which covers the first 9 months of the year, and the "end-of-year" period (October to December). This permanent period is sensitive in terms of working capital, as we have to supply the stores with supplier payment terms ranging from 60 to 95 days, and an inventory turnaround time of 120 to 150 days. We therefore found in this solution a way of saving working capital and payment times.
With a total of 120 days' payment terms, we have an envelope that can be rotated 3 times a year, enabling us, in this permanent period, to have lead times consistent with stock rotations. If we set things right, we can plan a final envelope for the supply of end-of-year products."
What are the keys to successful implementation?
"Reverse is a tool in partnership with suppliers, so they are central to success. At Ludendo, implementation was simplified thanks to 5 factors:
- A long-standing, high-quality relationship with our suppliers,
- LBPL&F, the financial benchmark, reassures our suppliers, and our contracts are straightforward,
- Obtaining credit insurance through URIOS,
- The choice of prompt or deferred payment, modularity for each supplier,
- The reliability and expertise of Groupe ACFIcoupled with the simplicity and efficiency of the ACFI Network® platform".