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How Can Procurement Help Improve an Organisation's Cash Flow

NEIL MORLING

CFO, OLSWANG LLP

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Expectations

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Context No matter what the challenge, environment or

organisation cash flow is fundamental, a business will only run out of cash once

For a business to prosper, four fundamental elements need to be in place: Organic growth Margin improvement Cash generation Build a sustainable business

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Organic Growth Market insight Develop broader offering with suppliers as an integral

element More sustainable solutions Enhance client retention though improving integrity of

service/product Deliver fee earning capacity

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Margin Improvement All of above … a given if volumes improve against an

element of fixed cost Cost reduction Ability to charge more for cost neutral improvements Use leverage of higher volumes derived from organic

griowth

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Cash Generation All of above, and….. Terms of payment Prompt payment is rarely a problem when service

provided was in line with expectations to a trusted client

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A Sustainable Business All of above … growth in order book (backlog)

Sustainability in it's own right, a business that works to deliver the "triple bottom line": Economic Environmental Social

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Business Cycle

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Thoughts….?

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BiographyNeil is a CFO with wide ranging experience across Europe as well as the US, the Middle East and Asia, now with over 25 years' experience operating in dynamic, global professional service organisations dealing with a wide range of often conflicting stakeholder requirements.

Adept at simplifying and translating complex financial data, he helps shape corporate strategy through commercial and financial insight. Recently Neil was a part of the Olswang LLP leadership team that secured the iconic, tripartite merger with Nabarro LLP and CMS LLP to form the 6th largest global law firm which becomes effective in May 2017.

Prior to joining Olswang in late 2015 he was integral to the merger of EC Harris LLP into ARCADIS NV which created a leading global programme and project management consultancy. The combined group now employs 28,000 professionals with turnover of €3.0 billion.

Other companies Neil has worked for include Anglian Water Plc, GEC Plc, Alstom sa, Invensys Plc, Jarvis Plc and Ricardo Plc.