Rekordna inflacija, rastuće cijene energije: Evo kako kompanije mogu ublažiti udar krize.

• inflation rates at record levels in Europe
• deterioration in customer payment practices
• negative consequences of inflation exacerbated on all sides

The figures are dramatic: In October 2022, the inflation rate in the euro zone was 10.7 percent. Never since the introduction of the euro in 2022 has the value of the currency reduced so rapidly. Only a short time before, the inflation rate across the European Union had reached a negative record level: In August, at 10.1 percent, it was at its highest level ever since the foundation of the EU in 1993.

This was due, in part, to the policies of the central banks, which provided all economic participants with money at an inexpensive rate. Then came the coronavirus crisis, which not only caused financial bottlenecks for many private and business customers, but also stalled the supply of goods and materials, leading to a general rise in prices. In addition to a decrease in purchasing power, companies have also had to contend with huge increases in energy prices since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

All in all, this has formed the basis for a number of threatening scenarios: In a study published in October 2022, the international credit insurer Allianz Trade forecast a global rise in company insolvencies of 10 percent for the whole of 2022 and a further 19 percent through to the end of 2023.

Problem koji je već doveo mnoge kompanije do opasnosti je sada još više pogorašn u smislu neplaćanja i zakašnjelih uplata. Prema EOS studiji ''Evropska praksa plaćanja'', kojoj je pristupilo 3200 finansijskih izvršitelja iz 16 evropskih zemalja, ovakav razvoj situacije vidi kao ključni problem za mnoge kompanije. U zapadnoevropskim zemljama, svaki peti korisnik kasni sa plaćanjem ili nikako ne plaća, u istočnoj Evropi, to je već svaki četvrti korisnik. Ovaj trend je značajno porastao, konkretno u posljednje tri godine. Među ispitanicima, 60% je izjavilo da je razlog neplaćanja njijhovih poslovnih i privatnih korisnika bio taj što su se oni lično morali boriti sa neplaćanjem.

Porast cijena i oslabljena kupovna moć vrlo lako će uticati na trend porasta u narednom periodu, i čak može izazvati lančanu reakciju među kompanijama. Ovo nije samo zbog činjenice što je njihov raspoloživi kapital doživio znatno smanjenje vrijednosti, već je smanjenje kapitala zapravo i rezultat neredovnog plaćanja korisnika. Čak i kompanije koje u nekom trenutku imaju priliv sredstava osjećaju posljedice inflacije, uslijed kupovne vrijednosti novca koja se često dramatično smanji za vrijeme u kojem se čekala uplata.

Nekvalitetna dugovanja, koja su prethodno bila smetnja, sada postaju egzistencijalna prijetnja. Prema EOS-ovoj studiji, više od polovine (51%) kreditorskih kompanija se već bore sa padom dobiti, i više od trećine je pogodo manjak likvidnosti (42%). Skoro trećina kompanija je smanjila obim ulaganja ili povećala cijenu proizvoda ili usluga, na taj način nenamjerno ubrzavajući koban trend.

One way for companies to break this vicious cycle is to focus on their core business, thus enabling decision-makers to explore means of mitigating inflation internally to better effect, for example through leaner processes, more precise calculation of dedicated prices, alternative purchasing options, or the identification of further energy-saving options.

The outsourcing of receivables management to specialized companies or the complete sale of receivables can also help such companies in this regard, saving them time, effort and personnel, which they can use for their core business. Another way

is to generate financial flexibility, as a key advantage for collection agencies in times of soaring inflation is time. They can quickly provide companies with fresh capital.

This is made possible by an efficiency that is difficult for non-specialized companies to establish. EOS, for example, relies heavily on digital technologies and processes, which facilitates structured access to data and the automated analysis thereof.

The entire economy benefits from professional receivables management. In Germany alone, the member companies of the Federal Association of German Debt Collection Agencies (BDIU) transfer around six billion euros to their clients every year. Over the past three years, debt collection agencies such as EOS have succeeded in securing an average of six percent of the revenue for their client companies. This is a crucial factor for companies that must safeguard their own purchasing power and ability to invest in times of record inflation.

Photo credits: Stocksy, EOS