ERP and DAF, the perfect union

The ERP: Accelerator for Financial Departments

As new in architecture agencies as it is essential in the functions it occupies, the role of the Administrative and Financial Department (DAF) is more than just a passion for Excel spreadsheets. With the impetus of new technologies and an ever-increasing amount of data, opportunities are multiplying. However, it is crucial to know how to collect, process, and analyze this data... hence the growing importance of a perfectly calibrated ERP.

The DAF, the cornerstone of the agency's finances

As architecture firms experience joint growth in teams and projects, some of them have progressed beyond the stage of creative workshops to become Intermediate-Sized Enterprises (ETI). This has required strengthening their teams to provide accounting and financial expertise.

In this context, the creation of an Administrative and Financial Director (DAF) position proves to be crucial for the company. This responsibility goes beyond the creative profiles of the agency, focusing on optimization and cost management. The role is in constant evolution, becoming an architect of growth.

A role in constant evolution as a growth architect

Once limited to income control, the DAF's functions are being disrupted by the ongoing digitization of business processes and the continuous evolution of ERP systems. Automated invoice management, optimized financial control — these are just a few of the simplified tasks for the Administrative and Financial Director, who is now expected to have an expanded and forward-looking vision of the company's finance.

The tools at their disposal, such as ERP systems, enable a drastic reduction in financial monitoring while enhancing the readability and sharing of associated data. The DAF can then focus their expertise on providing the most impactful financial information for decision-making within the company. From the essential to the decisive, it is an increasingly broad spectrum of responsibilities that align with the most strategic functions of architecture agencies.

ERPs serving business improvement

As a true "communicator" of financial data, the DAF's influence within the organization grows as they ensure to accompany the evolution of business activities, relying on rigorously selected and accessible information. This approach defines the best financial choices to be made within the company's structure.

Numerous features specific to ERP systems allow the DAF to gain this broader and long-term vision: financial analysis reports, optimized fee revisions based on projects, cost management for human resources, and workload planning. All these processes are dematerialized and accessible within a single software, simplifying governance.

Fulfilling the DAF's missions when there is no DAF

Every architecture agency needs to manage and precisely analyze its financial reality. However, some companies cannot afford to dedicate a resource to this burdensome task. What reports to produce? How to analyze the right figures? How to save time on these time-consuming tasks?

This is where the ERP comes into play, helping you gain agility, assisting in data analysis, and contributing to improving your customer service. Whether it's managing co-contracting and invoicing, enhancing profitability, or providing real-time visibility into the agency's workload, numerous tools are available to help both a financially savvy Financial Director and an agency looking to simplify its accounting process.

Panicking at the thought of entrusting your precious data to software? Get support from our advisors in the digital transformation of your finances, and we guarantee you won't miss your Excel files.

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