"I'm a CFO in a service company and sometimes, I have to say that I feel like I'm on my own!"

We sympathise with you, and even though we can't offer a miracle cure, here are some simple rules to follow. They come from work on the ground and are, therefore, pragmatic and can be applied rapidly.

CFO and CRM? Can't see what they've got to do with each other? It's easy: up until now, the CRM system has always been down to the sales and marketing departments. But that's all in the past! Here are three good reasons why you, as a CFO, should become a fan of CRM.

By Jean-Christophe LLINAS - CEO Akuiteo SAS

As with all companies, a software publisher needs to provide a quality after-sales service.

Why? Because the two biggest factors in creating client loyalty are the quality of products and services sold and the client support provided.

Therefore, you need it to maintain your existing client base and you also need it to get those clients to assist you in winning new clients. A happy client will be your best ambassador.

ERP systems give great structure to a business, but they used to have a reputation for being inflexible and even old-fashioned. But that was then... and this is now. The latest generations of integrated management solutions are designed for digital and bring agility to the whole business. We'll tell you how.

Your business is unique, as is its organisation. So you think that it's impossible to function without a custom ERP system. Don't be so sure. Let us explain why you should avoid specific developments.

The choice of billing methods in service companies are strategic because the repercussions of that choice are many and varied. However, it is often dictated by clients or even by custom and practice in the market. Here's a little guide to the advantages and disadvantages of the different billing methods to help you take back control.

You want to adapt your business to the economic context and commit yourself to the digital transformation that everybody's talking about at the moment. Amongst other things, this transformation involves choosing to deploy a new management platform, or ERP, at the centre of your information system. As part of this process, you are the project owner and your future partner is the project manager.

The implementation of an ERP system creates such disruption in a business that the success of the project depends largely on its acceptance by staff. For this reason, it's best to start the management of change in an ERP project before you've even selected the software package, and to continue after it's been put into production.

Companies that produce goods or services in project mode are known as "project-managed". Each of these business deals comes with a set of technical, staffing and legal commitments linked to a project with a (more or less) defined duration.

You probably know that Excel is the world's most popular calculation software. However, does that necessarily mean that it should be the basis of financial management in a business? It's not an open and shut case, particularly because it's seen as not being sufficiently specialised for some aspects and may risk damaging the company in the long term.