The context: a firm facing growing demand for cash flow steering

Yann Roger runs Bras Droit des Dirigeants, a firm specializing in the financial support of SMEs in Brittany. His mission: to help business leaders steer their activity through rigorous and forward-looking financial management.

Since the Covid-19 crisis, cash flow has become a central topic. Companies, often faced with repaying state-guaranteed loans and with cash flow tensions, massively call on Yann to set up day-to-day monitoring. A need all the more urgent as anticipation has become the key to survival for many organizations.

The challenge: Excel was no longer enough to meet the urgency

Like many CFOs, Yann relied on Excel to produce his cash flow forecasts. But faced with the multiplication of requests and his clients' demand for responsiveness, the spreadsheet's limits became obvious.

"Excel is reaching its limits," Yann acknowledges.

Building forecasts took a considerable amount of time, discussions with leaders dragged on, and every update required repetitive manual effort. It was impossible to respond quickly to clients' questions, let alone offer them an instant view of their financial situation.

For a firm supporting several companies simultaneously, this approach was no longer sustainable. Yann needed a tool capable of synchronizing bank data in real time, automating recurring tasks, and producing reliable forecasts, without spending hours on it.

The solution: Okimia, simplicity and automation in service of steering

It was while looking for a more modern and efficient alternative that Yann discovered Okimia. The promise was clear: an instant cash flow steering tool, simple to set up, and designed for SMEs.

A smooth, instant bank connection

From the very first tests, Yann was won over by the ease and speed of connecting to banks. Whatever his clients' banking institution, synchronization is done in a few clicks. No more manually exporting statements or re-entering data.

A predictive forecast based on history

One of the features that truly changed the game for Yann is Okimia's predictive forecast. Rather than starting from scratch with each projection, the tool draws on the history of bank flows — up to 2 or 3 years back depending on the bank — to propose relevant forecasts.

The result: endless discussions about forecast assumptions gave way to concrete, decision-oriented exchanges. Leaders can focus on action, rather than on building the spreadsheet.

Intelligent categorization that saves a huge amount of time

Setting up Okimia also impressed Yann with its simplicity. In a few minutes, he categorizes incoming and outgoing bank flows. And above all, the system remembers these assignments: once a supplier or client is associated with a category, Okimia automates the linking for all subsequent transactions.

For a CFO managing several companies, this time savings is decisive. No more re-entering, no more categorization errors, no more tedious updates.

"The time savings is undeniable at that level."

Dedicated support that makes the difference

Beyond the technical features, Yann emphasizes the quality of the human support offered by Okimia. He benefits from a dedicated advisor, Alexia, who knows his clients' history perfectly and makes herself available whenever he needs her.

This human closeness is essential to ensure successful adoption of the tool and to quickly remove any roadblocks.

The results: client autonomy and renewed peace of mind

Since he started using Okimia — often in combination with Libeo for supplier invoice management — Yann has observed a profound transformation in his relationship with his clients.

Leaders who have become autonomous

Previously, business leaders depended entirely on Yann to have a view of their cash flow. Today, thanks to Okimia's instant synchronization, they consult their own dashboard daily, without even needing to call on their CFO.

This autonomy represents a double benefit: leaders gain in responsiveness and confidence, while Yann frees up time to focus on analysis and strategic advice.

An essential tool in times of cash flow pressure

For companies still weakened by the health crisis and engaged in repayment phases, Okimia has become an essential steering tool. It makes it possible to anticipate difficulties, quickly adjust strategy, and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Yann now considers Okimia an essential tool for any CFO or financial director who wants to offer their clients real steering.

"It's essential. As strategic and financial directors, we have a duty to provide them with steering tools that meet this essential need."

In summary: simplicity, synthesis, and facilitation

When you ask Yann to sum up Okimia in three words, his answer is unequivocal: simple, synthetic, facilitating.

Okimia has enabled Bras Droit des Dirigeants to move from a reactive and time-consuming mode to proactive and fluid steering. Leaders gain visibility and peace of mind, Yann gains efficiency and strategic impact.

Today, he recommends Okimia to all companies, regardless of their sector, as soon as they need to track their cash flow frequently and rigorously. For him, Okimia is much more than software: it's a true steering tool that addresses the lifeblood of SMEs — cash flow.