Rapid growth in a sector with complex flows
Neuf Market is a new-build real estate consulting company founded by three partners, including Thomas Bernard, who holds the position of CFO. The company supports its clients in their off-plan purchase projects and works in partnership with real estate developers.
In two years, the company has experienced strong growth with the opening of four agencies across France. This rapid expansion comes with growing needs in financial steering and cash flow visibility.
Unpredictable cash flows and an Excel-based management out of breath
The particularity of Neuf Market's model lies in the gap between the commercial act and the collection of payment. Signing a reservation does not immediately generate revenue. It's only when the client signs at the notary's office that the company can invoice the real estate developer.
"There are a huge number of parameters to take into account, and that's what makes cash flow management complex. These are very irregular cash flows, hard to grasp."
Added to this are marked business cycles, with slow periods such as the summer, and gaps of several months between the investments made today and future collections.
At first, Thomas managed all of this on Excel. But with growth, the tool became obsolete: hard to keep up to date, time-consuming, and impossible to share effectively with the teams. The slightest forecast required the CFO's intervention to manually update the data.
"We absolutely needed to automate a number of things and to move to a professional tool like Okimia."
Okimia makes it possible to anticipate, model scenarios, and delegate with confidence
Thomas chose Okimia for its ability to handle Neuf Market's specific complexity: irregular flows, variable collection probabilities, and a multi-agency view.
The tool connects directly to the company's business software, which ensures a reliable and automated flow of information. No more re-entering everything manually. Cash flow is updated in real time, incorporating all the collection-probability parameters.
"What I really liked about Okimia is the management of all these parameters. We know that the flow of information is correct and that all the collection-probability parameters for the flows will be correct."
With several agencies spread across France, Thomas can now switch from one company to another in a few clicks, with a consolidated or detailed view depending on his needs. This allows him to anticipate slow periods, smooth out fluctuations in activity, and steer growth in an informed way.
The scenario feature has also transformed decision-making. Thomas can now simulate the impact of future investments or hires on cash flow three, four, or five months out.
"It allows us to make trade-offs effectively on whether or not to put in place one or more investment expenditures for the months ahead."
Finally, Okimia made it possible to decentralize forecast management. Any employee can now build a scenario without waiting for Thomas to update the Excel file. This frees up time for the CFO and empowers the teams.
"Today, I'm much more at ease day-to-day since every person in the company is able to make a cash flow forecast without having to call me."
Controlled growth and clear ambitions
Thanks to Okimia, Neuf Market has gained precision, agility, and peace of mind. Thomas can now steer the cash flow of several agencies simultaneously, while anticipating investment decisions with confidence.
The company, which has opened four agencies in two years, now aims for two to three new openings in the coming years. An ambitious goal, made possible by better visibility into future flows and more collaborative steering.
Thomas also praises the support from the Okimia teams, always attentive and responsive to the company's developments. A valuable asset for an organization undergoing transformation.
