Calculating profitability is an important exercise for all companies, and service businesses are no exception. In fact, it enables us to measure the company's ability to generate profits and sustain its business over the long term.

However, calculating the profitability of service companies can be more complex than for industrial or commercial companies. This is because service companies do not produce tangible goods, which can complicate the evaluation of their production and costs. How are these calculations made? What indicators should be used? How to optimize profitability?

Key profitability indicators for service companies

Fortunately, there are several key indicators that enable service companies to measure their profitability. Among the most important are :

• Sales: This is the total amount of sales of goods or services made by the company over a given period.
• Gross margin: This is the difference between sales and the direct production costs of goods or services sold.
• Net margin: This is the difference between gross margin and the company's fixed and variable costs.
• Break-even point: This is the level of production at which the company begins to be profitable.
• Economic profitability: This is a company's ability to generate profit, taking into account all its resources, including equity and debt.

Issues and solutions for calculating profitability

Calculating the profitability of service companies can face several problems:

• The difficulty of measuring production: It can be difficult to quantify a service company's production. It does not consist in the manufacture of tangible goods.
• Cost variability: Service companies' costs can be highly variable. This can complicate the calculation of gross and net margins.
• Taking fixed costs into account: Fixed costs, such as rent and salaries, can have a major impact on the profitability of service companies, even in the absence of production.

To overcome these difficulties, service companies can implement several solutions:

• Set up a cost accounting system: A cost accounting system makes it possible to track costs more accurately and identify sources of profitability.
• Use production management tools: These allow you to monitor production and identify inefficiencies.
• Regularly analyze profitability indicators: It's important to monitor profitability indicators on a regular basis, so that you can identify trends and take any necessary corrective action.

SENEF ERP software publisher: an ally for the profitability of service companies

SENEF, an ERP software publisher specializing in the management of service companies, offers solutions to help companies improve their profitability.

By adopting Progisap for personal services companies, Progiclean for cleaning companies and Seenet Sécurité for security and guarding, you benefit from a global vision. But also a 360-degree view of your entire business...

Our solutions enable service companies to :

• Monitor costs and production accurately
• Improve inventory and purchasing management
• Optimize sales management and customer relations
• Obtain comprehensive reports on their business and profitability

With Progisap, Progiclean and Seenet Sécurité, you have the tools you need to steer your service business towards success.

In conclusion, calculating profitability is essential for service companies. Service companies can improve their profitability and ensure their long-term survival by relying on the right indicators. But also by implementing appropriate solutions and equipping themselves with high-performance tools.

For more information, please contact us.

Service companies face many challenges in maintaining and improving their profitability. Customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and cost control are key to their success. But how can the profitability of service companies be improved, what are the key indicators, what are the solutions? These are the questions we raise in this article.

Defining the objectives and KPIs relevant to a service company

The first step in improving profitability is to identify the company's key objectives and choose the appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure them.

Examples of objectives and KPIs for service companies :

• Customer satisfaction: Customer satisfaction rate, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Recommendation rate, Number of complaints
• Service quality: Incident resolution rate, Incident resolution time, Error rate
• Productivity: Resource occupancy rate, Number of tickets processed per day, Cost per ticket
• Profitability: Gross margin, Margin rate, Net profit

KPI monitoring and analysis to improve profitability of service companies

Regular monitoring of KPIs is therefore essential to identify areas for improvement and make the right decisions.

Tools such as dashboards and reporting software enable data to be visualized and analyzed efficiently. These include intelligent business intelligence (BI) tools such as DigDash.

Implement improvement actions to enhance the profitability of service companies

Depending on the KPI results, it is therefore important to implement concrete actions to improve the company's performance.

Examples of improvement actions :

• Training teams to improve service quality
• Setting up processes to optimize productivity
• Negotiate prices with suppliers to reduce costs
• Investment in technological tools to improve efficiency

SENEF: Solutions for profitable service companies

SENEF is much more than just a software publisher. It is a trusted partner committed to supporting service companies in their drive to improve profitability.

SENEF has set up several ERP systems for service companies. Progiclean for cleaning companies, Progisap for personal services companies and Seenet Sécurité for security and guarding companies. SENEF has also created mobile applications that feed directly into ERP systems. Our applications, such as Mobiclean Mobisap and Mobisafe, enable you to optimize your time and gain in profitability.

Here are some concrete examples of how SENEF can help you improve your profitability:

Cost reduction

• Automation of administrative tasks: SENEF automates many time-consuming tasks. This enables teams to concentrate on value-added activities and reduce personnel costs.
• Process optimization: SENEF solutions optimize internal processes. This reduces waste and improves productivity.
• Price negotiation with suppliers: SENEF can help you negotiate better prices with your suppliers thanks to its network of partners.

Increased productivity

• Real-time activity monitoring: SENEF solutions enable you to monitor team activity in real time. This enables you to identify areas for improvement.
• Better service planning: SENEF facilitates service planning. It also optimizes team rounds, reducing travel time and improving responsiveness.
• Instant communication: Instant communication between field teams and the back office makes for more fluid exchanges. You gain in efficiency.

Improving customer satisfaction

• Improved quality of service: SENEF solutions improve quality of service by reducing errors and guaranteeing on-time delivery.
• Proactive communication: SENEF facilitates communication with customers, keeping them informed in real time of the progress of interventions.
• Monitoring customer satisfaction: SENEF enables you to track customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

Business management

• Dashboards and reporting: SENEF provides customizable dashboards and reports to visualize key business KPIs in real time.
• Profitability analysis: SENEF lets you analyze company profitability by site, customer or project.
• Decision support: the data and analyses provided by SENEF enable you to make informed decisions to improve your company's profitability.

In addition to these tangible benefits, SENEF stands out for :

• Business expertise: SENEF has in-depth knowledge of the needs of service companies, and offers solutions tailored to their specific issues. SENEF's teams also come from the sector.
• Personalized support: SENEF supports its customers throughout the project, from solution implementation to team training.
• Responsive technical support: SENEF provides its customers with responsive technical support to answer their questions and help them solve their problems.

SENEF is a trusted partner who will help you improve your profitability and achieve your business objectives.

Time and attendance is often perceived as a mere administrative constraint. But did you know that it can also be a valuable tool for improving performance and collaboration between employees and the company?

Time and attendance: a multi-faceted legal obligation

Legal obligations

The French Labor Code requires employers to keep track of their employees' working hours. This obligation is designed to ensure compliance with maximum working hours, compensatory rest and overtime.

The employer must keep the clocking-in and clocking-out data for a period of three years.

How to set up time and attendance

The employer must choose a time and attendance system and implement it in compliance with the following rules:

• Informing employees
• Consult the CSE
• Register the system with the CNIL

Penalties for non-compliance

Employers who fail to meet their time and attendance obligations are liable to penalties such as fines and damages.

Overcoming constraints: scoring as a performance tool

Improving working time management

Time clocking can help employees better manage their working time by enabling them to :

• View their hours worked
• Identify peak and off-peak periods
• Anticipating human resources needs

Promoting communication and collaboration

It can be used for :

• Communicating work schedules
• Monitor project progress
• Identify coordination problems

Identify training and skills development needs

Pointage can help identify employees' training needs by :

• Analyzing discrepancies between planned and actual times
• Identifying the most time-consuming tasks
• Detecting frequent errors

Making scoring a shared tool: towards improved collaboration

Involving employees

It's important to involve employees in the choice of time-clock system and in defining the rules for its use. This will ensure that they buy into the tool and prevent conflicts.

Promoting transparency and communication

It's important to communicate clearly about the objectives of time and attendance and the data collected. This helps to allay employees' concerns and build a relationship of trust.

Using score data to build a constructive dialogue

Time and attendance data can be used to build a constructive dialogue between employees and the company on subjects such as :

• Work organization
• Managing break times
• Distribution of tasks

When it comes to monitoring working hours, digital time and attendance solutions are the ideal tools for immediate data feedback.

Digital time & attendance solutions

The different types of solutions

There are many types of digital time and attendance solutions, such as :

• Electronic time sheets
• Mobile applications
• Working time management software

The benefits of digital solutions

Digital time and attendance solutions offer many advantages, such as :

• Simplified check-in
• Reducing errors
• Data security
• Improving communication
• Real-time monitoring of working hours

Remote management and communication solutions by SENEF

SENEF offers a complete range of remote management and communication solutions to meet the specific needs of each company. These digital solutions facilitate the implementation of time & attendance and optimize its use.

SENEF time & attendance solutions

SENEF offers remote time & attendance solutions for all service companies: Mobiclean for cleaning companies, Mobisap for personal services companies and Mobisafe for security / guarding companies.

Its pointing applications are simple and intuitive. They are ideal for small, medium and large companies. It enables employees to clock in, out and break times in just a few clicks. Managers can then access clocking data in real time and generate reports with ease.

They offer a wide range of functionalities, thanks to data feedback to our ERP systems. These include management of collective and individual schedules, automatic calculation of overtime, and generation of detailed reports.

The benefits of SENEF solutions

SENEF solutions offer a number of advantages that benefit both employers and employees:

• Ease of use: SENEF solutions are designed to be easy to use, even for users unfamiliar with the technology.
• Reliability: SENEF guarantees the reliability of its solutions thanks to secure infrastructures and ongoing maintenance.
• Security: Data is stored securely and complies with current data protection regulations (RGPD).
• Flexibility: SENEF solutions are modular, adapting to the specific needs of each company.
• Scalability: SENEF solutions can evolve with your business to meet your growing needs.

SENEF: a trusted partner

SENEF is much more than just a supplier of time & attendance solutions. It's a partner you can trust to support you throughout your project.

• Personalized support: SENEF offers a personalized support service to help you choose the solution that best suits your needs and implement it smoothly.
• User training: SENEF offers training courses for your employees and managers, so that they can make the best possible use of our time and attendance solutions.
• Technical support: SENEF offers a technical support service and responsive customer support to answer your questions and solve any problems you may have.

In conclusion, time and attendance is not just a legal constraint, but an invaluable tool for improving performance and collaboration. SENEF's digital solutions simplify the monitoring of working time, transforming it into a genuine management and performance tool. By choosing SENEF as your partner, you benefit from reliable, flexible and scalable solutions, as well as personalized support throughout your project.

Women in tech and digital have played a role, albeit an often overlooked one. From visionary pioneers to contemporary experts, their impact is undeniable. However, despite the significant contributions of women such as Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper and Hedy Lamarr, the tech sector remains largely male-dominated. Indeed, only 24% of jobs in the digital professions are held by women.

Let's take a look at the current situation, persistent challenges and initiatives to promote the presence of women in this essential field of Tech.

The historic role of women in Tech and Digital

Let's take a look back at the pioneering women who paved the way in technology. In 1843, Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm, laying the foundations of modern computing. Grace Hopper, a computer scientist in the US Navy, revolutionized the field by inventing the first compiler. And who would have thought that actress Hedy Lamarr would also be a major inventor, contributing to the development of Wi-Fi? These women have opened doors and inspired future generations to push back the boundaries of innovation.

The current situation of women in Tech

Despite these historic achievements, women remain vastly under-represented in today's technology sector. Each passing year seems to reproduce the same patterns. French and European technology companies continue to suffer from a glaring lack of female representation. According to the "More Women in Tech" study conducted by McKinsey, the average share of women in this sector barely reached 22% in 2022 within the 27 countries of the European Union. In France, just 14 of the 120 FrenchTech start-ups and scale-ups are headed or founded by women, and none are at the helm of a Next 40 company.

The reasons for this under-representation

Gender stereotypes and unconscious bias:

Gender stereotypes and unconscious biases are major barriers from an early age. This often hinders girls' orientation towards science and technology. In the technology sector, these stereotypes persist. Creating an unwelcoming atmosphere that discourages women from committing themselves fully. What's more, unconscious biases can influence hiring and promotion decisions. This systematically puts women at a disadvantage.

Lack of female models:

The lack of female role models in the technology sector is a tangible reality. With male dominance still marked. Girls and young women can struggle to find inspirational figures to follow. This lack of female representation in management positions discourages women from aspiring to leadership roles, for lack of role models to identify with.

Difficulties reconciling work and private life:

Often associated with demanding work schedules and an intense corporate culture, this field can be difficult to reconcile with family responsibilities. This reality can discourage women from pursuing careers in this field, despite their interest and skills.

Harassment and discrimination:

More than one in two women believe they have already experienced discrimination at work. Harassment and discrimination are also a concern for women working in tech. All too often, they are the victims of inappropriate behavior and discriminatory treatment. This creates a hostile and alienating work environment. These negative experiences can affect women's well-being. But they can also discourage them from staying in the tech sector in the long term.

Initiatives to encourage women in Tech:

Here are a few initiatives that may encourage women to work in tech:

Awareness and education :

• School curricula: Integrate computer science and coding into school curricula from an early age, and offer workshops and clubs for girls.
• Awareness campaigns: Deconstructing gender stereotypes and promoting female role models in the technology sector.
• Conferences and events: Organize events to inspire and encourage women to explore technology careers.

Mentoring and support:

• Mentoring programs: Connecting women with experienced mentors to guide and support them in their careers.
• Support networks: Create networks and communities where women can connect, share experiences and get support.
• Scholarships and grants: Offering financial aid to encourage women to pursue studies and training in the tech field.

Inclusion and diversity:

• Inclusion policies: Implement inclusion and diversity policies in companies to create a more favorable working environment for women.
• Flexible working: Offering flexible working options to facilitate work-life balance.
• Anti-harassment: Implement measures to prevent and combat harassment and discrimination in the technology sector.

Examples of initiatives:

• Girls in Tech: Global organization offering mentoring, education and networking programs for women in tech.
• Women Who Code: Non-profit organization offering coding workshops and training for women.
• Anita Borg Institute: Organization committed to advancing women in technology.

SENEF: A concrete example of diversity and inclusion in Tech

SENEF is actively committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. This commitment is reflected in a corporate culture focused on equal opportunities, and in the implementation of specific policies and programs.

• An inclusive environment for all:

SENEF strives to create an inclusive working environment where women are encouraged to excel and prosper. The company takes no account of applicants' social background, and places the emphasis on human qualities, which are a considerable strength.

• Diversity and mix:

At SENEF, a large proportion of employees are women. The average age is 32, demonstrating the company's willingness to embrace generational diversity. The company is committed to respecting equal opportunities and valuing everyone's work, regardless of religion, sexual orientation or any other discriminatory criteria.

• Concrete actions for diversity:

SENEF takes concrete action to break down gender stereotypes and encourage equal opportunities. The company takes on work-study students and works closely with schools to give everyone the opportunity to enter the world of work.

• A strong commitment to society:

SENEF is also committed to sponsoring athletes such as Priscilla Gneto, Passion Propulsion and 3×3 basketball with Ermont. The company shares the values of surpassing oneself, perseverance and determination that are dear to these athletes.

Senef is also committed to supporting JIFA, the International Day of Active Women in Africa, and was present at UNESCO last June. In this way, the company aims to contribute to the emancipation of African women and the recognition of their skills and contributions.

SENEF is committed to diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. The company takes concrete action to create an inclusive working environment open to all talents, and also invests in the social fabric by supporting initiatives and causes close to its heart.