In many companies, the Order-to-Cash (O2C) process (from customer order confirmation to cash collection) is still complex, slow, with many manual steps, delay, and errors… yet incredibly strategic.
Why optimize it?
- Accelerate cash inflows
- Improve reliability and visibility
- Enhance the end-to-end customer experience
But the approach depends on your company’s size and maturity:
Small Businesses
Often rely on Excel and scattered emails (except for tech companies)
Priority: Simplify and automate repetitive actions.
Actions: Centralize and unify data with a CRM (clients, contacts, orders, products, providers, invoices…), avoid double entries, and connect existing tools for immediate gains.
Mid-Sized Companies
Priority: system integration to streamline customer and business operations.
Actions: Make CRM (Attio, HubSpot, Salesforce…) and ERP work together so sales, finance, and operations share one unified view. Automate controls, streamline invoicing, and analyze cash cycle bottlenecks.
Large Enterprises
Priority & Key to success: governance, process harmonization, and cultural change – technology alone is not enough.
Actions: Overcome cross-functional complexity: multiple teams, countries, and systems.
My advice?
Map your O2C steps, identify friction points, and improve them progressively. Small iterations deliver quick wins and sustainable impact.
Where does your organization stand in optimizing its O2C process?
What’s your biggest challenge: tools, processes, or culture?
If this resonates with you, let’s connect – I’d be happy to share insights or help assess your current O2C maturity.
==> Connect with me at jclaurent@penonpartners.com
