Tips, Tricks & News
Stay up-to-date with the latest industry news and learn new tips and tricks to RESET your business thinking, helping you to become a data GENIUS.
How SMEs Identify Spending Inefficiencies Using Data
Most SMEs already have spending inefficiencies. They just can’t see them. And that’s the problem. What’s Actually Happening In most SMEs, spend is spread across: multiple suppliers different systems spreadsheets and reports disconnected teams Finance...
Why SMEs Are Turning to Fractional Procurement Directors in 2026
Why are SMEs turning to Fractional Procurement Directors during this period of Global volatility? Many SMEs are now turning to fractional procurement directors and procurement advisory support to help navigate increasing cost pressure and supply chain uncertainty....
Procurement Solutions Are Not the Answer, And Why SMEs Still Struggle
Most SMEs don’t struggle because of procurement. They struggle because they can’t clearly see what’s driving cost, stock, and performance. That’s why so many procurement solutions for SMEs fail to deliver lasting results. What Is Actually Happening When margins...
The Data Is There… So Why Are Decisions Still Based on Guesswork?
Most SME businesses don’t have a data problem. They have a visibility problem. Walk into almost any growing SME and you’ll find the same thing: An ERP system A finance system Reports being produced every week or month On the surface, it looks like everything is in...
The stock imbalance no one owns in manufacturing businesses
Most manufacturing businesses don’t think they have a stock problem. Yes, stock might feel a bit high. Yes, cash is tighter than it should be. But nothing looks obviously broken. And yet, somehow, there’s always too much of the wrong stock… and not enough of the right...
The division they thought was most profitable… wasn’t
A manufacturing business we worked with was confident they understood where profit was being made. There was no obvious problem. The business was performing. But something didn’t quite add up. One division had always been seen as the strongest performer. It had the...
The Hidden Cost of Poor Business Data in Growing SMEs
Last year I walked into a manufacturing business where the management team were debating stock levels. One report showed target stock levels. Another showed actual stock levels. And a spreadsheet built that tried to knot this together with sales data. This lead to...
Procurement Is Not a Cost Centre. It’s a Margin Lever.
In many SME manufacturing businesses, procurement is still treated as a transactional function. Raise purchase orders. Chase deliveries. Manage shortages. Important, yes. Strategic, rarely. That mindset quietly leaves margin on the table. Procurement’s Hidden...
Why Most SME Manufacturers Don’t Really Know Their True Margin
Every SME manufacturer believes they understand their margins. They have management accounts. They have a P&L. They know turnover. They know gross profit. But ask a different question: Which products genuinely generate margin? Which customers dilute it? Which...
Supply Chain Risks in 2026: Why Clarity and Insight Are Non-Negotiables
Supply chains are entering 2026 under a mix of structural complexity and ongoing uncertainty. Retailers and manufacturers alike are bracing for pressures that go beyond the typical ups and downs of demand and supply — and these pressures are forcing leaders to rethink...
How Data Clarity Changes the Way Leaders Make Decisions
In many growing SMEs, leadership meetings begin the same way. “Are these numbers right?” “Which version are we looking at?” “Can we just double-check that?” Before decisions are discussed, time is spent validating the data. This is rarely because leaders lack...
The Hidden Cost of Spreadsheet-Driven Reporting
Spreadsheets are deeply embedded in how most SMEs report and make decisions. They sit between systems, pull information together, and often provide the answers leaders rely on. In many businesses, spreadsheets are not just a tool. They are the reporting layer. The...