Every organisation
has its own specific constraints
Back-office problems are not the same for a growing SME, a multi-funder NGO and a public institution. Find here the challenges specific to your context.
The SME back-office: when growth outpaces structure
In an SME, the manager often single-handedly carries finance, HR, administration and IT. What worked at 5 employees no longer works at 20 — and the organisation loses efficiency without anyone really measuring the cost.
No real-time financial visibility
You wait for the annual close to know if your company is profitable. In between, you navigate by intuition — or rely on your accountant to alert you.
- Monthly dashboard: revenue, margin, cash flow, working capital
- 6-month rolling cash flow forecast
- Budget monitoring with variance analysis
- Financial literacy training for management
You read your financial position every month. You anticipate cash tensions — you no longer suffer them.
Dependency on a single key person
One employee holds all operational knowledge: passwords, suppliers, procedures. Their departure or absence creates an immediate breakdown.
- Mapping of critical processes and held knowledge
- Documented and shared operational procedures
- Backup plan for key functions
- Cross-training of teams
The organisation operates even during absences. The risk of breakdown is eliminated.
Under-used tools or blocked ERP migration
Your management software is paid monthly, but used at only 20% of its capacity. Or you need to migrate and integrators sell you their solution before understanding your needs.
- Audit of your current tools vs. real needs
- Functional specifications (if migration needed)
- Neutral evaluation of solutions: Crésus, WinEur, Odoo, Dolibarr…
- End-to-end migration management
You get value from what you already have — or migrate to what truly suits you, without surprises.
Unclear roles, absent governance
No job descriptions, no organisational chart, decisions made without a clear framework. In the event of conflict, absence or growth, the organisation wobbles.
- Job descriptions and role definitions
- Delegation matrix and decision-making process
- Employment contracts compliant with Swiss Code of Obligations
- Documented absence and backup management
Everyone knows what they do and how far their authority extends. Role conflicts disappear.
What this changes for an SME
- Better manage margin and cash flow — month by month, not just at year-end
- Hire or delegate without carrying everything alone — thanks to documented processes
- Approach your bank, investors or partners with solid numbers
- Grow the business without the back-office becoming a brake
Common triggers among our SME clients:
Figures arrive too late to correct the trajectory.
The admin-finance manager leaves — and nobody knows how to take over.
The team doubled in 18 months. Tools and processes have not kept up.
The current software can no longer cope — but how to choose the next one?
The bank asks for a cash flow plan and you don't know where to start.
Hiring someone for the back-office first requires knowing what they need to do.
The back-office serving the mission — not obstructing it
In an NGO or foundation, the back-office is often under-resourced relative to the real stakes: funder accountability, multi-site coordination, institutional compliance, fund governance. An administrative gap can jeopardise entire funding streams.
Financial reports and accountability
Your funders (EU, Confederation, private foundations) require precise financial reports, on time, with impeccable traceability. Producing these reports mobilises too many internal resources.
- Fund tracking by funder and project
- Budget reconciliation: actual expenditure / allocations
- Institutional financial report templates
- Finance team training on restricted fund management
Your funder audits go smoothly. Your funding is renewed. Your team is autonomous.
Multi-country financial consolidation
You manage programmes in multiple countries or cantons, with local teams working on different systems. Consolidating a global financial view is a monthly headache.
- Consolidated multi-entity reporting architecture
- Harmonisation of chart of accounts and procedures
- Training for local finance managers
- Consolidated tracking dashboards
A global financial view available every month. Strategic decisions are based on reliable consolidated data.
Structuring operational governance
Your Foundation Board or Committee demands better risk management, more structured reporting and stronger traceability. The secretariat-general is under pressure.
- Operational governance framework
- Minutes, delegations, documented decision processes
- Structured management report for the Board
- Operational risk management plan
Your Board is reassured. Decisions are traceable. Risks are identified and covered.
Securing critical knowledge
The administrative director goes on maternity leave. The finance coordinator resigns. Nobody else masters the procedures, access, funder contacts.
- Audit of critical knowledge held by key individuals
- Documentation of essential operational procedures
- Continuity and backup plan
- Cross-training of teams
The organisation runs even during extended absences. The mission is not endangered by an HR contingency.
What this changes for an NGO / Foundation
- Better consolidate and report — without mobilising the whole team for every funder report
- Reassure the Foundation Board or Committee with traceable, documented governance
- Reduce the risk of institutional non-compliance that can block funding
- Allow the team to focus on the mission — not on survival administration
Common triggers among our NGO clients:
An institutional funder imposes reporting standards the organisation does not yet have.
The auditor arrives in 3 months and the files are not in order.
The Foundation Board demands more rigour and transparency in management.
The organisation opens a programme in a new country or canton.
The finance manager leaves — taking 10 years of undocumented knowledge with them.
A funder flags anomalies in an interim report.
Service continuity, traceability, risk reduction
Public and para-public institutions face specific constraints: long validation circuits, traceability requirements, mandatory documentation, and transparency obligations. The back-office must be beyond reproach — not just functional.
Service continuity and risk reduction
The departure of an administrative manager or finance officer weakens all operations. Procedures exist, but they are in people's heads — not in accessible documents.
- Mapping of critical functions and required backups
- Documentation of key operational procedures
- Operational business continuity plan
- Team training on documented procedures
Service continuity is guaranteed regardless of HR situation. No critical procedure depends on a single person.
Securing delegations and circuits
Signing delegations, approval circuits and responsibilities are not formalised or are outdated. In case of audit or dispute, traceability is insufficient.
- Formalisation of authority and signing delegations
- Mapping of approval circuits
- Update of internal texts (regulations, job descriptions)
- Compliance audit: practices vs. cantonal legal framework
Delegations are clear, up to date and enforceable. Any inspection or audit proceeds without surprises.
Budget management and internal reporting
Budget tracking by cost centre or department is partial, delayed or hard to read for non-financial managers. Budget decisions are made without current data.
- Monthly budget tracking by cost centre
- Dashboards adapted for department heads
- Structured reporting for management and governing bodies
- Budget literacy training for managers
Each department head manages their budget in real time. Budget decisions are based on current data.
Interim management and stabilisation
An unexpected departure, a reorganisation, an operational crisis. Senior management needs immediate support and a stabilisation plan — without waiting for recruitment to be finalised.
- Immediate takeover of critical back-office operations
- Complete situation review in 30 days
- Documented stabilisation plan from the first week
- Support for recruitment and handover to the successor
The institution regains operational stability quickly. The transition to the successor is organised and documented.
What this changes for an institution
- Better secure governance and flows — for any inspection or audit without emergency preparation
- Ensure service continuity regardless of HR or organisational situation
- Have operational documentation usable by any trained agent
- Reduce the risk of non-compliance with cantonal legal and regulatory requirements
Common triggers among our institutional clients:
Service merger, new management, restructuring of scope.
The Finance Control or a supervisory body flags deficiencies.
The secretary-general or CFO leaves without a succession plan.
A new cantonal provision requires an update to internal procedures.
A system change affects several departments simultaneously.
A parliamentary question or press article requires a rapid, documented response.
When urgency cannot wait
Some situations do not allow for a tender process or recruitment procedure. AGICA can take over a critical function within a few days — and put a stabilisation plan in place from the first week.
Immediate back-office takeover
An unexpected departure, extended incapacity, governance crisis. Administrative and financial operations have no pilot — and stakeholders expect answers.
- Available within 48h
- Complete situation review in 30 days
- Documented stabilisation plan from the first week
- Regular reporting to management and governing bodies
- Exit plan and organised handover to successor
The organisation regains operational stability quickly — without lasting dependency.
Emergency financial stabilisation
Cash flow breakdown, mounting unpaid invoices, banking pressure, unanticipated overdraft. The financial situation demands immediate intervention and concrete measures.
- Emergency financial diagnosis in 5 days
- Short-term cash plan and immediate measures
- Negotiation with banking partners if needed
- 90-day recovery plan
- Weekly reporting to management
The situation is stabilised. Management regains control with data and a clear plan.
Emergency situation? Contact us directly.
Available within 48h. Free initial call to assess the situation.