FILLING A TEMPORARY NEED IS A PLUG-AND-PLAY STORY
Henri Collin has been a finance consultant at hyphen since March 2022. With a background in audit and supported by the training courses provided by hyphen, Henri brings the necessary knowledge to his current client. At the same time, he gains experience there, which he then takes back to the next project. "This keeps my learning curve sufficiently steep. That accumulated expertise is the added value of a consultant."
With over 100 freelancers and 30 consultants, hyphen guarantees the continuity of the finance function at companies. If a financial director goes on maternity leave, a finance controller is on long-term sick leave or a company is looking for reinforcement to bridge a certain period, a specialised consultant from hyphen provides a flexible solution. In addition, consultants also facilitate or lead specific finance processes. Such as the implementation of a new BI tool or the development of a finance framework. A wide range of possibilities for unburdening the finance function.
Specific business needs
"What also often happens is that a company is temporarily looking for specific expertise," says Henri. "We offer a solution for that too. That could be an accountant, but just as easily a specialist around big data, BI or AI. These are often areas where an internal team does not have in-depth knowledge. External input makes the difference there." Henri currently works at Van de Velde Packaging, a fast-growing family-owned company in the packaging industry. The company has a strong buy-and-build strategy, so the pressure on reporting is enormous. "Van de Velde invested in the tool LucaNet to optimise reporting, and I was given the opportunity to train myself immediately. I came on board, partly to integrate the new acquisitions into reporting."
Exchange knowledge
When a client asks to extend the cooperation with the consultant, hyphen tunes in with the consultant to see what he/her has in mind. "We get a lot of say in the projects but naturally also give our full commitment," says Henri. "At my current client, I can transfer my expertise to the fullest and get at least as much knowledge in return. Perhaps my next assignment will be with a larger company, where I will learn a lot in a new role myself. This is how I build up expertise that I then take to the next client. That expertise is ultimately the great added value of a consultant." It is exactly that approach Henri was looking for at hyphen. "I worked in audit for almost eight years, so routine crept into the job. I became a consultant because I prefer projects with concrete deliverables. I like to regularly work in a new environment and have contact with different people. This keeps my learning curve steep."
A fresh perspective and extensive network
"Even though the aim is often to offer continuity in the finance team, as an external contributor you still look at the existing operation with a fresh perspective," Henri adds. "For example, a consultant can help increase the efficiency of a process and look at improvements, which really add value." Hyphen invests in the development of hard and soft skills of its consultants, and checks whether a project fits with the consultant's training path. For instance, the assignment at the packaging company was a good fit for Henri. "I constantly get the chance to attend various training courses through hyphen," he says. And when the client has questions that the consultant does not immediately have an answer to, the consultant can consult his colleagues at hyphen. "So as a client, you actually don't just work with one consultant from hyphen, you get the expertise of the extensive network on top of it."
