Philippe Conticini

A challenge: modernize management while preserving the craft industry

Before adopting Inpulse, order, stock and margin management relied on Google Sheet files, resulting in frequent malfunctions. Manual data entry led to errors in order quantities, resulting in unsold stock and stock-outs. Coordination between the stores and the laboratory was complex, and these limitations had a direct impact on the production chain, weighing down the teams' workload.

To meet these challenges, the House chose Inpulse, an integrated tool capable of improving every stage of production. Integration with Lightspeed, the company's cash management system, enabled full automation of orders and precise margin analysis. This innovation has profoundly transformed the organization.

Controlling production costs: a key challenge in haute pâtisserie

In the demanding world of haute pâtisserie, where margins are considerably lower than in other luxury sectors, cost control is a crucial strategic issue. For Maison Philippe Conticini, this means monitoring the day-to-day evolution of prices for raw materials such as chocolate, cocoa and flour, which are subject to wide fluctuations. Thanks to Inpulse, this aspect is now simplified: the software interconnects directly with its suppliers, automating part of the process and reducing the workload of its teams, particularly in the production laboratory.

Raw materials, human resources and rent are our "workhorses", the three main expense items we analyze with great rigor. With Inpulse, you can react quickly to rising costs, adjust your selling prices, or, in some cases, take radical decisions, such as temporarily discontinuing products that have become unprofitable. This responsiveness is essential to maintain economic viability in a sector in which every product is shaped by hand, just-in-time and without stock, to guarantee impeccable freshness and quality.

In contrast to the high-margin standards of the luxury sector, haute pâtisserie artisanale has to deal with much tighter margins. Thanks to Inpulse, this delicate balance between artisanal excellence and economic optimization is now better mastered, enabling Maison Philippe Conticini to remain true to its values while ensuring rigorous financial management.

A clear view of margins for better financial management

One of the most significant changes Inpulse has brought to Maison Philippe Conticini is the shift from a sales-driven approach to margin-based management. Indeed, focusing solely on sales is a strategic error, as it prevents effective planning of future investments and correct calculation of working capital requirements (WCR). Inpulse automatically recovers sales data, enabling precise calculation of margins on raw material costs.

This margin-oriented vision offers several strategic advantages. It enables us to better anticipate investment capacity, particularly for key periods such as December and January, which account for a major share of annual sales. What's more, it gives us the tools to manage seasonal variations and smooth out our financial vision over a full year, thus avoiding the cash flow tensions associated with a "piecemeal" approach. This approach also facilitates discussions with banks or investors, thanks to the possibility of rational argumentation backed up by reliable data.

Inpulse represents real added value for the Maison: by aligning production with actual needs, it can reduce unnecessary marginal costs and avoid producing cakes that won't sell. This move to a more structured methodology strengthens overall financial management and team efficiency, consolidating Maison Philippe Conticini's position as a leader in high-end patisserie.

A societal commitment to limiting food waste and respecting craftsmanship

Each cake represents much more than just a product. When a dessert is thrown away at the end of the day, a whole ecosystem of work, passion and resources is wasted:electricity,water, the efforts invested by the teams, and even the budgets allocated to marketing and communication. La Maison Philippe Conticini, driven by a profound desire to limit this waste, has made this approach one of its core values.

Each patisserie is the fruit of the rigorous work of enthusiasts who get up, sometimes as early as 2 or 3 in the morning, to guarantee the freshness and quality of the products in the store. These creations, crafted with almost artistic precision, are much more than desserts: they embody a unique savoir-faire.

To throw away these creations, veritable little works of art, is to ignore the dedication of these craftsmen. That's why process optimization, thanks to Inpulse, takes on its full meaning: producing just what's needed, to meet demand, while honoring the quality and work invested, and minimizing waste. This approach reaffirms Maison Philippe Conticini's role as a responsible and respectful player in French gastronomy.

A transformation: the impact of Inpulse on teams

Order form management, previously a time-consuming and error-prone task, was simplified and automated. Store teams quickly realized the benefits of the tool: no more need to manipulate complex files where the deletion of a formula or a wrong entry could lead to major disruptions, such as forgotten or erroneous orders.

The implementation of Inpulse has had a positive effect on internal relations, particularly between the production laboratory and the boutiques. By automating processes and making them factual and transparent, the tool has empowered each department. Production teams can ensure that their outputs match actual orders, while boutiques can rely on reliable forecasts to avoid inflating or underestimating their needs. This clarity has helped to ease potential tensions, especially during busy periods such as December and January, which account for up to 35% of annual sales.

By providing a centralized, non-debatable database, Inpulse brings operational serenity. Discussions are now based on precise facts, limiting the misunderstandings and conflicts that can arise under the pressure of annual targets.