Publications

The Italian Supply Chain Finance market is one of the biggest in Europe: how can financiers serve an interesting sector such as that of SMBs? What role does technology play in this environment?

Collaborations between banks, technology providers, trade associations, logistics providers and fintech companies are multiplying, new technologies are spreading, such as Blockchain, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence and the use of innovative solutions is gaining in strength. In Italy, Supply Chain Finance - the set of working capital financing solutions that can leverage the role of companies within the supply chain - is now a well-established ecosystem that involves many players, offers concrete opportunities for financing companies and is also becoming accessible to SMBs.

Despite the economic upturn, Italy still has the dubious honour of having the largest potential market for Supply Chain Finance in Europe. How is the market (potential and served) for SCF solutions evolving in Italy and in Europe? What business models do the new startups in the sector use? How can new players, such as logistics service providers, find business opportunities in SCF? What is the evolutionary outlook for SCF, considering the impact of digital innovation?

There are new, innovative solutions appearing on the market, how do I choose the best one for my business? What role do new participants, such as logistics service providers, play? Technology for SCF: is it an enabler, or a strategic component? What are the current trends, in what directions are things evolving?

The Italian context appears to be extremely attractive for the Supply Chain Finance market, especially due to the outstanding amount of working capital of Italian companies. However, some elements of investigation are necessary. Who are different actors that are entering this world? Which are their business models? Which are the costs and benefits of SCF solutions? How does a company choose the best solution for their suppliers? Which are the different sources of information that need to be taken into account when implementing a SCF solution?

What is the value of the Net Operating Working Capital of Italian companies? How is it broken down? What is the cash to cash value of Italian companies? What is it composed of? What does it look like when compared to the European situation? What is the Value of the SCF potential and served markets? What approach do startups have to SCF?

A big gap exists between the real world of business and financial word and this is an issue especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEBs), looking for new liquidity and credit access opportunities. But which are the main existing Supply Chain Finance solutions? What is the real value of the Supply Chain Finance market in Italy? Who are the main providers and how is the Italian situation compared to other countries?

Supply Chain Finance is a combination of solutions enabling companies to fund their Working Capital leveraging the position within the Supply Chain they operate in and relationships with other supply chain players.