CEGID + PHC: Integration into the management program with ambitious targets for market leadership – business

A January 20, 2025 CEGID announced the purchase of all PHC business programsPractical news surprised the market as well as company employees, but it was prepared for several months. The values ​​were not revealed, and In an interview with Sapo Tek, Josep Maria Ravercós and João Sampaio, respectively, the CEO of Small and Medium Company and accredited accountants from CEGID in Portugal and Africa and General Manager of PHC business programs explains that it is a “great process”It was carefully prepared and also had different stages of communications preparation, especially with PHC employees, partners and customers, with a message of calm.

Possible sale rumors of the software house that was created in 1989 were already operating on the market, but without expecting who will be the buyer. “Joao Sampaio said: “PHC was the last independent program,” explaining that this culture was part of the DNA From the company that has always taken ambition. The company was established by Ricardo Barrera when she was only 23 years old and the manager remained as an executive head to the saleSubmitting A vision of extraordinary management in Portugal And prepare the transition from work.

“Now we have a new fact, with The benefit of merging a large European player Joao Sampaio, who took over the position of general director, says:

The “dating” between the company began in May, but in this process there was many “grooms” who wanted to marry PHC. The reputation of the software house and its location in the Portuguese market and Africa Lucovona makes it more delicious, and its administrative solutions are identified through a wide range of products and the ability to adapt, as well as the ability to support critical areas in small and medium -sized companies from different sectors.

“During 35 years, PHC was not damaged,” said Joao Sampaio.

From competitors to partners

Buying companies is not new CEGID that in the past three years has bought 23 companies, including Primavera BSS2021. This was The first Portuguese company was obtained by Oakley Capital in the context of its investment strategy in the Iberian marketAs she had 8 Spanish companies, followed moral Who joined him shortly after the corporate portfolio that seized the Spring Group brand. Recently, he also bought EBP in France, Microdata in Spain, and signed an exclusive agreement to buy Sevdesk in Germany.

“This company lives with great intensity in two to three years. See what is the integration of different culture and management companies, different markets (…) For us, it is not a new process, but it was surprising that it happened with PHC. “

Work with PHC was “difficult negotiations, to ask the shareholders, but with a happy result for us”, JM RAVENCós, who was 18 years old in Al -Hakim, justified the integration of the spring group in 2022.

“Last year, we were very aware of the PhC. We wanted to strengthen our site as a leader with the integration of a symbolic company and with unusual productsHe indicates that “we appreciate talent, energy and sympathy here. “

The ambition of the leadership of the Iberian short market is clear, and the integration of PHC is useful. At the time of the interview, it was 20 days of the official announcement, although agreeing to business was presented in December. JM RAVENCós guarantees that there be a special alignment and sympathy and that “the merger occurred quickly and successfully”, in proportion to the ideas that were also clear during the joint interview.

“This integration will be the most kind, and I am almost sure,” says CEGID. “We still start, but we really realize that there are many talents, and that the team has many soft skills, motivation and leadership, which will help in this process.”

Growth

Technology created in France Add the story of 23 companies that have been combined in recent years, where is the Portuguese, ECTADATA, Spring BSS and PHC now. The international ambition leads the business management solutions market for financial professionals (treasury, taxes and ERP), human resources (salary treatment and talent management), accounting, retail and entrepreneurship, with a cloud business model.

The numbers show the company’s coverage, with 750,000 customers, 5,000 employees and solutions in 130 countries. By 2023, the rotation rate recorded by the company led by Pascal Houillon 852 million euros, but by 2024, values ​​grow again.

With 35 years in the market, PHC has offices in Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, Mapoto and Lwinda, and it has 260 employees, after it has recorded sales of 17.6 million euros by 2023. The company’s distribution network includes more than 315 accredited partners, with 170,000 users in about 37,000 customer companies.

Josep Maria Ravenco was accompanied by the various operations of integration in CEGID and admits that this brought learning, as well as the ability to evaluate the best way to collect the best companies.

“One of my jobs is to determine the value of value to integrate into the company, and in May he suggested purchasing PHC,” says Josep Maria Raviftos.

Initially, the proposal was not well acceptable with the administration in France, but the analysis showed that the merger would be very useful and complementary into the products and in the market.

“PHC has impressive brands of brands in the market,” it justifies. This brand that CEGID wants to protect as active, as happened to other acquired companiesPass the products in a transition period in the approved names, as well as in the position and interface of the products.

João Sampaio explains that a working group has already been created for a comprehensive analysis of the portfolio and functionWhich brings an additional value to customers in the method of analyzing information quickly and the most important indicators are displayed. “It is a proper decision to make,” says PHC’s general manager of the business company.

Technology for the future

The small and medium market faces the various challenges that CEGID and PHC are not underestimated, highlighting the need for the management program to be an easy and intuitive tool. “Josep Maria Ravenkose says, noting that they do not have to be professional managers who have accountability and those who have to focus on businesses.. Here artificial intelligence can provide an important assistance in the tools that support the development of small and small companies, with technology that was previously accessible to the largest companies only.

Although the differences between the Portuguese and Spanish market are aware, he remembers that there are important leaps in digitization of operations, but they still lack more digital maturity. For the executive authority, it was important for the government to benefit from European funds to invest in the country’s modernization.

Looking at the future, Josep Maria Ravenies emphasizes the ambition of continuing to grow. how far? “There is no ceiling,” he admits, saying that the purpose of shareholders is to continue to invest And that there is always a group of “radar” companies that will be purchased. Without names, CEGID officials say it depends on this moment, circumstances and prices naturally, and that focusing on companies that have technology that is not in their current wallet.

However, you do not want to take care of the entire competition. Also because it is good to have challenges to compete, which allows the company to always work to be better.

“We are not in a market domination, but we have an ambition to be leaders,” says Josep Maria Raviftos.

In 2025, the global rotation goal is $ 1.1 billion, taking into account already integrated companies. Without disclosing numbers for Portugal, Josep Maria Ravenkose says that the purpose of bills in the Iberia, Africa and Latin America is 225 million, with two growth.