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Zalaris

Quarterly Report Oct 30, 2019

3795_rns_2019-10-30_580ad2ec-5921-4294-83d0-585c8a711bc4.pdf

Quarterly Report

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Interim Report Q3 2019

  • Revenues of NOK 190.7 million, EBIT of NOK 4.8 million (2.5%) and EBIT adjusted of NOK 5.8 million (3.0%)
  • Quarterly results coming in strong, despite the usual seasonal variations due to summer vacation impacts on activity level
  • EBIT-improvement initiatives launched according to plan during the quarter
  • Cost size measurements relating to rightsizing, co-location and other cost reduction activities have been executed on during the quarter. The effect on reported figures will not be seen until Q1-2020

"Preparing to enter 2020 on a strengthened trajectory with renewed capacity, a more optimized cost structure and sharper overall focus on customer value, service and business growth"

In Q3-19, our operating revenues increased to NOK 190.7 million, up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Adjusted EBIT for the period improved to NOK 5.8 million as margin in the quarter rose to 3.0% from -3.1% in the same quarter last year.

EBIT program driving margin improvements Vision 2020 – our EBIT improvement program communicated in May targeting monthly cost reductions of 4.7 million by Q1-20 – has refocused #teamZalaris, and we are in the process of becoming stronger and more agile.

Key initiatives are being executed to strengthen our market-facing capacity and significantly reduce costs. Our cost reducing initiatives includes consolidating functions, reducing physical locations, rightsizing support functions, and refocusing more internally oriented roles to market-facing responsibilities. Approximately 100 employees – or 12.5% of our workforce – are impacted by these changes. About half of the affected positions will be rehired in other locations or in additional marketfacing capacities, with a net downsizing of approximately 6% of our Q1-19 employee base.

Our project consolidating internal IT infrastructure is also well underway to enable one fully unified and consolidated customer-facing platform. Q1-20 completion is anticipated, with the goal of giving Zalaris greater overall market-driven capabilities in a more cost-effective manner.

Most of the planned activities related to supplier consolidation and re-negotiation with 3rd parties have been completed and will start showing an effect from Q4-19. In parallel, we have ramped up several activities focusing on further digitizing and automating our services to increase quality and

reduce costs. In addition to our established digitizing efforts, powered by our integrated SAP infrastructure, we are increasing our implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) projects.

Market wins reinforce strong position in attractive Payroll/HR tech market

One of the keys in meeting our objective to increase margins beyond our target, is focused organic growth in market segments where we can best utilize existing capacity and scale.

In the UK and Ireland, we closed our first local Managed Services deals with Barden and ABB, representing another milestone for Zalaris.

We continued to see the effects of the strong Central European market throughout the quarter. In Germany, we reported five customer contract signings during the quarter which include renowned companies such as Dräger and Eurowings. The total estimated contract value of these contracts amounts to EUR 3 million and is distributed 50:50 on renewals and new orders. In stronger market conditions, renewals are done at better pricing with higher margins for both our Managed Services and Professional Services businesses. In Poland, our professional services business is experiencing strong demand resulting in a healthy pipeline and 9% revenues growth in Q3 YTD.

In Northern Europe, we secured agreements for expanding services with existing customers to cover mobile and new HR cloud functionality. In addition, we continued developing our pipeline with opportunities in various stages of the sales cycle.

In parallel with driving margin improvements, we are focusing marketing and sales with the goal of making 2019 our 19 th year of uninterrupted growth. This will prepare us to enter 2020 on a strengthened trajectory with renewed capacity, a more optimized cost structure and sharper overall focus on customer value, service and business growth.

  • Hans-Petter Mellerud, CEO

Financial Review

2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
All figures in NOK 1 000 Q3 Q3 YTD YTD FY
Revenue 190,672 176,275 570,571 551,281 745,434
Growth (Year-over-year) 8.2 % 17.1 % 3.5 % 60.8 % 29.1 %
EBITDA adjusted1) 29,654 10,175 83,826 54,478 80,496
as % of revenue 15.6 % 5.8 % 14.7 % 9.9 % 10.8 %
EBIT adjusted1) 5,814 (5,500) 16,708 7,300 17,339
as % of revenue 3.0 % -3.1 % 2.9 % 1.3 % 2.3 %
Profit before tax (9,324) (8,548) (6,001) 5,073 (4,161)
Profit for the period (6,642) (7,307) (3,702) 2,951 (1,273)
Total comprehensive Income 1,085 (10,176) (3,382) (11,629) 815
Earnings Per Share (EPS)1) (0.31) (0.36) (0.17) 0.15 (0.05)
Net cash from Operating Activities 8,848 8,386 (8,216) 8,947 5,200
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) - period average 801 777 804 780 785

1) Defined in separate section Alternative Performance Measure (APM) Reference to APM

Group Revenues

Revenues for Q3-19 amounted to NOK 190.7 million which is a growth of 8.2% compared with Q3 last year. Managed Services in Northern Europe is the main driver of this increase.

Nordics & Baltics

Revenues for Q3-19 grew by 7.4% compared to Q3- 18, amounting to NOK 106.3 million. Strong growth in revenues mainly driven by new sales in Managed Services and large contracts with amongst other Aker BP, DnB, Carlsberg and Aker Energy.

Revenues YTD-19 amounted to 327 million up from NOK 315 million in YTD Sep-18 showing a growth rate of 3.8%.

Central Europe

Revenues for the third quarter amounted to NOK 77.3 million compared to NOK 71.5 million in the same quarter last year. The increase in revenues from last year was driven by improved utilization and enhanced focus on market facing activities.

New contracts signed in the quarter, include multiple year contracts with customers within public sector, securing long term recurring revenues.

UK & Ireland

Revenues in Q3-19 amounted to NOK 7.1 million, up from NOK 5.9 million in Q3-18.

Revenue increase has been driven by new sales and increased scope of work for existing customers.

Group Profits

EBIT for the quarter was NOK 4.8 million compared to NOK -5.5 million for the same quarter last year. EBIT and EBIT margin for the first nine months of the year amounted to NOK 15.7 million and 2.7% respectively. Comparable numbers for the same period last year were NOK 7.3 million and 1.3%.

Cost saving initiatives were implemented in all regions which margin wise are expected to materialize mainly in Q4-19 and Q1-20.UK & Ireland showed a 5% cost reduction compared to previous quarter and 10% compared to Q1-19.

For Northern Europe the largest cost reduction during Q3-19 was seen in Denmark, where 10% EBIT improvement compared to Q3-18.

Rationalizing of operations in Baltics resulted in one-time redundancy costs in Q3-19. Thus, the recurring and underlying EBIT impact of this initiative will first yield result in Q4-19 and onwards.

Segment information

Revenues

Managed Services

The Managed Services segment contributed to 70.8% of the total revenue in Q3-19, slightly lower proportion of the product mix than in previous quarters. Revenues in Q3-19 amounted to NOK 135 million, up from NOK 131.5 million in Q3-18, equal to 2.6% growth in this segment.

This growth is mainly fuelled by increased activity in the Nordics and new customer contracts with Aker BP, DNB, Aker Energy.

In Germany new sales and contract extensions are signed with approximate value EUR 2 million with Eurowings and Dräger as biggest contributors.

There is also high demand for Success Factors services in the Polish market, where the scope of delivered projects has increased substantially compared to the same quarter last year.

UK & Ireland delivering stable services and new contracts with ABB Group within HR and payroll services will ensure future growth in the region.

Professional Services

Revenues in the Professional Services segment amounted to NOK 55.7 million, up from NOK 44.8 million in the same quarter last year.

Contracts signed in Germany in Q3 will secure revenue of EUR 1 million.

Legislative changes in Polish payroll laws have generated additional revenue which is expected to increase through the end of the year.

Segment EBIT

Managed Services

Compared to Q3-18 the EBIT is up by NOK 4.8 million to NOK 14.2 million in the quarter which translates into an EBIT-margin of 10.5%.

An increased share of new customers within HR Cloud as well as more efficient delivery on large well-established customers, contribute positively to margin development within Northern Europe.

Professional Services

EBIT in the Professional Services segment amounted to NOK 8.1 million compared to NOK 0.3 million in Q3-18.

Financial position and cash flow

Total assets decreased by NOK 15.6 million compared to Q2-19 to NOK 709.1 million at 30 September 2019.

Equity increased by NOK 1.5 million compared to Q2- 19 to NOK 101.6 million at 30 September 2019.

The announced share buy-back program fulfilled during Q3-19 as per initiated targets. The equity ratio was stable at 14% during Q3-19.

Net interest bearing debt increased from NOK 308.7 million at the end of last quarter to NOK 311.0 million. The increase of net interest bearing debt is driven by repayments for M&A, operational activities and financing.

Cash and cash equivalents were NOK 64.8 million as of 30 September 2019, up from NOK 59.6 million as of 30 June 2018.

Cash from operating activities during Q3-19 was positive NOK 8.8 million including net investment

EBIT improvement program

As communicated, we have launched an EBIT improvement program – Vision2020. On the back of this program we are continuing our work in order to streamline, harmonize and simplify the organization in order to improve synergies across countries with the aim of ensuring economy of scales, profitability and reduce vulnerability. Key elements executed on during the third quarter were:

  • Consolidated Lithuanian IT & Technology operations to Riga Service Center
  • Consolidated Managed Services Operations in Lithuania and Estonia to our Riga Service Center

(Capitalized costs net of deferred revenue) in customer projects of NOK 3.3 million.

Net financial activities contributed to a negative cash flow of NOK 6.4 million in the period.

Cash balance increased during the quarter by NOK 5.2 million.

*Includes net interest payments, bank fees, and transactional charges.

  • Consolidated office locations in Germany impacting three locations
  • Consolidated Dresden SAP Application Maintenance Services (AMS) Team in Dresden into our Leipzig Service Center
  • Commenced process of organizational simplification targeting one legal entity per country resulting in the reduction of six legal entities. Reduction of three entities expected to take effect for 2019 and furthermore three entities for 2020
  • Continued reduction of overhead costs with focus on finance function. Reduction of

recurring costs expected to take gradual effect during Q4 and full P&L effect during Q1 2020.

  • Renegotiated and/or eliminated external supplier costs with effects showing in Q4-19
  • Increased utilization of our near- and offshore capabilities
  • Ongoing work focusing on reducing group overhead as % of revenue through focusing local capacity on market facing activities instead of supporting group functions.
Q3 YTD Managed Services (MS)
APAC &
Professional Services (PS)
APAC &
NE CEE UK&I NOZH Total NE CEE UK&I NOZH Total
Revenues 323,110 84,585 9,925 440 418,060 3,366 134,052 15,042 50 152,511
Contribution from operation 1) 77,842 8,013 1,200 462 87,517 - 77 37,170 6,667 - 627 43,133
Contribution from operation as % of revenue 24% 9% 12% 105% 21% -2% 28% 44% -1246% 28%
Allocated overhead 2) - 24,504 - 13,225 - 2,366 - - 40,094 - 256 - 21,145 - 3,585 - - 24,986
Allocated overhead as % of revenue -8% -16% -24% 0% -10% -8% -16% -24% 0% -16%
Segment EBIT 53,339 - 5,212 - 1,166 462 47,423 - 332 16,025 3,081 - 627 18,147
as % of revenues 17% -6% -12% 105% 11% -10% 12% 20% -1246% 12%

1) Contribution from Operations includes all revenues and costs that can directly be attributed to the segment including segment management.

2) Allocated overhead includes regional and country management, admin and business development costs.

Outlook

Substantiated in the positive development in revenues during a traditionally low season, market fundamentals for Zalaris remain advantageous. Pipeline is growing and improved focus on external market facing activities are promising. Outlook for financial year 2019 is to continue our 19 years of uninterrupted growth.

The Company's margins are expected to improve from the levels observed to date in 2019. This effect is boosted by EBIT Vision 2020 currently being implemented. Streamlining of the organization, rampup of digitizing efforts, automating services and increasing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) projects all aim at increasing quality in deliveries and reduce costs.

Cost cutting measures and improved work-flow efficiency measures allow for further reducing recurring overhead cost.

_________________________

Lars Laier Henriksen (chairman)

_________________________

Liselotte Hägertz Engstam

____________________ Jon Erik Haug

_________________________

Adele Norman Pran

_________________________

Corinna Schäfer

_________________________

Kenth Erland Eriksson

_________________________

Jan M. Koivurinta

Oslo, 29 October 2019 The Board of Directors of Zalaris ASA

This interim report was not reviewed by The Company's auditors

Interim consolidated condensed financial statements

Consolidated Statement of Profit and Loss

2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Notes Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
unaudited unaudited unaudited unaudited
Revenue 2 190,672 176,275 570,571 551,281 745,434
Operating expenses
License costs 15,238 13,620 44,071 41,856 60,492
Personell expenses 3 106,765 108,877 321,244 322,365 426,623
Other operating expenses 40,053 43,576 122,469 132,563 177,823
Depreciations and impairments 1,043 921 3,076 2,692 3,635
Amortizations rights of use assets 8 5,512 - 16,312 - -
Amortisation intangible assets 4 6,539 5,868 19,972 17,549 23,575
Amortisation implement. costs customer projects 5 10,747 8,886 27,758 26,937 35,947
Total operating expenses 185,896 181,747 554,901 543,963 728,094
Operating profit 4,776 (5,472) 15,670 7,318 17,339
Financial items
Financial income 628 1,557 1,068 2,315 9,675
Financial expense (6,667) (4,643) (22,454) (12,182) (18,442)
Unrealised foreign currency profit/loss 7 (8,060) 10 (285) 7,622 (12,734)
Net financial items (14,100) (3,076) (21,671) (2,245) (21,501)
Profit before tax (9,324) (8,548) (6,001) 5,073 (4,161)
Income tax expense
Tax expense on ordinary profit 2,682 1,241 2,299 (2,122) 2,888
Total tax expense 2,682 1,241 2,299 (2,122) 2,888
Profit for the period (6,642) (7,307) (3,702) 2,951 (1,273)

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Notes Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
unaudited unaudited unaudited unaudited
Profit for the period (6,642) (7,307) (3,702) 2,951 (1,273)
Other comprehensive income
Items that will be reclassified to profit and loss in subsequent periods
Currency translation differences 7,728 (2,869) 320 (14,581) 2,088
Total other comprehensive income 7,728 (2,869) 320 (14,581) 2,088
Total comprehensive income 1,085 (10,176) (3,382) (11,629) 815

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Notes 30. Sept 30. Sept 31. Dec
unaudited unaudited
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Intangible assets 4 136,440 143,284 143,064
Goodwill 4 152,266 144,991 151,996
Total intangible assets 288,706 288,275 295,059
Deferred tax asset 7,900 1,076 6,468
Fixed assets
Office equipment 2,129 1,593 1,737
Right-of-use assets 8 39,925 -
Property, plant and equipment 32,235 32,120 33,455
Total fixed assets 74,289 33,713 35,192
Total non-current assets 370,894 323,064 336,720
Current assets
Trade accounts receivable 5 151,377 155,465 158,118
Customer projects 5 95,970 91,778 97,272
Other short-term receivables 26,068 16,395 25,653
Cash and cash equivalents 64,812 108,645 107,844
Total current assets 338,228 372,283 388,887
TOTAL ASSETS 709,122 695,347 725,607

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Notes 30. Sept 30. Sept 31. Dec
unaudited unaudited
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
Equity
Paid-in capital
Share capital 2,012 2,012 2,012
Own shares (4,425) (6) (6)
Other paid in equity 3,165 1,860 2,061
Share premium 45,138 45,198 45,138
Total paid-in capital 45,889 49,064 49,205
Other equity (171) (2,037) (33)
Retained earnings 55,834 48,637 59,733
Equity attributable to equity holders of the parent 101,552 95,664 108,905
Total equity 101,552 95,664 108,905
Liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Deferred tax 25,022 27,555 25,776
Interest-bearing loans and borrowings 355,122 339,774 355,746
Lease liabilities 8 18,607 - -
Total long-term debt 398,751 367,329 381,522
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable 5,310 20,479 24,358
Customer projects liabilities 5 57,480 67,223 64,284
Interest-bearing loan from shareholders 7,216 7,492 7,867
Interest-bearing loans 13,521 14,339 14,817
Lease liabilities 8 21,881 -
Income tax payable 333 2,376 4,801
Public duties payable 34,276 34,933 36,517
Other short-term debt 67,107 85,511 81,655
Derivatives 1,694 882
Total short-term debt 208,818 232,353 235,180
Total liabilities 607,569 599,683 616,702
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 709,122 695,347 725,607

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow

2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Notes Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Cash Flow from operating activities unaudited unaudited unaudited unaudited
Profit (Loss) before tax (9,324) (8,548) (6,001) 5,074 (4,161)
Financial income 7,433 (1,567) (783) (2,269) 3,059
Financial costs 6,667 4,643 22,454 4,513 18,442
Stock purchase program 533 - 1,115 - 945
Depreciation and impairments 6,554 921 19,388 2,692 3,635
Amortisation intangible assets 6,539 5,868 19,972 17,549 23,575
Amortisation implementation costs customer projects 1) 5 10,747 8,886 27,758 26,937 35,947
Recognized customer projects assets 1) 5 (5,867) (2,835) (28,112) (32,539) (36,872)
Recognized customer projects liabilities 1) 5 (3,165) (6,805) 2,845 (9,203)
Taxes paid - 77 - (4,747) (4,996)
Changes in accounts receivable 11,154 1,441 6,740 2,028 (624)
Changes in accounts payable (12,009) 7,167 (19,048) (3,731) 1,503
Changes in other items 1) (3,734) (4,464) (28,192) (2,262) (14,619)
Interest received (16) 65 124 137 212
Interest paid (6,663) (3,270) (16,826) (7,280) (12,645)
Net cash flow from operating activities 8,848 8,386 (8,216) 8,947 4,195
Cash flows to investing activities
Fixed and intangible assets 2,942 (1,481) (8,408) (17,991) (21,330)
Net cash flow to investing activities 2,942 (1,481) (8,408) (17,991) (21,330)
Cash flows from financing activities
Purchase of own shares - - (4,419) - -
Transaction costs related to issuance of new shares - 273 - 765 -
Bank overdraft - (42,557) - (25,135) (25,135)
Proceeds from issue of new borrowings - 323,592 - 324,831 340,282
Payment of lease liabilities (6,276) - (18,530) -
Repayment of loan (102) (218,377) (1,682) (233,055) (244,696)
Dividend payments to owners of the parent - - - (13,020) (13,080)
Net cash flow from financing activities (6,378) 62,931 (24,630) 54,386 57,371
Net changes in cash and cash equivalents 5,412 69,835 (41,254) 45,341 40,237
Net foreign exchange difference (170) 1,365 (1,778) 512 3,851
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 59,570 37,445 107,844 62,793 62,792
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 64,812 108,646 64,812 108,646 107,844

1) Comparable 2018 numbers are restated for presentation purposes

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

Other
(NOK 1000) Share
capital
Own
shares
Share
premium
paid in
equity
Total paid
in equity
Other
equity
Retained
earnings
Total
equity
Equity at 01.01.2019 2,012 (6) 45,137 2,061 49,205 (32) 59,733 108,905
Profit of the year - (3,702) (3,702)
Other comprehensive income (11) (11) 331 320
Buyback of own shares (4,419) (4,419) (4,419)
Share based payments 1,115 1,115 1,115
Other changes - (469) (197) (666)
Equity at 30.09.2019 2,012 (4,425) 45,137 3,165 45,889 (171) 55,436 101,553
Unaudited
Equity at 01.01.2018 2,012 (6) 58,217 1,116 61,339 (2,114) 60,461 119,687
Profit of the year - 2,952 2,952
Other comprehensive income (20) (20) (14,633) (14,654)
Share based payments 765 765 765
Other changes - (65) (65)
Dividend (13,020) (13,020) (13,020)
Equity at 30.09.2018
Unaudited
2,012 (6) 45,197 1,861 49,064 (16,812) 63,413 95,665

Notes to the interim consolidated condensed financial statements

Note 1 – General Information and basis for preparation

General information

Zalaris ASA (the Group) is a public limited company incorporated in Norway. The Group's main office is located in Hovfaret 4, Oslo, Norway. The Group delivers full-service outsourced personnel and payroll services.

Zalaris' interim financial statements for the third quarter of 2019 were authorized for issue by the board of directors on 29th of October 2019.

Basis for preparation

These interim consolidated condensed financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and as adopted by the European Union (EU). The condensed consolidated interim financial statements do not include all the information and disclosures required by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for a complete set of financial statements, and these condensed interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual financial statements. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended September 2019, have not been audited or reviewed by the auditors.

The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group's annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, except from the adoption of the new standards effective as of January 1, 2019. The Group has not early adopted any other standard, interpretation or amendment that has been issued not yet effective.

The Group applies, for the first time, IFRS 16 Leases. As required by IAS 34, the nature and effect of these changes are disclosed. IFRS 16 supersedes IAS 17, IFRIC 4, SIC-15 and SIC 27. The standard sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases and requires lessees to account for most leases under a single on-balance sheet model.

The group adopted IFRS 16 using the modified retrospective method of adoption with the initial application of January 1, 2019. The group elected to use the transition practical expedient allowing the standard to be applied only to contracts that were previously identified as leases applying IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 at the date of the initial application. The group also decided to use the recognition exemptions for lease contracts that, at the commencement date, have a lease term of 12 months or less and do not contain a purchase option (short term leases), and lease contracts for which the underlying asset is of low value (low-value assets).

The effect of adopting IFRS 16 is disclosed in note 8.

Going concern

With reference to the Norwegian Accounting Act § 3-3, the Board confirms its belief that conditions exist for continuing operations and that these interim consolidated condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the going concern principle.

Note 2 – Segment Information

The Company has changed its reporting of business segments with effect from 1 January 2019. HR Outsourcing and Cloud Services have been merged into one segment now reported as Managed Services. Consulting has been renamed to Professional Services. The changes are made to improve visibility and reflect market trends, especially the increasingly overlapping sales and deliveries of HR Outsourcing and Cloud services to the same customers. Managed Services will be organized as a group wide business unit to speed growth and adaptation in key markets.

Managed services include a full range of payroll and HR outsourcing services, such as payroll processing, time and attendance, travel expenses as well as related cloud system solutions and services. This includes additional cloud-based HR functionality to existing outsourcing customers as talent management, digital personnel archive, HR analytics, mobile solutions, etc.

Professional Services is a segment that has grown significantly larger through our recent acquisitions. Professional services include deliveries of change projects based on Zalaris templates or implementation of customer-specific functionality. This business unit also assists customers with cost-effective maintenance and support of customers' own on-premise solutions. A large portion of these services are of recurring nature and much of the services are based on long-term customer relationships.

Information is organized by business area and geography. The reporting format is based on the Group's management and internal reporting structure. Items that are not allocated are mainly intercompany sales, interestbearing loans and other associated expenses and assets related to administration of the Group. The Group's key management is the chief decision maker in the Group. The investing activities comprise total expenses in the period for the acquisition of assets that have an expected useful life of more than one year.

2019 Jul-Sep

Managed Professional Gr.Ovhd &
(NOK 1.000) Services Services Unallocated Total
Revenue, external 134 978 55 694 190 672
Operating expenses (106 107) (45 304) (10 561) (161 971)
EBITDA 28 871 10 390 (10 561) 28 701
Depreciation and amortisation (14 644) (2 269) (7 012) (23 925)
EBIT 14 227 8 121 (17 573) 4 776
Net financial income/(expenses) (14 100) (14 100)
Income tax 2 682 2 682
Profit for the period 14 227 8 121 (28 991) (6 642)
Cash flow from investing activities 2 942 2 942

2018 Jul-Sep

Managed Professional Gr.Ovhd &
(NOK 1.000) Services Services Unallocated Total
Revenue, external 131 537 44 738 176 275
Operating expenses (116 210) (45 203) (4 658) (166 072)
EBITDA 15 327 (465) (4 658) 10 204
Depreciation and amortisation (5 857) 755 (10 573) (15 675)
EBIT 9 470 290 (15 231) (5 471)
Net financial income/(expenses) (3 076) (3 076)
Income tax 1 241 1 241
Profit for the period 9 470 290 (17 066) (7 305)
Cash flow from investing activities (1 481) (1 481)

2019 Jan-Sep

Managed Professional Gr.Ovhd &
(NOK 1.000) Services Services Unallocated Total
Revenue, external 418,060 152,511 570,571
Operating expenses (331,068) (128,033) (28,598) (487,699)
EBITDA 86,992 24,478 (28,598) 82,872
Depreciation and amortisation (39,569) (6,331) (21,301) (67,202)
EBIT 47,423 18,147 (49,899) 15,670
Net financial income/(expenses) (21,671) (21,671)
Income tax 2,299 2,299
Profit for the period 47,423 18,147 (69,271) (3,702)
Cash flow from investing activities (8,408) (8,408)

2018 Jan-Sep

Managed Professional Gr.Ovhd &
(NOK 1.000) Services Services Unallocated Total
Revenue, external 405,482 145,799 551,281
Operating expenses (330,791) (137,195) (28,798) (496,785)
EBITDA 74,691 8,604 (28,798) 54,497
Depreciation and amortisation (29,125) (1,345) (16,708) (47,178)
EBIT 45,566 7,259 (45,506) 7,320
Net financial income/(expenses) (2,245) (2,245)
Income tax (2,122) (2,122)
Profit for the period 45,566 7,259 (49,873) 2,953
Cash flow from investing activities (17,991) (17,991)

Geographic Information

The Group's operations are carried in several countries, and information regarding revenue based on geography is provided below. Information is based on location of the entity generating the revenue, which to a large extent, corresponds to the geographical location of the customers.

Revenue from external customers attributable to:

as % of 2019 as % of 2018 as % of 2019 as % of 2018 as % of 2018
(NOK 1000) total Jul-Sep total Jul-Sep total Jan-Sep total Jan-Sep total Jan-Dec
Northern Europe 56% 106,263 56% 98,958 57% 326,967 57% 315,137 58% 430,897
Central Europe 41% 77,315 41% 71,472 38% 218,637 40% 218,344 39% 288,213
UK & Ireland 4% 7,095 3% 5,845 4% 24,968 3% 17,801 4% 26,323
Total 100% 190,672 100% 176,275 100% 570,571 100% 551,282 100% 745,434

Information about major customers

as % 2019 of 2018 of 2019 of 2018 of 2018
(NOK 1000) of total Jul-Sep total Jul-Sep total Jan-Sep total Jan-Sep total Jan-Dec
5 largest customers 24% 46,591 28% 51,868 26% 145,901 26% 99,311 27% 202,304
10 largest customers 35% 67,641 38% 72,149 36% 207,357 37% 140,028 38% 284,033
20 largest customers 52% 98,892 54% 101,345 52% 296,340 48% 181,252 53% 398,121

Note 3 – Personnel Costs

(NOK 1000) 2019
Jul-Sep
2018
Jul-Sep
2019
Jan-Sep
2018
Jan-Sep
2018
Jan-Dec
Salary 89,586 87,048 278,249 269,871 367,842
Variable compensation 4,427 6,844 14,241 20,406 19,198
Social security tax 13,382 13,117 40,390 40,744 54,679
Pension costs 5,031 4,903 15,350 15,182 19,905
Other expenses 4,696 6,444 13,121 18,016 19,796
Capitalized development expenses (4,490) (4,342) (11,994) (12,570) (17,924)
Capitalized implementation costs customer projects (5,867) (5,138) (28,112) (29,284) (36,872)
Total personnel expenses 106,765 108,877 321,244 322,365 426,623

Note 4 – Intangible Assets

Licenses Intern. Intern. Customer
(NOK 1000) and
software
developed
software
developed
AuC
Relation &
Contracts
Goodwill Total
Book value 01.01.2019 9,057 28,768 19,937 85,302 151,996 295,059
Additions of the period 136 1,008 11,821 - - 12,965
Reclassifications - 18,071 (18,071) - - -
Disposals and currency effects (5) (48) 376 61 270 653
This period ordinary amortisation (2,335) (10,178) - (7,459) - (19,972)
Book value 30.9.2019 6,852 37,621 14,063 77,905 152,266 288,706
Book value 01.01.2018 8,940 31,458 10,555 94,794 151,075 296,822
Additions of the period 1,369 - 16,413 - - 17,782
Reclassifications - 6,403 (6,403) - - (0)
Disposals and currency effects 794 211 - (3,700) (6,084) (8,779)
This period ordinary amortisation (2,143) (8,090) - (7,317) - (17,550)
Book value 30.9.2018 8,960 29,982 20,565 83,777 144,991 288,275
Book value 01.01.2018 8,940 31,458 10,555 94,794 151,075 296,822
Additions of the period 2,608 - 18,097 - - 20,705
Reclassifications - 8,715 (8,715) - - -
Disposals and currency effects 582 (690) - 295 921 1,107
This period ordinary amortisation (3,073) (10,715) - (9,787) - (23,575)
Book value 31.12.2018 9,057 28,768 19,937 85,302 151,996 295,059
Useful life 3-10 years 5 years N/A 10 years N/A
Depreciation method linear linear linear

Note 5 – Revenue from contracts with customers

Disaggregated revenue information

The Group's revenue from contracts with customers has been disaggregated and presented in note 2.

Contract balances

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) 30. Sep 30. Sep 31. Dec
Trade receivables 151,377 156,906 158,118
Customer project assets 95,970 91,778 97,272
Customer project liabilities (57,480) (67,223) (64,284)
Prepayments from customers (13,976) (14,311) (18,021)

Trade receivables are non-interest bearing and are on general terms of from 14 to 90 days credit. In 2019 TNOK 210 (2018 TNOK 519) was recognised as provision for expected credit losses on trade receivables.

Customer project assets are costs specific to a given contract, generate or enhance the Group's resources that will be used in satisfying performance obligations in the future, and are recoverable. These costs are deferred and amortized evenly over the period the outsourcing services are provided.

Customer project liabilities are prepayments from customer specific to a given contract and are recognized as revenue evenly as the Group fulfills the related performance obligations over the contract period.

Prepayments from customers comprises a combination of short- and long-term advances from customers. The short-term advances are typically deferred revenues related to smaller projects or change orders related to the system solution. The long-term liabilities relate to initial advances paid upon signing the contract. These advances are contracted to be utilized by the customer to either transformation-, change- or other projects. These advances are open for application until specified, or when the contract is terminated, where the eventual remainder of the amount become the property of Zalaris and is hence rendered as income by the Group.

Movements in customer project assets through the period:

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Jan-Sep Jan-Sep 31. Dec
Opening balance in the period 97,273 95,284 95,284
Cost capitalized 28,112 26,619 36,872
Amortization (27,758) (30,126) (35,947)
Currency (1,656) - 1,063
Customer projects assets end of period 95,970 91,778 97,272

Movements in customer project liabilities through the period:

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Opening balance in the period (64,284) (73,487) (73,487)
Revenue deferred (13,532) (22,066) (24,296)
Revenue recognized 18,490 28,330 33,499
Currency 1,846 - -
Customer project liabilities end of period (57,480) (67,223) (64,284)

Note 6 – Transactions with Related Parties

(NOK 1000) 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
Related party Transaction Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Rayon Design AS 1) Management Services 314 42 872 1,007 1,677
Haug Advisory AS 2) Management Services 100 - 200 - -
Total 414 42 1,072 1,007 1,677

a) Purchase from related parties

1) Hans-Petter Mellerud, CEO, owns 40% of Rayon Design AS though his company Norwegian Retail AS 2) Jon Erik Haug, Board Member of Zalaris ASA, owns 100% of Haug Advisory AS

Note 7 – Interest bearing loans and borrowings

Long term liabilities

The Company has secured a bond listed at Oslo Stock Exchange, loan in Commerzbank DE related to office building in Leipzig and financial leasing loans in SG Finance.

2019 2018 2018
(NOK 1000) Value Interest Maturity 30. Sep 30. Sep 31. Dec
Bond loan EUR 35 000 000 3 m Euribor + 4.75 % 28.09.2023 347,156 - 340,282
Loan fees bond 28.09.2023 (6,262) - -
Loan Nordea EUR 25 800 000 6,25 % 31.05.2022 - - -
Commerzbank - DE EUR 1 636 430 1,3 % 31.12.2031 13,043 13,813 27,665
SG Finance loans NOK 5 000 348 From 4,0 % to 6,7 % 2019-2023 1,185 1,130 2,616
Total loans 355,122 14,943 370,563

Note 8 – Right of use assets and lease liabilities

Zalaris as a lessee

Right-of-use assets

Zalaris leases several assets such as buildings, equipment and vehicles. The Group's right-of-use assets are categorised and presented in the table below:

Right-of-use assets Buildings Equipment Vehicles Total
Acquisition cost 1.1.2019 42,218 3,428 6,680 52,326
Addition of right-of-use assets 3,246 359 305 3,910
Acquisition cost 30.9.2019 45,464 3,787 6,985 56,237
Accumulated depreciation and impairment 1.1.2019
Depreciation 12,374 1,202 2,736 16,312
Accumulated depreciation and impairment 30.9.2019 12,374 1,202 2,736 16,312
Carrying amount of right-of-use assets 30.9.2019 33,090 2,585 4,249 39,925
Lower of remaining lease term or economic life 1 - 10 years 3 - 6 years 3 - 6 years
Depreciation method Linear Linear Linear
3-4 years 5,122
4-5 years 2,100
More than 5 years 76
Total undiscounted lease liabilities at 30.9.2019 40,488
Summary of the lease liabilities in the financial statements Statement of: Total
At initial application 01.01.2019
52,326
New lease liabilities recognised in the year 3,910
Cash payments for the principal portion of the lease liability Cash flows -16,866
Cash payments for the interest portion of the lease liability Cash flows -1,664
Interest expense on lease liabilities Profit and loss 1,664
Reassessment of the discount rate on previous lease liabilities Profit and loss
P&L and Other comprehensive
-
Currency exchange differences income 1,117
Total lease liabilities at 30.9.2019 40,488
Current lease liabilities Financial position 21,881
Non-current lease liabilities Financial position 18,607
Total cash outflows for leases Cash flows -18,530

The leases do not contain any restrictions on Zalaris' dividend policy or financing. Zalaris does not have significant residual value guarantees related to its leases to disclose.

Summary of other lease expenses recognised in profit or loss Total
Variable lease payments expensed in the period 16 866
Operating expenses related to short-term leases (including short-term low value assets) 148
Operating expenses period related to low value assets (excluding short-term leases included above) 419
Total lease expenses included in other operating expenses 17 433

Practical expedients applied

Zalaris has elected to apply the practical expedient of low value assets and does not recognise lease liabilities or right-of-use assets. The leases are instead expensed when they incur. Zalaris has also applied the practical expedient to not recognise lease liabilities and right-of-use assets for short-term leases, presented in the table above.

Variable lease payments and other lease commitments

In addition to the lease liabilities above, Zalaris is committed to pay variable lease payments for its buildings, equipment and vehicles, mainly due to annual inflation adjustments.

Extension options

Zalaris' lease of buildings have lease terms that vary from 1 years to 10 years, and several agreements involve a right of renewal which may be exercised during the last period of the lease terms. Zalaris doesn't assesses at the commencement whether it is reasonably certain to exercise the renewal right. This is because the Group is not expecting the terms for the extension period to be lower than the current market price at the time of execution of an extension period compared to similar lease agreements. Zalaris continuously evaluates more cost-effective leases as the business does not consider these assets to be particularly important.

Note 9 – Events after Balance Sheet Date

There have been no further events after the balance sheet date significantly affecting the Group's financial position.

Responsibility statement

We confirm, to the best of our knowledge, that the condensed set of financial statements for the period from January 1 to September 30 2019 has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 – Interim Financial Reporting, and gives a true and fair view of the Group's assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss as a whole. We also confirm, to the best of our knowledge, that the interim management report includes a fair review of important events that have occurred during the first six months of the financial year and their impact on the condensed set of financial statements, a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the financial year, and major related parties transactions.

Oslo, 29 October 2019 The Board of Directors of Zalaris ASA

_________________________

Lars Laier Henriksen (chairman)

_________________________

Liselotte Hägertz Engstam

_________________________

Corinna Schäfer

____________________ Jon Erik Haug

_________________________

Adele Norman Pran

_________________________

Kenth Erland Eriksson

_________________________ Jan M. Koivurinta

This interim report was not reviewed by The Company's auditors

Alternative Performance Measures

This section describes the non/GAAP financial measures that are used in this reporting and in the quarterly presentation.

The following measures are not defined nor specified in the applicable financial reporting framework of the IFRS GAAP. They may be considered non-GAAP financial measures that may include or exclude amounts that are calculated and presented according to the IFRS GAAP:

  • EBIT / Adjusted EBIT
  • EBITDA / Adjusted EBITDA
  • EBITdA / Adjusted EBITdA
  • EBITA / Adjusted EBITA

  • Segment EBIT

  • Return on Equity (ROE)
  • Net Interest-Bearing Debt (NIBD)

EBIT / Adjusted EBIT

EBIT, earnings before interest and tax is defined as the earnings excluding the effects of how the operations where financed, taxed and excluding foreign exchange gains & losses. EBIT is used as a measure of operational profitability. In order to abstract non-recurring or unusual costs not reflective of the underlying operational performance, the Group also lists the adjusted EBIT. Adjusted EBIT is defined as EBIT excluding other costs.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
Adjusted EBIT Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
EBIT (1) 4.8 -5.5 15.7 7.3 17.3
Other cost (2) 1.0 1.0
Adjusted EBIT, (1) + (2) 5.8 -5.5 16.7 7.3 17.3

Adjusted EBITDA

Earnings before interest expenses and interest income, tax, depreciation, amortization, and excluding foreign exchange gains & losses. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA excluding acquisition, restructuring, and integration costs. EBITDA is used as an additional measure of the Group's operational profitability, excluding the impact from depreciation and amortization.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
Adjusted EBITDA Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Adjusted EBIT (1) 5.8 -5.5 16.7 7.3 17.3
Depreciations (2) 1.0 0.9 3.1 2.7 3.6
Amortizations rights of use assets (3) 5.5 16.3
Amortisation intangible assets (4) 6.5 5.9 20.0 17.5 23.6
Amort. implem. costs customer projects (5) 10.7 8.9 27.8 26.9 35.9
Adjusted EBITDA, (1) + (2) + (3) + (4) + (5) 29.7 10.2 83.8 54.5 80.5

Adjusted EBITdA

EBITdA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for P&L and ∆ Balance Sheet items pertaining to customer projects.

Adjusted EBITdA Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Adjusted EBITDA (1) 29.7 10.2 83.8 54.5 80.5
Capitalized implementation costs (2) -7.1 -5.9 -26.5 -23.2 -36.4
Recognized revenue (3) -6.9 -8.4 -18.5 -23.7 -27.0
Deferred revenue (4) 3.7 11.5 11.7 17.4 17.8
Adjusted EBITdA, (1) + (2) + (3) + (4) 19.4 7.3 50.6 25.0 34.9

Adjusted EBITA

EBITA is defined as EBIT with added back amortization expenses.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
Adjusted EBITA Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
Adjusted EBIT (1) 5.8 -5.5 16.7 7.3 17.3
Amortizations rights of use assets (2) 5.5 16.3
Amortisation intangible assets (3) 6.5 5.9 20.0 17.5 23.6
Amort. implem. costs customer projects (4) 10.7 8.9 27.8 26.9 35.9
Adjusted EBITA, (1) + (2) + (3) + (4) 28.6 9.3 80.8 51.8 76.9

Segment EBIT

Segment EBIT is defined as EBIT excluding Group and other unallocated costs. This includes other cost (acquisition cost), Shareholder costs associated with Group executive management and the finance function, and purchase price amortization.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018
Segment EBIT Jul-Sep Jul-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Dec
EBIT (1) 4.8 (5.5) 15.7 7.3 17.3
Group overhead and unallocated costs (2) 17.6 15.2 49.9 45.5 60.7
Segment EBIT, (1) + (2) 22.3 9.8 65.6 52.8 78.1

Return on Equity

Return on equity (ROE) is a measure of financial performance calculated by dividing net income by shareholders' equity. Because shareholders' equity is equal to a company's assets minus its debt, ROE could be thought of as the return on net assets. ROE is considered a measure of how effectively management is using a company's assets to create profits. Net income is calculated before dividends paid to common shareholders and after dividends to preferred shareholders and interest to lenders.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2018
Return on equity (ROE) Sep Sep Dec
Average equity last four quarters (1) 103.8 111.6 108.8
Profit after tax last twelwe months (2) -7.9 -13.9 -1.3
ROE, (2) / (1) -7.6 % -12.4 % -1.2 %

Net Interest-Bearing Debt (NIBD)

Net Interest-Bearing Debt (NIBD), consists of interest-bearing liabilities less cash and cash equivalents. The Group risk of default and financial strength is measured by the net interest-bearing debt. It shows the Group's financial position and leverage. As cash equivalents can be used to repay debt, this measurement shows the net overall financial position of the group.

(MNOK) 2019 2018 2018
Net Interest Bearing Debt reported in balance sheet Sep Sep Dec
Interest bearing loans and borrowings 355.1 339.8 355.7
Interest-bearing loan from shareholders 7.2 7.5 7.9
Interest-bearing loans 13.5 14.3 14.8
Cash and cash equivalents -64.8 -108.6 -107.8
Net Interesting Bearing Debt 311.0 253.0 270.6

Key Figures

Key financials Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019
Revenues 186.2 188.8 176.3 194.1 192.4 187.5 190.7
Revenue growth (YoY) 75.0 %
19.3
48.8 %
25.0
17.1 %
10.2
0.3 %
26.0
3.3 %
27.8
-0.7 %
26.4
8.2 %
29.7
EBITDA adjusted 10% 13% 6% 13% 14% 14% 16%
EBITDA margin
EBIT adjusted 11.3 1.5 -5.5 10.0 6.5 4.4 5.8
EBIT margin
Profit Before Tax
6.1 %
12.7
0.8 %
0.9
-3.1 %
-8.5
5.2 %
-9.2
3.4 %
7.6
2.4 %
-4.3
3.0 %
-9.3
1.3 2.0 -1.2 -5.0 -1.4 1.0 2.7
Income Tax Expense
Net income
11.4 -1.1 -4.2
-7.3 6.3 -3.3 -6.6
Profit margin 6.1 % -0.6 % -4.1 % -2.2 % 3.3 % -1.8 % -3.5 %
Weighted # of shares outstanding (m) 20.3 20.3 20.3 21.3 21.3 21.3 21.3
Basic EPS 0.6 -0.1 -0.4 -0.2 0.3 -0.2 -0.3
Diluted EPS 0.6 -0.1 -0.4 -0.2 0.3 -0.2 -0.3
DPS 0.7
Cash flow items
Cash from operating activities -2.3 0.6 5.4 0.5 -22.0 5.0 8.8
Investments -5.3 -8.9 -1.5 -5.6 -4.2 -7.1 2.9
Net changes in cash and cash equi. -23.6 -0.9 69.8 -5.1 -37.2 -9.4 5.4
Cash and cash equivalents end of period 31.7 37.4 108.6 107.8 69.3 59.6 64.8
Net debt 239.3 214.6 253.0 270.6 299.0 308.7 311.0
Equity 125.3 106 96 108 105 100 102
Equity ratio 19% 17% 14% 15% 14% 14% 14%
ROE -5.1 % -2.3 % -12.4 % -1.2 % -6.2 % -8.4 % -7.6 %
Number of FTE (Period End) 779 792 798 799 822 825 804
Segment overview Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019
NOKm
Revenues 186.2 188.8 176.3 194.1 192.4 187.5 190.7
Managed Services 138.9 135.1 131.5 144.1 143.7 139.4 135.0
Professional Services 47.3 53.8 44.7 50.1 48.7 48.2 55.7
Adjustments
EBIT 11.3 1.5 -5.5 10.0 6.5 4.4 4.8
Managed Services 18.8 17.3 9.5 14.5 15.3 17.9 14.2
as % of revenue 13.6 % 12.8 % 7.2 % 10.0 % 10.6 % 12.9 % 10.5 %
Professional Services 7.0 -0.1 0.3 10.8 7.0 3.0 8.1
as % of revenue 14.9 % -0.1 % 0.6 % 21.5 % 14.4 % 6.3 % 14.6 %

Gr.ovhd & Unallocated -14.5 -15.7 -15.2 -15.2 -15.8 -16.5 -17.6

For questions, please contact

Anders Sjåstad Interim CFO [email protected] +47 488 84 206

Hans-Petter Mellerud CEO [email protected] +47 928 97 276

Financial information

Interim report Q4 2019 to be published 28 February 2020 Annual report FY 2019 to be published 24 April 2020 Interim report Q1 2020 to be published 8 May 2020 Interim report Q2 2020 to be published 18 August 2020 Interim report Q3 2020 to be published 29 October 2020

All financial information is published on the Zalaris' website: http://www.zalaris.com/Investor-Relations/

Financial reports can also be ordered at [email protected].

Zalaris ASA PO Box1053 Hoff 0218 Oslo Norway

27 Zalaris Interim Report 2019-Q3 www.zalaris.com

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