Case | Improvement and optimization of credit controlling

PROBLEM

The credit controlling activities of an international company are not well organized. There is too little focus on high-risk customers. Employees each work differently which makes organizing a back-up system harder. The present IT-system is not used optimally. The sales department is too little involved in the credit controlling activities and often only when issues arise. Because the roles and responsibilities are not clear, a lot of time is lost. There is no management reporting on the credit controlling activities - which could allow for better management decisions. The company wishes to improve and optimize their credit controlling activities.

RESULTS

Data analysis and interviews with employees of the credit controlling, sales and management department identified all issues regarding the credit controlling activities. Next, by organizing various workshops – employees worked step by step towards a better credit controlling. During these workshops horsum optimized -together with the employees- their workload, standardized and improved their work methods, offered more structure by creating a credit policy, agreed the roles and responsibilities with the sales department and designed a management reporting on the credit controlling activities.

Thanks to the improved way of working, the employees of the credit controlling department now have improved insight on which of their activities provide the most added value. This enables them to focus on the high-risk customers. In addition, due to the standardized work methods, a back-up planning is now possible among the employees. Next, the transparent management reporting now informs structurally the sales department and management. This allows for better decision making. Finally, during discussions between credit controlling and sales employees it is now clear who can decide on what matters.