“The focus is now very clearly on efficiency.” Financial Director Oscar Visser explains about the major restructuring within Grontmij. By concentrating on core competencies Grontmij will be in a good starting position when striving for organic growth in the most profitable and fastest growing markets. This growth phase also involves investment in credit management.
Grontmij consulting engineers has a worldwide network in the growth markets of water, energy, infrastructure and sustainable planning and design and creates value for its clients and shareholders by designing and creating a sustainable living and working environment. OnGuard fits perfectly within the reorganisation to centralise all processes. It’s all about insight.
“The focus is now very clearly on efficiency.” Financial Director Oscar Visser explains about the major restructuring within Grontmij, whereby geographical regions are being reduced to three business lines: Planning & Design, Infrastructure & Mobility and Water & Energy. By concentrating on core competencies Grontmij will be in a good starting position when striving for organic growth in the most profitable and fastest growing markets. This growth phase also involves investment in credit management. It is now a ‘dedicated’ part of a shared service centre with its own management team. OnGuard is the first process that will be running centrally. As well as systems and policy, employees’ profiles are also being analysed and raised to the required level where necessary in order to achieve optimum results.
A mere two years ago the approach to credit management was still very much ad hoc: fortnightly Excel summaries, no workflow, fragmented recording, every office working in its own way. There were too many options, which resulted in unnecessary time-wasting. “The professionalisation of credit management with OnGuard is safeguarding knowledge,” says Visser. “A history is being built up, and thus insight into payment behaviour. Monthly reports can therefore also be used pro-actively. There is now insight at both overall and client level.”
More than the target achieved within a year
Once Grontmij started using OnGuard in 2008, spectacular results were achieved within a year. The total Overdue balance has fallen from 50% to 30%. According to Visser: “That represents 10 to 20 million euro. The target of 38% was adjusted halfway through to 30% and was then also achieved. I expect to reduce it even further.”
Results: a summary
- Simple and flexible to use
- Insight and overview
- Overdue balance from 50% to 30% (<1 year)
- Building up history
- Link between complaint management and quality control
- Professionalism with respect to the client