Insights & Trends in credit managmenent

“Late payments rarely appear suddenly. They start with signals in the invoice-to-cash process, signals that credit teams can spot earlier. Late payments are rarely the real problem. They are the result of something in the process breaking down,” explains Willand Brienen, Product Manager at Onguard and former credit manager.

Late payments increased again. Data became both the biggest opportunity and the biggest headache. AI moved from “a nice to have” to a daily reality. And Belgium decided to shake up invoicing rules just to keep everyone alert. If 2025 showed one thing clearly, it’s this: credit management is no longer just about collecting invoices. It’s about data, trust, and the systems behind it.

65% of CFOs plan to increase their gen-AI investment, according to McKinsey, but 95% of AI pilots fail to deliver meaningful financial impact. The Onguard Baropaper mirrors this disconnect: DSO rises sharply, invoice accuracy deteriorates, and data complexity continues to grow. With AI advancing faster than outcomes, what’s preventing finance and credit management teams from turning technology into cash-flow improvement?

You can’t see security. But you can feel it: in the peace of mind that your data is protected, your customers are safe, and your systems keep running no matter what. At Onguard, that sense of security doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, tested, monitored and continuously improved by the people behind the screens, like Davey Heisen and Marc van Loon, the duo leading Onguard’s security operations.

It was a Friday afternoon in 2005 when he cold-called Onguard and landed a sales job position. He has showcased Onguard globally, from Brazil to Australia. He’s been working at Onguard for the past 20 years, but his story starts way before credit management software. This is Marco Bontje, Strategic Account Executive at Onguard!

He has been voted “employee of the year”, he is the proud “human bridge” between techies and non-techies, and he has recently switched from his team lead role in CreditNext to a full-time coding position in our CreditY team. Because once a developer, always a developer. This is Luc Geniar, Senior Developer at Onguard!

It’s the year 2015. Xander isn’t scanning job boards or sending out CVs. He is actually working as an Account Manager for new business in a different firm, and sometimes uses Onguard credit management software. “One day, I’ll work for them,” he is thinking. And the rest is history! 

Imagine you log in to CreditManager, expecting your usual routine. But something’s different: even faster response times and drastically reduced import times. You didn’t change anything, but behind the scenes, a major shift has taken place!

She’s an Olympian, a record-breaker, a marathon runner, and, believe it or not, a medical biology graduate. But that’s not all. Christine Toonstra is also a technical Consultant at Onguard!

If you were just about to start your career in a traditionally male-dominated sector, what advice would you give yourself? Women currently make up only 28% of the global tech workforce. So, on this International Women’s Day, 7 Onguardians, the real women in fintech, share their voices as an inspiration for new generations of women in the sector.