WVDB

WVDB is innovative, likes to be seen as a business-minded friend to SMEs and always focuses on the entrepreneur. According to Wladimir de Kok, Credit Management Manager, the flawless execution of the credit management process is thereby very important. The purchase of a user-friendly credit management solution was one of the priorities in order to be able to optimise this process. WVDB has now been using Onguard’s software for eight years. De Kok talks about his experiences with Onguard’s CreditManager.

Credit management at WVDB was already largely automated, but the organisation wanted to digitise further, generate detailed management reports and boost efficiency. According to Wladimir de Kok this was done successfully partly thanks to the implementation of CreditManager: “It’s important that the software provides support and adds value to what our credit managers and debtor administrators are doing. The software should help them serve the customers as well as possible. There are two further components which are very important to the success of this mission, namely the processes and the people themselves. If clear, well-harmonised processes and the correct mindset amongst staff are missing, software cannot make the difference. This triumvirate must therefore function optimally in order to achieve the desired results. Thanks to the effective triumvirate within WVDB - which includes CreditManager from Visma | Onguard - we did this successfully. We are proud of the reduction in the DSO, the excellent way in which we manage customers and the optimisation of our cashflow.”

By purchasing CreditManager WVDB has managed to reduce the number of FTEs in the credit management department. The software has also ensured that employees have become more aware of their role within the organisation: “The purchase of CreditManager allows the credit managers to focus on their work and deliver a bespoke service to the external customer, for example by agreeing an appropriate payment arrangement. As a manager I also benefit greatly from it. CreditManager contains an awful lot of data and a large number of pre-defined reports. This enables me to generate relevant reports that show how things are going within our organisation. I can now report to the managers of the various disciplines within our company on how well a particular portfolio is performing, but also where there is room for improvement. I can also make our accountants and tax advisers aware of what is going on with their clients. Alongside the services that we provide we also want to get the invoices paid as quickly as possible, in accordance with our general terms and conditions and further rules relating to debtor policy within our company.

We call this ‘financial hygiene’. One good example is our complaint management. The complaints that our credit managers record give us a lot of insight into where things are not working well within the processes. If the credit manager is informed by the customer that the invoice has not arrived, that means that the address is incorrect in our CRM system, which means that the customer cannot meet the payment obligation and ultimately gets into trouble. Because the credit manager flags this up we can tackle the root of the problem and offer solutions to reduce the number of complaints, for example. This results in the faster payment of invoices and therefore a stable cashflow.”

“We wanted to boost digitisation at WVDB and be able to analyse relevant management data in order to improve our organisation and cashflow. In the end we selected Visma | Onguard’s software for this. CreditManager makes it very easy to send reminders and dunning letters to our customers digitally. The software also has extensive reporting options which means it is easy for us to retrieve data from the system that helps us to manage the organisation. CreditManager is very user-friendly and has ensured that we at WVDB can work more efficiently,” explains De Kok.

De Kok also enjoys working with Visma | Onguard: “The initial meetings and presentations were very pleasant, and the implementation of the software also went smoothly. The good thing is that we can always communicate our wishes with regard software. Our contacts at Visma | Onguard then deliver tailor-made solutions so that we can move forward. Of course we still have wishes that are not yet incorporated into the software, such as proactively flagging up faults. When this is added the system will become even more efficient. The support when there is a fault is very professional, incidentally. In short, CreditManager is a solution for us which forms part of the triumvirate and adds a great deal of value to organisation so that our employees can focus on resolving entrepreneurs’ issues.”

• A reduced Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
• Digital dunning letters and reminders for the customer
• The same work is being done with fewer FTEs
• The organisation is working in a more environmentally-friendly way because everything is done digitally
• Adequate recording of complaints and payment agreements through complaint management together with good contacts and a good relationship with the customer lead to faster payment of the invoices