Wereldhave Belgium
Smart collections: How Wereldhave Belgium reinvented its credit management with Onguard
How do you keep control of your cash flow as a property manager in a rapidly changing market? For Wereldhave Belgium, the move to SAP didn’t deliver what they expected. Returning to Onguard turned out to be the winning move. With flexible workflows, easy-to-use tools, and close collaboration with Onguard, the company future-proofed its debtor management.
The result? Clearer reporting, more structured communication with tenants, and peace of mind in the finance department.
About
Wereldhave Belgium
Wereldhave Belgium is a listed property company specialised in managing shopping centres. From its Belgian office, a team of nine people handles the full scope of operational accounting, cash collection, and tax declarations.
Searching for flexibility
The decision to return to Onguard came after switching to SAP.
“We started with a custom SAP package that had a simple reminder system. But it was very basic, without calendar management. That’s when we decided to go back to Onguard,” says Koen Vanhorenbeke, Head of Accounting at Wereldhave Belgium.
Proactive credit management with Onguard
Together with their Dutch colleagues, who were already working successfully with Onguard, the Belgian team reimplemented CreditManager. The existing setup was still in place, which made the restart smooth.
Today, the collections process is mapped clearly in CreditManager. Employees automatically receive alerts and know exactly what actions are needed at what time. Calendar management plays a key role: reminders and follow-ups appear automatically, which helps the team act quickly and guide tenants better.
The impact: Wereldhave Belgium’s cash collection rate is now consistently higher. Each quarter, around 98% of invoices are collected on time.
3 benefits that make the difference
- 1. Structure & visibility:
Instead of manually tracking open items, the team now has instant visibility and built-in structure. Clear processes and deadlines are in place:
--> Five days before due date: a tenant receives an overview.
--> After the due date: reminders, phone calls, and, if needed, handover to a collection agency.
Everything follows a strict, automated workflow.
- 2. Ease of use & overview:
“CreditManager is very user-friendly. We don’t need to switch between systems anymore. Everything is there: emails, calendar, actions, reports. That gives peace of mind, clarity, and grip.”
- 3. Actionable reporting:
The reporting tool gives instant insight into open items and last actions. If something goes wrong, the system flags it immediately so the team can respond quickly. This transparency also benefits tenants: they know exactly what to expect and receive timely notifications before due dates. That prevents surprises and strengthens relationships.
A smooth partnership
The cooperation with Onguard is rated very positively.
“The helpdesk is quick, clear, and proactive. Not every support desk is like that. Plus, our contact person even came to Belgium for a training day. That was highly appreciated.” – Koen Vanhorenbeke
Looking ahead:
AI and deeper integration
Wereldhave Belgium is already thinking about the future. Their ambition: more automation, less email, and using AI to handle standard questions.
“Many tenant questions are repetitive and could be answered with AI. That would free us up to focus on what really matters: thinking and deciding,” says Koen.
They also plan to integrate invoice disputes and queries directly into CreditManager. Currently these still run via separate emails, but bringing everything into one system would create a complete tenant file.
Proven solution,
Lasting impact
What started as a pragmatic return to a familiar solution has become a cornerstone of Wereldhave Belgium’s financial operations. With Onguard, the company not only gained more control over collections, but also a partner ready to grow with tomorrow’s challenges.
Join other satisfied customers
