Trade Credit: Proactive Credit Control

Sales orders are the first trigger in the Order-to-Cash (O2C) process, and blocked orders are often the first signal that credit terms aren't working. This session explores how to manage sales orders that are placed on hold — not just from a compliance standpoint, but with a focus on operational fluidity and customer experience.

You'll learn how to assess blocked orders with commercial sensitivity, ensure consistency with contractual terms, and reduce unnecessary escalations. We’ll also examine how to use sales order data to detect credit risk earlier and prevent future disruptions.

By the end of this lecture, you’ll understand how a proactive review of orders on hold can minimize delays, support your sales team, and improve overall credit performance.

Many businesses still view bad debts provision as a box-ticking exercise for auditors. In this lecture, we’ll reframe it as a powerful tool for credit insight and financial planning.

You'll learn how provisioning affects reporting, forecasting, internal controls, and even tax planning — far beyond the balance sheet. We’ll explore how evolving standards like IFRS 9 have transformed provisioning from a backward-looking adjustment into a forward-looking control measure.

You’ll also discover how a smarter approach to provisioning can improve decision-making on customer terms, collection strategies, and risk exposure. By the end of this session, you’ll understand how to turn this underestimated accounting tool into a strategic asset for credit control.

How do you know your credit control function is actually working? In this lecture, we explore non-traditional reporting and measurement techniques to assess and optimize performance.

You’ll learn how to evaluate not just overdue levels, but the full effectiveness of your credit and receivables processes — from sales order release to final collection. We'll cover practical metrics that align credit activities with company goals, going beyond static aging reports.

This session also introduces performance indicators that reflect customer satisfaction, commercial impact, and internal efficiency. By the end, you'll be equipped to measure what truly matters — and present your credit results with confidence to management and stakeholders.

Credit control doesn’t operate in a vacuum — it balances risk, sales opportunity, and operating cost. This final session introduces the concept of the Comprehensive Cost of Credit Service, which helps quantify both the effort and return of your credit function.

You’ll explore how to assess performance across four competing goals: minimizing overdue, avoiding bad debts, supporting sales, and managing internal resources. This lecture shows how to interpret credit cost not just as a financial burden, but as a benchmark for efficiency and improvement.

By understanding the full picture, you can justify investments, set realistic targets, and align your credit strategy with business priorities.