“Effective
collection of receivables is crucial to improving a
company's day’s sales outstanding, which condenses the
revenue cycle and creates working capital and additional
borrowing capacity, thus adding value to the company."
Engaging
the services of a commercial collection company is about
safeguarding the assets of a company, which is imperative
for any company's financial well-being, according to a
special report from global accounts receivable management
service provider Euler Hermes ACI.
"Effective
collection of receivables is crucial to improving a
company's days sales outstanding (DSO), which condenses the
revenue cycle and creates working capital and additional
borrowing capacity, thus adding value to the company," said
Michael T. Puckett, President of receivables outsourcing
provider Euler Hermes UMA. Euler Hermes UMA is the
commercial collections arm of the Euler Hermes ACI
organization.
In the
report, titled "The 411 on Outsourcing Commercial
Collections,"
Puckett explains that many companies - whether large or
small - do not have staff with the necessary expertise to
effectively manage the commercial collections function.
"Internal credit management staff members typically are not
trained for collection, which requires excellent
communication skills to maximize efforts," he said. "By
using an established provider of accounts receivable
management, a company can keep its internal credit
management staff focused on the function for which it is
trained.
Additionally, through outsourcing, a company can eliminate
in-house costs in a way similar to utilizing a payroll
company or benefits management provider."
Puckett
also stressed the need to establish a good collections
reputation with customers as part of an effective accounts
receivable management strategy. "Early placement policies
and systematic pursuit of slow and non-payers will announce
to customers and prospects alike that your company is
serious about collecting what is due for goods or services,"
he said.
"The opposite perception is no advantage in the
marketplace."
Businesses
across the nation are beginning to experience problems
collecting on invoices, as evidenced in the April Credit
Manager's Index survey from the National Association of
Credit Management. "Weakness in collections suggest that
businesses are having cash flow problems, reflecting the
erosion of the economy as a whole," said Euler Hermes ACI
Chief Economist Dan North, who provides commentary and
analysis for the monthly economic survey. "Credit managers
are starting to feel the effects of a deflating housing
bubble and a slowdown in the economy caused by the Federal
Reserve's monetary tightening.
This is
evidenced by businesses in both services and manufacturing
that have been particularly hard hit by the slowdown."
Accounts
receivable typically represent more than 40% of a company's
assets, so naturally they constitute a vital component of a
healthy business, said Puckett. "Cash flow, earnings, and
capital will be harmed if a major customer is unwilling to
pay its obligations, or if several customers are unwilling
to pay their invoices. Thus, employing an effective strategy
for accounts receivable management - with the right
commercial collections partner - can protect the cash flow
of any company, large or small," he concluded.
April 27,
2007 InsideARM