"Credit management is at the heart of our business" says Treasury Manager, Alfred Strop, of Atos Origin. “My message to all departments is: We are all responsible for cash flow.”
Tell us something about Atos Origin
“With annual sales of over EUR 5 billion and over 49,000 employees, Atos Origin is a leading global information technology services company, specialising in high-tech transaction services, consulting, systems integration and managed services. The company is listed on the Paris Eurolist Market and is the international IT-partner for the Olympic Games."
Tell us what you do at Atos Origin?
“I had previously worked for KPMG Consulting. After its acquisition by Atos Origin, I was asked to optimise Atos Origin’s credit management policy. During this time, I moved into operations and have since taken on a number of roles, starting with credit control and cash management. In February this year, I became Treasury Manager.”
What improvements have you noticed since your arrival?
“Since joining, the entire credit and collections process has undergone radical change. At the centre of this was our new customer-centric approach and ensuring this was upheld at every stage of the collections chain. Individual roles remain crucial, but it was essential for everyone in the organisation to understand first and foremost that this is a departmental-wide, joint responsibility.
What processes are involved?
“The process begins with a credit check for each of our new customers. From this initial point, each stage of the credit, collections, and complaints procedure is recorded on a report. The foundation of this entire process is strong internal communications: again, reflective of our joint responsibility. This comes into play when a customer issue arises and the message is relayed directly to Credit Control. Centralising our system in such a way has not only bought our customer focus to the fore, but also ensures that those at management level, who have traditionally been independent of the collections system, are regularly involved. I include myself in this and as Treasury Manager, I report directly to the CFO.”
Why did Atos Origin choose OnGuard to handle its credit management processes?
“OnGuard was implemented in 1998. At the time, very few software packages were available to support the credit management process but OnGuard offered the unique capability to evolve as our company grew. OnGuard’s customer-centric approach was also a key driving force. I became a member of the OnGuard User Group in 2008 which has not only allowed me to influence the development of the software, but also knowledge share with other credit managers.”
Where does credit control fit in?
“The role of our credit control department has certainly changed in recent years. The use of OnGuard software has provided the structure in which to optimise the entire process and time-consuming tasks eliminated.”
Source: www.financieel-management.nl (in Dutch)