Article by Maha Awada as published in the most recent edition of the Australian Institute of Credit Management's (AICM) Risk Management Magazine.
From higher inflation to ongoing global supply chain constraints, compounding economic pressures are just one area of risk which credit managers and finance teams must face head-on in 2023.
With a looming global
recession, the most resilient
organisations will be those
with teams coming together to
openly discuss risks with clear
accountability.
Finance teams are responsible
for the financial health of any
business, so credit managers
have a role to play but must step
up to the challenge.
Credit managers can’t
manage risk alone. To lead
through an increasingly
challenging trade environment,
a culture of risk management
must exist right through
an organisation, but credit
managers need to understand
their role and take decisive action
to protect a company’s balance
sheet and manage the everthreatening
volatility.
The evolving role of a credit manager
Results from Lockton’s CFO Strategic Risk Report (opens a new window) (including 50 CFOs and senior finance leaders in Australia) revealed finance teams are becoming more responsible for the current approaches, and sentiments, to strategic risk management. Perception of risk is constantly shifting. In 2022, 66% of CFOs changed their approach to risk management from Q1 to Q3 due to the ‘velocity of risk’ and its impact on business. Velocity of risk is a new layer of risk management based on the speed at which a potential risk impacts a business and materialises.
So what risks do credit managers need to watch out for?
Unsurprisingly, economic
and supply chain risks are just
two risks which ranked in the
top five risks of most concern
last year.
Although high-performing
credit teams have been on the
front-line safeguarding their
company against these risks,
confidence has declined. Input
cost risk preparedness declined
by 16%. Confidence in managing
economic and supply chain risks
also declined.
How are the most successful credit management teams responding to these risks?
To adjust to the changed risk
exposure, successful credit
managers are taking a more
holistic and dynamic approach
to better understand the effect
risks have on each other and
assessing the speed at which
any cumulative influence
might disrupt or threaten their
business.
In this article, Lockton shares
our recommended areas of focus
based on how high-performing
credit management peers are
responding to supply chain,
insolvency, interest rate and
economic risks.
Supply chain risks and response
Review business continuity procedures (BCP)
Develop/update Business Continuity Plans to ensure they address the wider issues experienced over the last 36 months.
Expand supplier network and re-connect with suppliers
Is there an increasing risk of customer/supplier default?
Review supply chain networks
and develop strong relationships
with multiple suppliers/
customers.
Risk monitoring
Establish process and procedures for the ongoing risk monitoring of suppliers and customers.
Trade Credit Insurance
Trade Credit Insurance
protects businesses by quickly
reimbursing up to 90% of any
domestic or export insured debt
following insolvency or default,
this may include pre-shipment
credit risk for goods on delivery.
It also provides monitoring
and financial information
about customers, knowledge
of marketplaces, and debt
collection services.
Success story
A Lockton Trade Credit
Insurance client provides
plastic containers with custom
labels to their customers.
While the policy covers
invoices for goods sold, our
client had to incur expenses
prior to the sale of goods
to produce custom named
labels. Lockton negotiated
90 days pre-shipment cover
for bespoke goods with the
insurer.
Subsequently, one of our
client’s customers became
insolvent 60 days prior
to invoice.
At this stage,
thousands of containers
with custom labels had been
produced and expenses
already spent.
As the labels were at that
point worthless, the client
was able to claim this loss
under the policy. The plastic
itself, however, was able to be
used for another customer and treated as salvage which
reduced the claim value. The
labels themselves accounted
for approximately 20% of the
total invoice value. Without
the insurance this would have
had to be written off as a bad
debt.
Insolvency risks and response
Credit risk management framework
Businesses extending
credit terms should have a
documented process to identify,
monitor, and manage their
accounts receivable exposure.
This can be as sophisticated as
the business requires.
Credit check customers
Credit checks should be conducted on all new customers and at least annually for all existing customers.
Debt collection
Take immediate action on
overdue invoices and document
correspondence. For timepoor
businesses, it may be best
to engage an external debt
collector to ensure maximum
recovery.
Personal property securities register
Where applicable, businesses should register their security interest on the National PPSR. The registration protects interest in the goods or assets should the customer become insolvent or default.
Interest rates risks and response
Better cash flow management
Seek to understand the nature
of clients the business transacts
with, and how increases in
interest can impact their ability
to pay on time.
Supply chain management
It is crucial for businesses to
maintain appropriate stock
levels to reduce inventory and
unnecessary overhead costs.
An efficient supply chain will
support a stronger cash flow and
improve risk mitigation.
Prepare for financial scrutiny It is important to be prepared for greater financial scrutiny from financiers, credit insurers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Economic risks and response
Prepare for an economic downturn
Prepare for the possibility of an economic downturn and its credit implications. If the economy slows, concerns about liquidity and credit will return and the number of companies entering administration will likely grow.
Review your credit risk management
Review your credit risk
management (CRM) procedures
and consider the viability of
transferring risk to the insurance
market to reduce the risks
associated with customer nonpayment
or default.
Outsource your collections
Regular reviews of your accounts
receivable and collections
process is critical in successfully
recovering overdue invoices.
Outsourcing is an affordable and
effective option for time poor
businesses.
Where to from here?
Credit managers will continue
to face a disruptive, complex,
and dynamic landscape.
Rather than wait and react
as risk events unfold, getting
on the front foot is crucial.
By taking action, credit managers can improve the resilience of a business and position themselves strongly in unpredictable, uncertain times.
The full Lockton CFO Strategic Risk Report (opens a new window) is available for download now.