All Areas of Expertise

AREA OF EXPERTISE 04

Risk and Profitability Management in Credit Sales

The customer who buys the most is not always the customer who earns you the most.

01 — 09 SYSTEM MAP
  1. 01Know the Customer
  2. 02Manage the Capital
  3. 03Systematise Collection
  4. 04Manage Risk and Profitability
  5. 05Set the Limit
  6. 06Monitor the Risk
  7. 07Strengthen with Collateral
  8. 08Restructure and Resolve
  9. 09Recover and Learn

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary

The real economic value of a credit sale cannot be measured by the invoice amount alone. Only when price, discount, payment terms, financing cost, collection performance and the credit risk taken on are assessed together can you see what a sale really earns the company.

Key Management Areas

5 topics
01

Turnover and real economic value are not the same thing

High turnover can be misleading if long terms, high discounts, financing cost, delays and credit risk are not taken into account. The quality of commercial growth is measured by a sale’s power to generate cash and profit.

“Turnover shows growth; cash and profitability show its quality.”
02

Terms and price are assessed together

Payment terms are a sales convenience, but they also create financing cost. Two sales at the same price on different terms may not produce the same economic result for the company. The cost of the terms decision is reflected in pricing and customer profitability.

03

Sales opportunity and credit risk meet at the same decision table

The sales team sees the commercial opportunity; credit and finance teams see risk-bearing capacity and financial impact. A strong system brings these views together in one decision mechanism instead of setting them against each other.

04

Real profitability becomes visible customer by customer

Gross profit alone may not show real economic contribution. When the discount, terms, financing burden, collection performance and risk carried for a customer are assessed together, each customer’s real economic contribution can be seen more accurately.

05

Commercial flexibility and financial discipline can be managed together

The aim is not to slow sales or remove commercial initiative. It is to make sure price, terms and risk decisions for different customers and opportunities are taken in line with the company’s financial capacity.

WITH ALMERA

What changes when ALMERA comes in?

  1. 01Sales decisions are analysed together with price, terms, financing cost, collection and credit risk.
  2. 02Each customer’s real economic contribution and financing burden are made visible.
  3. 03Shared decision principles and an authority structure are set up for sales, finance and credit risk.
  4. 04A Risk and Profitability Management System for Credit Sales is set up to support profitable growth that converts into cash.

THE ALMERA VIEW

A profitable sale is not just a high-margin sale; it is a sale whose risk, terms and financing burden have been managed.
Commercial growth and financial discipline are not alternatives; in the right system they strengthen each other.

Frequently Asked Questions