Automation For New Account Credit Applications

“Back to the Future” in Credit Management

Marty McFly would recognize today’s business credit applications as going back to his grandfather’s generation. Little has changed – until now, that is.

The Credit2B ECOS™ Platform  changes all this, as it completely automates and accelerates the on-boarding of new customers, even integrating industry sector trade, customer trade references and  credit bureau data, and delivering a complete “decision file”.  ECOS is a reinvention of  the manual credit processes that have not changed in many decades.   

In short,  ECOS automates and integrates all aspects of the B2B new customer on-boarding process:

  • Beginning to end decision workflow: Customer -Sales – Credit
  • Applications, Guaranties and Compliance Agreements, digitally signed and filed
  • Financial statements
  • Customer Credit and Bank References
  • Industry trade experiences
  • Major credit bureau information
  • Liens, Filings, etc.
  • Optional bureau analyst guidance
  • Automatic credit review followups

The objective ofECOS is to eliminate the convoluted process and time-consuming work of on-boarding new customers, accelerate the approval of new customers, improve compliance and results, while slashing related overhead costs. TheECOS process starts with the new customer, who inputs and upload the information needed by the creditor, even digitally signing any required documents. All information and documents are retained in a secure file, plus uploaded to client.

In a survey of fifty clients, Credit2B found that over 80% expended significant sales effort, in addition to the credit department for processing  new account applications, with excessive on-boarding delays often as ,long as one or two weeks.  

Credit2B has partnered with Experian and Equifax for integrated bureau data, Docusign e-sign for enforceable digital signatures, and Dow Jones for corporate sanctions compliance, and from the Credit2B network extensive industry viewpoints and trade experiences.

Benefits include:

  • Remarkably faster customer on-boarding, and slashed overhead
  • Reduction of errors and re-work
  • Eliminate paper with secure digital files  
  • Client customized branding
  • Automatic scheduled renewals
  • Eliminate wasted sales representative time
  • Custom workflow and follow-up timelines

For information, contact info@leibsolutions.com, and we’ll put you in touch.

 

(Note: Credit2b.com is one of our affiliated companies)

Calculating Bad Debt Reserves

In most companies, calculating Bad Debt Reserves is not a super-complex affair, but should be approached with a consistent methodology from period to period.

Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP) requires that a Bad Debt Allowance (BDA), which is a forecast – an estimate of future bad debt write-offs, vs just directly writing off bad debts as they occur.

The BDA can be estimated using one or a combination of factors

  1. Your historical bad debt experience is a good starting point in evaluating up a general reserve to cover your typical Bad Debt Allowance (BDA)  needs. However, you can do a better job by also considering other factors – below.
  2. Try an allowance of a percentage by aging bucket as you analyze your receivables; i.e, 0.5% of the 30 day column 0.75% of the 60 day column, and so on.
  3. In addition,  outside your normal experience you might have major customers that are at risk of defaulting and going into bankruptcy. For this category, you should establish a specific reserve category for “named” customers.
  4. Your industry’s experience is instructive to make sure you are forecasting the right trend. Check public company competitors’ 10Ks to see how they are estimating their bad debt allowances and see bad debt trends.
  5. You want to re-evaluate your BDA process annually and make adjustments based on your experience. Is your reserve too light, too high, or just right. It needs to be realistic.

As write-offs for actual bad debts occur, the BDA is credited with the amount of the write-off. A “bad debt” occurs when you have taken material steps to collect the amount owed and have realistically come to the conclusion that a debtor cannot pay its obligations.
The Journal of Accountancy  covers this subject in greater depth should you want more information.

Leib Joins the Smyyth-Creditek Companies

We are proud to announce that Leib Solutions LLC has become one of the Smyyth companies, joining Smyyth LLC, Creditek, Carixa, and Credit2b.Com, all leaders in their respective fields of B2B credit, collections, deductions and accounts receivable management, offering expert outsource services and best-in-class technology. For information, contact Carl Torban, Chief Operating Officer.