Over the years when we receive claims, I’m always delighted to see a signed credit application attached and completely filled out. As we know full well, the credit application is the initial contractual document by which the terms and conditions are established. It...

One of the most difficult parts of being a global credit manager is that trying to find an overseas collection agency or law firm can be daunting. The biggest question that often comes to mind is, “Can this entity be trusted.” Unfortunately, there are many unsavory...

I periodically speak to credit and collection professionals who are heading towards retirement and wondering, “What do I do now with my life?” For starters, the longer we credit professionals work in our field, the deeper and more diverse our expertise...

I received a call in early December from a client who wanted my feedback on a new sales terms arrangement they were discussing with one of their customers for this new year.  Our client is a mid-sized manufacturer of a unique plastic...

https://youtu.be/pb6WMnOrVlk Happy Holidays From CMI!

One of the things I enjoy doing is sharing the challenges that some of our clients are experiencing. By learning from their issues is how we continue to be a work in progress, avoid the same mistakes, and improve on the performance of our credit risk management...

Last year after I wrote the article, What I Look for in Choosing a New Credit Manager, I have continued to receive inquiries from credit professionals asking for my thoughts, especially in this economy, about changing jobs.  Bearing in mind that I’m not...

I received a call the other day from the president of one of our clients to get my thoughts from a credit and collection perspective on what to do with a shipment that their customer put on hold.   Our client, a specialty plastics film manufacturer, received an order...

As most of you have already noticed, bankruptcies are on a dramatic rise. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, it’s estimated that in 2020 there will be about 7,300 total commercial filings. This is a 30% increase over 2019, in which there were 5,519...

Not to sound cliché, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. With the economy struggling, and even customers that we thought were “built to last” experiencing tight budgets and cash flow problems, we never know who the next serious past due account...

Like many of you, I’m taking several deep breaths as the business community carefully moves forward from a self-imposed 2-3 month hibernation. Stepping out carefully to adhere to the working normal, we are grateful for still being able to fully support our clients for...

In these trying and emotional times, when our lives have been horribly disrupted by health and financial challenges, we still need to get up every day and do things to retain some semblance of normalcy. Some of what we do may be new and refreshing, and other...

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends,Without question, whether it's customers or suppliers, everyone is concerned about their business and how other businesses may affect them.  With the latter in mind, I am pleased to inform you that as your collection outsourcing...

For the month of March 2020, I was planning on sending out our regular newsletter but in view of the Coronavirus pandemic, I thought it would be more appropriate to address this issue with some thoughts and ideas for your consideration. The first thing I...

As a credit risk management professional, I’m often requested by clients to share my thoughts on various credit risk management issues. One topic that recently came up was whether the company should centralize each global credit operation into one very large hub in...

As tax season is now upon us, there’s often the opportunity for accounting firms to take on new business clients. Without question, it’s always nice whenever a new client knocks on the door and there’s the hope that a small initial tax return can gradually evolve into...

It’s so nice to have customers you feel are good as gold. They’re the ones who’ve been with you for years — maybe even generations. They order on a regular basis, in large amounts, and always pay on time. They’ve contributed to your company’s long-term success and...

From time to time a few of our clients will find themselves without a credit manager and have reached out to CMI for assistance in finding a replacement. This request is not an easy one since by virtue of its products, services, size, number of employees, and the...

For many companies, deductions continue to be a serious problem that are costly, cause confusion, and impact customer relationships. Usually the reasons for deductions fall into one of the following categories: 1) Pricing errors between the invoice and the purchase...