JBA ensures credit is only given where it`s due

JBA is set to help mid-market businesses attain new levels of customer service with the launch of its back office application, JBA Credit Diary. The software will enable credit control departments to identify, analyze and solve problems before they impact upon customer relations.

In the rush to reap the potentially huge rewards that effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is able to bring, many companies are investing in front office staff training and software without paying appropriate attention to the back office - as Bruckner de Villiers, Managing Director, JBA South Africa, explains:

"Customer service requires every aspect of the organization to be customer orientated. No matter how much is invested in training and equipping front desk staff, effective customer service cannot be delivered unless back room functions are managed with the same goal in mind. When this is not the case, the customer service philosophy is little more than the sweet outer coating of an otherwise very bitter pill."

Typically, credit departments are constrained by having to work reactively. They are seldom able to anticipate problems before they occur, and consequently have difficulty prioritizing routine - but vital - work, such as debt collection. Credit Diary utilizes JBA`s @ctive processes to automatically flag potential customer service issues, smoothing the business flow.

For example, Credit Diary alerts the relevant staff when a client is reaching their credit limit, according to previously defined levels. This helps avert the potentially damaging situation of a customer having an order blocked due to them having insufficient credit. Flagging situations such as these gives the user the chance to communicate this information to their customers, ensuring that they then have the opportunity to adjust their credit levels accordingly.

Although cash collection is one of the most important administrative functions in any business, it frequently operates with out of date information. Invoices are often chased based on week old data, which can lead to customers who have recently settled their outstanding bills being contacted for payment that is no longer due.

JBA Credit Diary solves this problem by monitoring customer payments, compiling them and automatically presenting the credit controller with a prioritized up-to-date call schedule every day. No time is wasted in its compilation, and the list is continually updated to include crucial events as they happen, like cheques that have been banked or rejected. Ultimately, the improved management of relevant data can eliminate embarrassing, unnecessary calls.

Bruckner continues:

"Combining the ability to deal with credit issues proactively with a debt list that is updated daily gives cash collection staff a very powerful tool. It can help them use their time more effectively, help reduce standing debt and smooth the business flow, but the bottom line is improved customer service."

For further information, please contact Yolanda Komen at tel. (011) 804 5062; fax (011) 804 5072; e-mail: ykomen@jba.co.za