by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 18, 2018 | Feature Article
In our busy world of trying to get new customers and hold on to the currents ones, every company strives to attain three sales and credit goals: to maximize sales safely to maximize cash flow to minimize credit risk, past due accounts and bad debts When these three...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 14, 2018 | Feature Article
I received a call recently from the accounting manager at one of our smaller clients who asked me about what I thought the credit authorization levels within her company should be. I responded that the credit authorization level depends on many factors. Even if I...
by Nancy Seiverd | May 9, 2018 | Feature Article
How I loved the scene from the musical Cabaret with Liza Minelli and Joel Gray when they sung and danced to the song, Money Makes the World Go Round. With the catchy lyrics and foot tapping melody, I feel the song definitely resonates with my profession. Recently, one...
by Nancy Seiverd | Apr 11, 2018 | Feature Article
Broadly speaking, conglomerates are huge multinational and publicly traded corporations that either partially or fully own a number of other companies in a wide array of industries. One of the most well known conglomerates is Berkshire Hathaway, which has throughout...
by Nancy Seiverd | Mar 13, 2018 | Feature Article
As we credit professionals hurry to gather all of the substantiating documentation to evaluate a customer’s creditworthiness, which may include the customer’s financial statements and trade and bank references, not much thought may be given to the timing...
by Nancy Seiverd | Feb 6, 2018 | Feature Article
As credit professionals, we may sometimes find ourselves at odds with the sales department and the executive management. The main reason is that while the sales team is trying to push the credit envelope to reach their sales goals, we’re pushing back trying to protect...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 3, 2018 | Feature Article
Now that the holidays are over with all of its family, food, and fanfare, it’s time to get back to work. I imagine that except for the few who are super organized, most of us have a pile of papers on our desks that resemble a mini Mt. Everest waiting to be reviewed....
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 14, 2017 | Feature Article
As a credit and collection professional for a few decades, I’ve seen my share of ploys by debtors who have attempted to show they have paid. At a minimum, this illusion is an effort to buy a little more time to eventually make a legitimate payment. At a maximum,...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 14, 2017 | Feature Article
Another Thanksgiving is upon us and it’s time for millions of Americans across the US to share a beautiful meal, have lots of laughs, and enjoy one of the most important holidays in our country. Sadly, there are still millions who have no where to go for this special...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 17, 2017 | Feature Article
Some of us, in spite of spending a lot of time planning our days and weeks, know that with one phone call at 8:00am, our entire schedule can be thrown off and all the things meticulously planned can be put on the back burner. But before we let the backlog of our to-do...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 17, 2017 | Feature Article
In our world of ongoing technological improvements, it seems that companies are continuously striving to rationalize many aspects of their operations. Whether it’s the assembly line process, in which manufacturing robotics often replace factory workers, many...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 20, 2017 | Feature Article
One of the things I greatly appreciate about working with a wide range of clients is that we can learn from each other. Some days I’m the teacher and other days, I’m the student. As every client’s business and credit risk management system has a vast array of...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 20, 2017 | Feature Article
One of the most important aspects in executing the functions of a credit manager is to keep one’s eyes open, especially for the possibility of a fraudulent situation. Although there are countless examples of how fraud can rear its ugly head from internal and external...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jul 20, 2017 | Feature Article
From time to time we at CMI receive an inquiry from a potential client with a heads up that their conversation with the customer got a little intense. In a recent inquiry, we were informed that after making several prior requests for payment, suddenly during the last...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jun 14, 2017 | Feature Article
What’s the meaning of being a trusted outsourcing partner who can confidently fulfill a range of a client’s needs? Every new business relationship is usually met with a dose of skepticism, since the supplier and customer each have their concerns about fulfilling...
by Nancy Seiverd | Apr 7, 2017 | Feature Article
As credit and collection professionals, we’re always under pressure from upper management to get the DSO down. Many years ago when I was just getting started, I remember learning that DSO is often determined on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Not to bore you but...
by Nancy Seiverd | Feb 22, 2017 | Feature Article
It’s been said over and over that credit professionals should walk in the shoes of sales professionals and vice versa. Why is that so important? It’s because by experiencing each other’s challenges and frustrations, there will be a better understanding of what it...
