'See digitalization as an opportunity, not as a threat'

Published on 23/09/2021

We spoke to Ronald van Groningen, credit manager at TotalEnergies, about his vision on credit management. Within TotalEnergies Marketing Netherlands, Ronald is responsible for the Credit Control department, where he and his colleagues take care of accounts receivable management, from customer creation and credit check to customer follow-up calls. We asked him what challenges and developments he sees in his field in the near future.

Can you tell us a little more about TotalEnergies and your role?

'TotalEnergies is the new name of Total and is one of the world's largest energy companies. We work with more than 100.000 colleagues worldwide and are active in more than 130 countries. TotalEnergies is one of the largest investors in sustainable energy and that is why we also offer clean fuel solutions. In the Netherlands, the head office is in The Hague, where almost 200 colleagues work.'

What major challenges do you see within credit management?

'Technological developments are also occurring at a rapid pace within credit management. Due to developments such as data analytics and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), we will undoubtedly see that certain processes, such as administrative and repetitive tasks, are automated. We will also soon be able to better predict the payment behavior of our customers and adjust our approach accordingly. In short, we are dealing with standardization on the one hand and customization on the other. Furthermore, as far as I am concerned, the biggest challenge is to unite the human component with these technological developments. Not every decision can be captured in an algorithm.'

Will digitalization influence the role of credit management and what other developments do you see?

'Certainly, that is why the focus is on making all kinds of processes within credit management run more efficiently. This includes automatic credit checks, digitally sending reminders, the use of e-mandates for direct debit and the use of new customer payment methods such as Tikkie, iDeal, Apple Pay, etc.'

Will there still be a need for the 'traditional' credit manager in a number of years?

Our field continues to develop, so the credit manager must also continue to develop. The human component will always remain important, but mainly focused on strategy and (pro-active) advice to the sales department. By the way, I think that not only the role of the credit manager is changing, but also that of the 'traditional' debtor manager. I already see this within my own department. Nowadays, calling and emailing customers only takes up a limited amount of time. The focus is mainly on analyzing our (potential) customers, which creates opportunities and means that we have to write off much less afterwards.'

In conclusion, do you have any good tips for credit managers?

'My tip is: see digitalization as an opportunity, not as a threat. With good interaction between humans and robots, an organization will see credit management even more as added value.'

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