First Installment of New Buyer's Guide Focuses on Credit Application Automation Tools
The first installment of the third edition of Credit Today's Credit and Collection Technology Buyer's Guide affords an objective overview of the key technology vendors that are marketing credit application automation tools to trade creditors. Later installments will address the other functional areas of the order-to-cash (OTC) process as they relate to receivables management, credit and collections. We anticipate publishing four to six installments yearly, and so will cover the entire order-to-cash spectrum every two to three years, thereby providing our Members with a series of detailed technology buyer's guides.
We deliver the most comprehensive software buyer's guides for the trade credit community. Other publications have provided listings of the vendors providing B2B receivables management tools accompanied by an article or some case studies, but little else in terms of in-depth functional analysis. At the same time, very few analyst firms have compiled reports that touch on credit and collections, and those that have done so have only focused on a narrow segment of the marketplace. And unlike the analyst firms, we don't give out any "Best in Class" awards -- we merely report the facts as we see them.
We created this guide for credit professionals and other financial and IT executives who are looking to automate some aspect of receivables management. Not only do we provide you with extensive details about each product's functionality and features, but we also discuss the critical issues that need to be addressed during your technology selection process.
In this guide, you'll find an impartial guide to help you find the right technology solution to address your needs. Whether you have already implemented software solutions to address one or more credit and collection challenges or are just beginning to automate receivables processes, you'll find up-to-date, in-depth information you can use as a foundation for your selection process. Whether you are starting fresh, addressing a new area of concern, or desiring to upgrade your existing solutions, this buyer's guide will help you:
- Appreciate the implications resulting from different technology choices, including the build-verses-buy issue
- Identify and prioritize the selection criteria for your project
- Outline your own request for proposal (RFP)
- Access the most relevant data on the software vendors and their products so you can narrow your list of the best candidates
Even though this is a "technology guide" it is written in plain English for business executives, not computer professionals. As such, our discussions focus more on the business process management (BPM) issues than the technical aspects of the technology solutions. We will discuss implementation issues, but primarily from a business or credit management, rather than a technical, perspective.
Although this guide provides a wealth of detail about each vendor's products, it is no substitute for your own due diligence regarding potential technology solutions - rather, it is a tool we hope you will incorporate into your due diligence.
In addition, it is important to recognize that the unique characteristics of your business and industry add another layer of complexity to your selection process. In the area of credit and collections, it is very difficult for one vendor to best address the needs of every industry and enterprise. The challenges faced by a transportation company will be very different from those of a building supply firm or a consumer goods manufacturer. What works for one of your peers, may not work best for you. It is our earnest desire that your expertise regarding your own company, combined with the information provided by this buyer's guide will help you select the technology products that are the best fit for your needs.
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