18 August 2010
Media release
Networking and training in credit management
Dun & Bradstreet and Atradius set up association for credit management in
Switzerland
The financial crisis showed up the effects of unilateral risk exposure – also in Swiss firms. It has
become a matter of survival to be up-to-date in dealing with receivables risk. Claims management
plays a central role in this regard. As yet, Switzerland has neither relevant quality standards, nor a
trade association for credit managers. This gap is to be filled with the establishment of the 'Verein
für Credit Management Schweiz' (Association for Credit Management Switzerland). As an
independent platform, it will promote networking and the exchange between its members. Another
of the association's aims is to train credit managers.
Urdorf/Zurich, 18 August 2010 – Dun & Bradstreet (Schweiz) AG and Atradius Credit Insurance N.V. in
Zurich have founded the 'Verein für Credit Management Schweiz'. "The financial crisis made us again aware
of the importance of professional claims management for the survival of companies. As yet, however, there
are no quality standards in Switzerland for this central function in a company. We are now closing this
demand gap," says Lucien Hofmann, Country Manager at Atradius Schweiz and President of the 'Verein für
Credit Management Schweiz'.
Credit managers work in the area of conflict between turnover and risk. On the one hand, firms are
interested in attaining the largest possible turnover; on the other, however, risks should be kept to a
minimum. Credit management acts as an intermediary between these two contrasting specifications. Since
delays or defaults of payment can lead to one's own insolvency, the founders of the association believe that
there is great interest in credit management. "It is the aim of the 'Verein für Credit Management Schweiz' to
pass on relevant specialised knowledge. It provides an independent platform for its members to network and
exchange views," explains Andreas Hungerbühler, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Dun &
Bradstreet and Vice-President of the 'Verein für Credit Management Schweiz'. In addition to various training
events, the association plans to develop a training course for credit managers.
Further information can be found at www.creditmanager.ch.
Background information about supplier credit and credit management:
Credit management (synonyms: claims or receivables management) handles the allocation and monitoring
of supplier credit, which sellers grant customers by means of the time that elapses between delivery and
payment (payment target). These loans, granted by companies amongst each other, are one of the most
important forms of short-term financing.
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)
D&B belongs to the Bisnode Group and is a part of the worldwide D&B network, which is the world market
leader for business information and company assessments. Companies from all sectors make use of D&B's
data and solutions for credit assessment, customer acquisition and strategic procurement. The D&B
database with information about 800,000 Swiss firms and more than 163 million companies worldwide forms
the foundation. The credit rating assessment of companies also takes their payment behaviour into account.
To this end, D&B assesses some 9 million invoices per year in Switzerland alone. The D-U-N-S® Number
introduced by D&B ensures the accurate allocation of information to the respective companies. The D-U-NS® Number is recommended and used as a standard by the European Commission and the ISO, amongst
others, and is also used in Switzerland by large, renowned companies and banks as a tool for identifying
customers and suppliers in risk managemen.
Please cite Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) as a credit reference agency or as a credit rating provider.
You can find all the studies and statistics published by D&B on the press page of our website
(www.dnb.ch/presse).
Atradius
The Atradius Group provides credit insurance, surety and collections services worldwide in 40 countries.
With a total income of more than EUR 1.7 billion and a 31% share of the global trade credit insurance
market, the Atradius Group supports companies the world over by protecting them from payment risks
associated with selling products and services on credit. With its 160 offices, Atradius has access to credit
information on 52 million companies worldwide and makes over 22,000 credit limit decisions daily.
Further information as well as a two-minute video animation about how supplier credit and credit insurance
work can be found on the Internet at www.atradius.ch.
Press contact Dun & Bradstreet (Schweiz) AG:
Press contact Atradius Kreditversicherung:
Andreas Hungerbühler
Director Marketing & Business Development
Grossmattstrasse 9, 8902 Urdorf
Andrea Köhnen
Senior Manager
Corporate Communications & Marketing
Klausstrasse 43, 8034 Zürich
Tel:
Mobile:
Fax:
E-mail:
Internet:
Tel:
Fax:
E-mail:
Internet:
044 735 61 58
079 255 84 05
044 735 61 10
hungerbuehler@dnb.ch
www.dnb.ch/presse
043 300 64 64
043 300 64 65
andrea.koehnen@atradius.com
www.atradius.ch