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Discover the essentials of credit management and learn how businesses monitor credit risk, improve collections, and maintain cash flow stability.
Credit management is a core financial function that helps businesses control credit risk, improve cash flow, and minimise the possibility of bad debts. Whether for banks, NBFCs, or companies offering trade credit, an efficient credit management system ensures that customers pay on time, credit losses remain low, and the organisation maintains healthy working capital.
Credit management is the process of evaluating, approving, monitoring, and collecting credit extended to customers or borrowers. It involves assessing creditworthiness, setting credit limits, ensuring timely payments, and reducing the risk of defaults.
At its core, credit management aims to strike a balance between enabling sales growth (through credit) and protecting the business from financial losses.
The primary objectives of credit management include:
Ensuring customers or borrowers have the ability and willingness to pay
Reducing credit risk and preventing bad debts
Maintaining smooth cash flow and liquidity
Setting appropriate credit terms and limits
Ensuring compliance with internal credit policies and regulatory standards
Improving profitability by lowering credit-related loss provisions
Credit management directly influences a company’s financial stability and long-term sustainability.
Effective credit management consists of several interconnected components:
Credit Assessment: Analysing financial statements, credit scores, business stability, and repayment capacity
Credit Approval: Setting credit limits and terms based on risk assessment
Credit Policy: Defining rules for credit eligibility, payment terms, collateral, and monitoring
Credit Monitoring: Tracking outstanding payments, ageing reports, and behavioural patterns
Collections Management: Ensuring timely follow-ups, reminders, and resolution of overdue accounts
Risk Control Measures: Credit insurance, collateral, guarantees, and early warning systems
Together, these components ensure disciplined credit governance.
A typical credit management process includes the following steps:
Defining credit policies – Establishing guidelines for credit approvals, documentation, evaluation criteria, and payment terms
Evaluating customer or borrower risk – Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, credit history, and risk indicators
Setting credit limits – Assigning appropriate credit lines based on risk appetite and financial strength
Monitoring transactions – Tracking credit utilisation, due dates, and payment behaviour
Managing collections – Sending reminders, negotiating payment plans, and handling overdue accounts
Reviewing and updating credit terms – Adjusting terms when financial or market conditions change
Reporting & compliance – Maintaining reports for internal reviews and regulatory adherence
This structured flow ensures that credit is extended prudently and recovered effectively.
A credit manager plays an important role in maintaining credit discipline. Key responsibilities include:
Analysing client creditworthiness and financial health
Approving or rejecting credit applications
Designing and implementing credit policies
Setting credit limits and monitoring exposures
Managing receivables, ageing reports, and collection strategies
Identifying early warning signs of default
Leading communication between sales, finance, and collections teams
Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
A credit manager’s judgments directly impact business revenue, cash flow, and risk exposure.
Credit management can face several challenges, such as:
Delayed customer payments affecting liquidity
Incomplete or unreliable financial information during assessments
Economic downturns leading to higher default risks
Inadequate credit policies that expose organisations to excessive risk
Conflict between sales and risk teams over credit decisions
Regulatory changes affecting credit norms and documentation
Addressing these challenges requires a mix of strong evaluation systems, technology-driven monitoring, and continuous policy updates.
Effective credit management strengthens a company’s financial health by balancing risk control with growth needs. It helps safeguard cash flow, reduce bad debts, and maintain stable customer relationships. When implemented well, it becomes a strategic capability that supports long-term sustainability and operational efficiency.
Key Takeaways:
Credit management protects businesses from financial risk and bad debts.
It improves cash flow through disciplined evaluation and monitoring.
Structured processes support efficient decision-making and customer assessment.
It enhances overall financial resilience and operational stability.
Effective credit management supports sustainable financial operations.
This content is for informational purposes only and the same should not be construed as investment advice. Bajaj Finserv Direct Limited shall not be liable or responsible for any investment decision that you may take based on this content.
Credit management involves evaluating, granting, and supervising credit while ensuring timely collections and keeping financial risk under control.
Effective credit management supports stable cash flow, reduces the likelihood of bad debts, and strengthens the overall financial health of a business.
The process typically includes credit assessment, approval of terms, continuous monitoring of receivables, collection of dues, and regular review of credit policies.
A credit manager reviews credit applications, determines credit limits, monitors outstanding receivables, and ensures efficient collection processes are followed.
Key challenges include delayed customer payments, limited access to reliable financial information, economic fluctuations, and meeting regulatory or compliance requirements.
Credit management covers the full lifecycle of extending and controlling credit, whereas credit risk management focuses specifically on identifying, measuring, and mitigating the risk of customer default.
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