Job Description

The Finance Operations function delivers transactional processing services covering Purchase to Pay (P2P), Order to Cash (O2C), and Record to Report (R2R).
This full-time role is part of the O2C team in the Finance Operations function. The role is to perform Credit Control activities which will maximise cash flow and reduce bad debt across the Sage business in order to have an effective working capital with a key focus on collections in the Asia region.
The successful candidate should be experienced in the Credit Control process in a Finance Operations environment.

Key Responsibilities Key accountabilities and decision ownership:
Credit control activities duties and responsibilities:

• Proactive debt chase adhering to debt chase policy and procedures, to ensure customer debt is collected as pre agreed terms. Ensure that cash flow is optimised at all times.
• Ensure Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) is at a manageable level and agreed targets achieved.
• Build effective relationships with key customers and internal Sales teams to manage risk and credit decisions and maximise cash flow.
• Ensure that all customer credits, refunds or discounts are managed and enabled.
• Identify risk via effective credit checks of new and current customers and adopt a sensible approach to credit/payment terms offered.
• Regular reviews of ledger balances including proactive remedies to reduce or eliminate bad debt. This will include preparation of any cases requiring escalation for legal action and the highlighting and management of any transactions or accounts which may need inclusions in bad debt or credit note provisions.
• Effective reconciliation of customer accounts when required.

Customer query duties and responsibilities:

• Ensure customer calls/digital chats and email boxes are maintained at an acceptable level. Ensure that all customer calls are answered in a timely, accurate and professional manner leading to excellent customer service. Ensure abandoned calls are within company standards

• Manage customer queries and payment / collections related issues to agreed targets and quality standards.
• Proactive prioritisation of customer queries to maximise collections.
• Build relationships with the other business teams to ensure customer queries are resolved accurately and within agreed timelines.

Cash allocation duties and responsibilities:

• Follow established procedures for processing payments received through the bank accounts, credit card transactions and cheques (if applicable)
• Managing the input of new direct debit instructions, together with cancellations and amendments
• Processing daily reports from the payments system, process weekly collection and unpaid files
• Taking ownership of any complaints through to a successful resolution including investigations on payment disputes
• Working closely with the Credit Control, Customer Care and Sales functions in the business to ensure that all direct debit rules and guidelines are adhered to
• Ensure accurate and timeous cash allocation.
• Ensure unallocated cash is investigated an allocated accordingly.
• Proactive follow up of unallocated cash.
• Regular reviews of ledger balances including proactive remedies to ensure unallocated cash is investigated and applied/escalated.
• Complete monthly reconciliations for cash clearing accounts, including investigating and resolving reconciling items

Daily and monthly job performance requirements

• Being involved in learning and development activities, including setting a personal development plan.
• Build effective relationships with customers and internal Sales teams to manage risk and credit decisions and maximise cash flow.
• Keep Collections Manager updated on process issues.
• Active participation in process improvement projects as per the Sage continuous improvement culture.
• Contribution to the reporting, understanding and action plans around team KPIs and process controls as per the Business Control Framework.
• Ensure that all internal compliance guidance and external regulation is adhered to including, keeping yourself a breast of the consumer credit act, direct debit legislation, Sage Revenue Recognition guidance and other legislations applicable to the Territory.
• Participate in departmental/companywide projects as required.
• Cover for other team/colleagues as required.

Key performance indicators:

• Compliance with Global O2C Key Performance indicators and monthly reporting deadlines
• Customer sentiment - NPS
• Financial benefit - working capital, cashed efficiencies
• Debt volume and age
• Ensure all received cash is allocated within agreed timescales
• Unallocated cash ageing and minimise number of unapplied and unmatched cash transactions
• Query volume and age
• Timeliness

Skills, know-how and experience:

• Minimum 2 years Credit & collections experience, preferably in a technology environment.
• Experience of fast paced collections environment with changing targets.
• Experience with working in a service-oriented culture including working within SLAs.
• Experience in working in a changing environment, preferably good ERP experience.
• Preferably good CRM experience.
• Proven cash collection/credit control experience
• Proven working knowledge of Microsoft xc2xae Office Suite (Excel, Word and PowerPoint)
• Excellent written verbal and communication skills
• Understanding of O2C KPI's & Processes
• Understanding of the Chinese language - written or verbal would be advantageous

Technical / professional qualifications:

• Credit control qualifications and institute membership/financial qualification desirable
• Previous training on relevant legislation e.g. PCI, CCA, Direct Debit Scheme rule, revenue recognition preferable

Function Finance Operations

Country South Africa

Office Location Johannesburg

Work Place type Hybrid

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