Printed, delivered, unpaid
A trade customer who reliably sends a lot of work has slowed their payments. Accounts put them on stop two weeks ago and emailed the sales team. Since then, three more jobs have come in. The account handler, who did not see the email, booked them in as normal. Production printed them. Dispatch sent them. The balance is now considerably bigger, and the customer is not answering the phone.
Nobody did anything wrong in their own part of the process. The problem is that the information about credit never reached the point where the decision to print was made.
Credit and production do not talk
In most print businesses, credit control sits in the accounts package, such as Xero or Sage, and production runs from the MIS. The two often share customer names but not much else.
- Credit limits and overdue balances are not visible when a job is booked in.
- Stop notices go by email or word of mouth and are missed.
- Jobs already in production when an account goes on stop are not reviewed.
- Nobody has clear authority to release a held job, so decisions are ad hoc.
- Work in progress is not counted towards the customer's exposure.
What it costs to print on credit
Print is costly to produce before you are paid: paper, plates, press time and finishing are spent up front. When a customer on stop keeps ordering and you keep printing, your exposure grows at exactly the moment the risk is highest. Bad debts in print are expensive because the goods have little value to anyone else. There is also a people cost: account handlers dread the conversation, accounts feel ignored, and arguments start internally.
Credit checks at the point of order
- Customer balances, credit limits, overdue amounts and stop flags are read regularly from your accounts package through its API.
- Work in progress and approved but unbilled jobs are added from the MIS, so exposure includes what you are about to invoice.
- When a job is booked in, the account handler sees the customer's credit status on the order screen.
- Jobs for accounts over limit, overdue beyond your terms or on stop are held automatically and sent to a named person for a decision.
- That person can release, hold or ask for payment up front, and the decision is recorded with a reason.
- When an account goes on stop, jobs already in production are listed so someone decides whether to finish, hold or hold for payment before dispatch.
| Situation | Today | With the check |
|---|---|---|
| Customer on stop sends a job | Booked in as normal | Held for a decision |
| Over limit with work in progress | Not visible | Exposure includes WIP |
| Who can release? | Whoever is asked | Named people, recorded |
| Jobs already running | Carry on | Listed for review |
We do not set your credit policy. Limits, terms and who decides are yours; the system makes sure they are applied where orders are taken.
Credit decisions made on purpose
Account handlers see credit status as part of booking a job, so there are no surprises. Accounts no longer rely on emails being read. Decisions to release work for a good customer who is a bit late are still possible, but they are made by the right person and recorded. Your exposure to any one customer is visible at any time, including what is on the press floor.
Is this a risk for you?
- You have printed and delivered jobs for accounts on stop.
- Stop notices are sent by email to the sales team.
- Credit limits are not visible in the MIS.
- Nobody is clearly responsible for releasing held work.
- Work in progress is not counted in customer exposure.