What was my toughest business decision? Simple...handing in my resignation and leaving a 20 year employment at a large firm where I had (on paper), a successful career in Accounts Receivable Management. In that 20 year career, I began as a Credit Analyst, then promoted to Supervisor of Collections, advanced to Credit Manager and eventually to Senior Manager of Credit (the highest position within Credit and Collections).
In addition to leaving...I was uprooting my family. We were moving from Southern Conn. to Southern New Jersey. My family did support my decision.
Why do this? Simple....I was no longer in control of my organization. Attempts to automate the Collection process was being resisted. Folks were comfortable with the old paper process, my attempts to purchase a better "bolt on" system was rebuffed ...due in part to the IT Organization's promises to eventually build a better system for me (after some other projects were completed.).
Looking back...it was the best career decision I ever made. Sometimes you have to leave....or stay and simply whither on the vine...so to speak.
Let me provide some details. My prior employer (the 20 year place) was a high volume billing organization. You purchased equipment...followed by the accessories and support. The later were often small dollar (<$1,000) and their volume was in the tens of thousands per quarter. Calling and manual faxing (mid 1990's) was labor intensive, slow and just plan inefficient. Collectors fell hopelessly behind and trying to improve the DSO was a hopeless battle.
However....a Boston area company offered a "auto fax" system which "bolted on" to our Accounts Receivable system. It sounded great.....you click on an invoice (s) ...and it automatically sent out a cover letter and invoice copy. Wow...this is what I needed ! Get me out this Mt Everest of paperwork!
Curiously...my team and management were against it. They thought a collector's role was to be well organized (in handling paper) and this new system would only help those who were disorganized....weird logic,I thought. And, our IT Organization persuaded my management that they can build a comparable system ...eventually.
It was clear to me that I was no longer master of my fate. So....the resumes went out....got a call from a California based software company (with a So. Jersey office) to interview forr first Corporate Credit Manager. Got the job, got the automany...implemented a far reaching automated Collection system which went even farther than just faxing invoices. It had built in strategies which streamlined the collection work flow from day of invoicing to collection. The system paid for itself within 90 days.
Sometimes you just have to leave......I never looked back....until today...and I do it with a smile !
In addition to leaving...I was uprooting my family. We were moving from Southern Conn. to Southern New Jersey. My family did support my decision.
Why do this? Simple....I was no longer in control of my organization. Attempts to automate the Collection process was being resisted. Folks were comfortable with the old paper process, my attempts to purchase a better "bolt on" system was rebuffed ...due in part to the IT Organization's promises to eventually build a better system for me (after some other projects were completed.).
Looking back...it was the best career decision I ever made. Sometimes you have to leave....or stay and simply whither on the vine...so to speak.
Let me provide some details. My prior employer (the 20 year place) was a high volume billing organization. You purchased equipment...followed by the accessories and support. The later were often small dollar (<$1,000) and their volume was in the tens of thousands per quarter. Calling and manual faxing (mid 1990's) was labor intensive, slow and just plan inefficient. Collectors fell hopelessly behind and trying to improve the DSO was a hopeless battle.
However....a Boston area company offered a "auto fax" system which "bolted on" to our Accounts Receivable system. It sounded great.....you click on an invoice (s) ...and it automatically sent out a cover letter and invoice copy. Wow...this is what I needed ! Get me out this Mt Everest of paperwork!
Curiously...my team and management were against it. They thought a collector's role was to be well organized (in handling paper) and this new system would only help those who were disorganized....weird logic,I thought. And, our IT Organization persuaded my management that they can build a comparable system ...eventually.
It was clear to me that I was no longer master of my fate. So....the resumes went out....got a call from a California based software company (with a So. Jersey office) to interview forr first Corporate Credit Manager. Got the job, got the automany...implemented a far reaching automated Collection system which went even farther than just faxing invoices. It had built in strategies which streamlined the collection work flow from day of invoicing to collection. The system paid for itself within 90 days.
Sometimes you just have to leave......I never looked back....until today...and I do it with a smile !
In addition to leaving...I was uprooting my family. We were moving from Southern Conn. to Southern New Jersey. My family did support my decision.
Why do this? Simple....I was no longer in control of my organization. Attempts to automate the Collection process was being resisted. Folks were comfortable with the old paper process, my attempts to purchase a better "bolt on" system was rebuffed ...due in part to the IT Organization's promises to eventually build a better system for me (after some other projects were completed.).
Looking back...it was the best career decision I ever made. Sometimes you have to leave....or stay and simply whither on the vine...so to speak.
Let me provide some details. My prior employer (the 20 year place) was a high volume billing organization. You purchased equipment...followed by the accessories and support. The later were often small dollar (<$1,000) and their volume was in the tens of thousands per quarter. Calling and manual faxing (mid 1990's) was labor intensive, slow and just plan inefficient. Collectors fell hopelessly behind and trying to improve the DSO was a hopeless battle.
However....a Boston area company offered a "auto fax" system which "bolted on" to our Accounts Receivable system. It sounded great.....you click on an invoice (s) ...and it automatically sent out a cover letter and invoice copy. Wow...this is what I needed ! Get me out this Mt Everest of paperwork!
Curiously...my team and management were against it. They thought a collector's role was to be well organized (in handling paper) and this new system would only help those who were disorganized....weird logic,I thought. And, our IT Organization persuaded my management that they can build a comparable system ...eventually.
It was clear to me that I was no longer master of my fate. So....the resumes went out....got a call from a California based software company (with a So. Jersey office) to interview forr first Corporate Credit Manager. Got the job, got the automany...implemented a far reaching automated Collection system which went even farther than just faxing invoices. It had built in strategies which streamlined the collection work flow from day of invoicing to collection. The system paid for itself within 90 days.
Sometimes you just have to leave......I never looked back....until today...and I do it with a smile !
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