Managing risk in the Utility sector

• Understand the data your business needs in order to manage risk effectively
• Gain an overview of effective customer base segmentation techniques for risk evaluation and management
• Cross industry data sharing – what's available, plus what you can and can't share to beat bad debts
• A detailed look at Application Scoring as a core energy risk management technique
• Take home a guide to the leading, proven processes for effective risk reduction

Paul Schofield, Head of Credit Strategy & Policy , Scottish Power Energy Retail

Enterprise Credit Risk Management strategies

• How to establish the level of credit risk your company is exposed to quickly, easily and accurately
• Your risk will change minute for minute – learn how to keep track of risk fluctuations in real time
• Simple for one utility in one market… Now understand how to do this cross border, cross product, cross entity
• Once you know your risk – how much should you be carrying and what is the optimum level to set your credit limits?
• Minimising Credit risk effectively – topics covered include: margining techniques, counterparty arrangements and contract terms

Peter Robinson, Sales and Marketing director , UMB

Optimising your organisation for debt prevention

Focusing on operations in Scandinavia , Vattenfall will:

• Assess whether credit scoring has really helped them manage credit risk effectively
• Discuss how sales organisations can best harness credit information for risk reduction
• Explore country specific factors that must be taken into risk considerations
• Illustrate how your organisation's ‘eyes and ears' can be focused to reduce credit risk during the sales process
• Examine the challenges presented by conflict between Sales Score cards and key credit risk management strategies

Mats Forsman, Director of Sales and Product Development , Vattenfall

Customer segmentation for effective collections

• What data must you hold on your customers to ensure you can segment effectively for collection activities?
• Understand how to structure operational processes to ensure customer profiling information is sourced effectively
• Learn best practise in customer profiling and segmentation – case study insight from the Utilities, Telecommunications and other sectors
• The role of credit reference and other 3 rd party / shared data in customer classification

Tony Lee, New Business director , Equifax

Sue Chapple, Head of Client Services , Severn Trent Complete Credit Management

PANEL SESSION

The link between brand, reputation and collection success

• Back to basics: Customer preference – what do customer’s really care about when selecting a Utility? Low prices, quality service, value added offers or just a steady supply?
• Brand familiarity and trust will help you get the cash in – trust means prompt payment, or does it?
• Corporate and Social Responsibility – companies have to be responsible these days. Credit and Collections operations particularly – responsible practise explored
• Nobody likes a big multinational these days! Look small – collect large? [The local vs. Global debate]
• M&A. Reputation risk to watch for when on the acquisition hunt.

If you want to join this Panel Session, please contact Conference Director

Risk-based collection processes for better results  

Guiding your way to reduced risk of default payment; reduced collection time and DSO; and freed up time for profitable customers:

• Use credit scores to their greatest effect – learn techniques for evaluation and segmentation
• The whys and hows of engaging marketing and sales in your collections activity!
• How you can tailor your collection activities without losing efficiency
• Understand the role of analytics as an instrument for credit and collections management

Angela Adelhardt, Solution Manager Service Industries , SAP AG, Germany

Incorporating Analytics into the Credit Cycle to enhance profit

This step-by-step guide will show you how to use specialist, tried and tested quantitative methods to control your credit:

• Learn the benefits of, and how to engage, the Optimum Credit cycle
• The placement of the analytical engine must be carefully considered for optimal results – find out where it goes!
• Understand the impact these analytics will have on your credit management performance

And see this all illustrated with living, working case studies!

Phil Wood, Director – UK , Secor Consulting

Consumer debt - credit risk issue or fraud? 

• Are you dealing with an energy fraudster or a genuine bad debt? Hear how to identify cases to increase collection and efficiency
• How much money are you throwing away? Learn quantitative techniques for measuring the problem
• Churning your supplier to avoid payment – gain insights into these practices from a working case study
• Authentification and verification: How to get the most from your application process
• What can be done when a fraudster is detected? Understand the best courses of action!

Michael Spencer, Head of Sales , Energy And Water, Experian

Reducing Bad Debt without Replacing Your Billing System

Bad debt write-offs have now risen to 0.5% of total revenue. Discover how to transform this problem into a competitive edge!

• Find out how to configure credit scoring effectively to minimise risk
• Understand how to efficiently tailor treatment paths to increase your chance of recovering as much danger debt as possible
• Optimise your treatments in different markets while staying in compliance
• Learn step-by-step methods to implement collections best practices now – with minimised cost, effort or overhaul

Paul Grey, Chief Market Strategist , Peace Software

What strategies should utilities use to find the most appropriate billing platforms and packages?

Your guide to the vendor and system selection maze – take away practical experience based advice to save you time and money and increase your efficiency

• Package or bespoke? Understand the factors to take into consideration, and the implications of following either route.
• Learn to implement tactical improvements to deliver the best from what you have
• Is future proofing possible or are billing system upgrades a fact of life? Take a look at what the future will hold

Keith Simmonds, Managing Consultant , SAIC

Metering and Meter Reading : Opportunities and Threats in liberalised Markets in Germany

This leading research institute will take you through a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know about making the most of market liberalisation:

• Get a clear view of conditions on the road to market liberalisation
• Hear the strategies that will help you get the maximum benefit from the rising market
• Gain an understanding of your organisational, processual and technological options to help you make the most of this opportunity
• The road to monthly meter readings – a case study illustration of how you can increase efficiency through consumption measurement

Dirk Briese, CEO , Trend Research

Customer Service Best Practice

• Firm but fair – hear how new techniques and technologies can help you increase your debt collection AND increase your sales!
• Learn to improve your customer treatment and collection processes using real time technology during your customer interactions
• Understand how to decide which method of being paid will be the best – for every case!
• Cutting customer service costs: An in-depth look at strategies that can cut costs and improve collection

Chris Tooke, Director, thinkAnalytics

Collections Efficiency Through Payment Diversity

Recent developments have opened up many new channels for payment: on-line, voice recognition, automatic voice calls, SMS texting, and automatic payment lines to name a few. This is your opportunity to find how to take best advantage of them!

• Times change and customer preferences with them. Hear about the payment channels that are proving most successful and why
• Although prepayment, pay-as-you-go and other payment systems remain popular, it's a web world now – will all payments soon be collected over the internet?
• Should you be weaning customers off non net-based payment channels? Learn how to change customer behaviour without impacting collection success

Alan Chandler , Global Strategy Manager, Market Infrastructure Energy & Utilities , LogicaCMG

New Approaches To Supporting Non-Paying Customers

• Gain an insight into what's happening in the UK at the moment, and where our progress will take us in years to come
• Develop a clear view of the business case as to why you should support your non-paying customers
• Understand the different solutions for helping your customers; hear practical insights into what has and has not worked well
• Compare the opportunities in collaborative working and learn the steps you will need to take to achieve this
• Benefit from a view of utilities debt in the context of the wider debt load

Adrian Chapman, Business Development Director, Charis

Beat bad debt! – Collection tools and techniques   

• Collection strategies enjoy differing levels of success in different markets – this is your guide to essential strategies across the EU and beyond
• Identifying the best collection method for an account is simple…just do a Cost Benefit Analysis. Easily said, not so easily done. A step-by-step guide to approaches that are proven; and flawed methods to avoid
• A collection approach is chosen but the cash is still a long way form the bank! How to fine-tune collections treatments to maximise cash recovered  
• Understand the creditor strategies for dealing with the insolvent and bad debts

Julian Green, Director, Billing Solutions EMEA, SPL WorldGroup

Collectors in fancy dress: the way to get paid in Spain

A loophole in Spanish law allows costumed debt collectors to use public humiliation as a tool of their trade . Other countries consider any tactic aimed at humiliating consumers into paying their debts professional misconduct . And while the practice is banned elsewhere in Europe, in Spain , in a tradition dating back to the middle ages, a man in debt can expect a visit from a mob of men in friar's outfits, or tails and a top hat!

Hear the details of this bizarre phenomenon from a leading consultant and best selling author.

Pere J. Brachfield , General Manager, Morosologos Asociados

What to do with vulnerable can't pay customers

• Hear how definitions of vulnerable differ across Europe – is a standard definition possible and desirable?  

• Learn how to spot customers that are likely to become non-payers – before it's too late. Understand the methodologies used to identify those that are heading for financial trouble
• Benefit from a discussion of low-income assistance programmes and other ways of assisting people that are struggling to pay
• Dealing with the destitute – how to decide what to do when disconnection isn't an option and there isn't money to collect

Henry Mehta, Head of Customer Account and Debtor Management, Customer Services, Thames Water

PANEL SESSION

To disconnect or not to disconnect…If you can should you?

• When considering disconnection, how do you distinguish between real inability to pay and simple reluctance?
• Cutting off people that would respond to other collection techniques is expensive and inefficient… learn to spot those that will pay when pushed
• An overview of effective last-ditch techniques for collection prior to disconnection
• Criteria for the final decision – including: payment history, geographic proximity, monetary value and risk of financial loss

Julie Henkus – Head of Debt Management, EDF

Carlo Pegna, Legal Advisor, Master Collections

Katrien Gielis – Economist, VREG

Moderator – Martin Dunphy – Managing Director, Marlin Capital Europe

Debt sale: fair practise, last resort or time bomb?

• The reputation risk that goes with Debt sale is well known. Now learn how to safeguard customers when opting to sell
• Customer's reactions can be vocal and public. How should you communicate with them effectively in order to manage their reactions?
• Is it worth it really? Hear what sort of return utilities are seeing from debt sale across Europe
• Legislator and regulator perceptions of debt sale shift periodically. Find out exactly where we are right now and how positions will change in the medium term

Julio Prado, General Manager Collections, TRANSCOM WORLDWIDE

How was it last year? FREE Download the presentations from last year's event - EyeforEnergy's two day conference on “Credit & Collections for European Water, Electricity and Gas Companies 2005”

If you have a suggestion for a topic that should be covered,
or you'd like to suggest a speaker or present at the conference, please email the Event Director, or call +44 20 7375 7563