About Segafredo
In hospitality (the Horeca sector), managing receivables is a real challenge: high invoice volumes, irregular payments and customers who rarely react to reminders. For Segafredo, bringing structure to collections and cutting the time spent chasing payments had become essential.Nathalie Cuvelier, Office Manager at Segafredo
Segafredo Belgium is a distribution center that sells coffee from the Italian brand of the same name, along with professional equipment, to the hospitality and retail sectors.
With more than 3,000 invoices issued every month, the company faced unpredictable payment times and a heavy administrative workload. To work more efficiently and reduce its exposure to unpaid invoices, Segafredo needed a solution that would structure its collections, automate its reminders and improve cash flow, without adding to the team's workload.
The challenge
Before Recovr, invoice follow-up at Segafredo was an entirely manual process, with clear limitations:
- €50,000 to €200,000 in unpaid invoices every month, often hard to collect.
- 20 hours a month spent just identifying unpaid invoices and sending reminders.
- Irregular, poorly structured reminders, emailed one at a time from their accounting software (BOB 50).
- Customers who are sensitive to reminders, especially in hospitality, where some are slow to respond.
Our annual audit made it very clear: receivables more than 90 days old were a major problem for our cash flow. It was putting our relationship with investors at risk and weakening the company's financial position. We knew we had to act fast to prevent further late payments and get a better handle on our receivables.
The solution
After assessing its needs, Segafredo rolled out Recovr with three priorities:
1. A reminder process built for hospitality customers
Segafredo set up automated reminder workflows that track payments and adapt to each customer profile:
- Standard workflow: Three reminders are sent. From the second one, customers are told they may be charged penalties and late-payment interest if they don't pay. If no payment has come in after the third reminder, the collections process begins.
- Workflow for hospitality customers: This sector calls for a softer touch. Hospitality customers may receive several reminders for the same payment, so they are handled in a way that avoids a negative reaction. The timing and frequency of reminders are adjusted to the often chaotic way payments are managed in the sector.
- Room for customers in difficulty: Segafredo can pause reminders when a customer asks for more time, as customers going through a difficult period often do. This keeps some flexibility and protects the relationship, without leaving the receivable unattended.
2. Automated payment tracking and action plans
With Recovr, Segafredo has cut the time spent on payment follow-up by 90%:
- Real-time payment tracking: Customer accounts update automatically, so the team always knows where each one stands.
- Automatic alerts on late payments: Customers who pay late are flagged right away, so the team can act sooner.
- Flexibility for customers in difficulty: Reminders can be paused when a customer asks for more time, without losing track of the invoice.
Before Recovr, we spent 20 hours a month on reminders. Now it takes us just 30 minutes a week to check payments and adjust a few specific accounts.
3. A customer portal that makes paying easier
Segafredo connected Recovr to its customer portal, so customers can view their invoices and pay online with ease. This has improved visibility of receivables and also reduced payment errors, especially among hospitality customers, who are often less on top of their payments.
- Invoices and online payment in one place: Customers can check the status of their payments and pay online, with several payment options.
- Fewer payment errors: By giving customers a clear view of their invoices, the portal reduces errors and duplicate payments, a common problem in hospitality.
Customers can log in to our platform themselves, see their invoices and pay online. It helps them keep better track of their payments and cuts down on errors.
Tangible results within a few months
Recovr has had a measurable impact on Segafredo's operations and financial performance.
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