About Credit Strategy

Credit Strategy Inc. officially implemented its first credit management system in September 2001. In October 2002, Credit Strategy joined the National Association of Credit Management (NACM) family through an affiliation with NACM Tampa who has been serving the worldwide credit community since 1916. The new corporate organization consists of NACM Tampa, NACM Nashville, Creditworthy Company and Credit Strategy, Inc. NACM Tampa provides management support, financial support and technical services to all of its affiliates.

NACM Tampa is a commercial credit reporting and trade group management company that provides services for member companies around the world. The association maintains its own information systems staff and supports 21 NACM offices with a totally integrated credit bureau system. Over 500 trade groups representing thousands of users now use NACM Tampa’s software throughout North America. NACM Tampa can be contacted at 800.329.6226 or through the internet at www.nacmtampa.com.

Credit Strategy has quickly garnered interest from the smallest to the largest companies throughout North America. Its unique concept of configuring the clients own software (Microsoft Office) with a total credit management solution is the first of its kind. Modules are customized to a client’s specific processes and needs. Credit Strategy offers stand-alone modules in Credit, Collections and Deduction Management. All can be purchased or leased individually or, as a credit management enterprise package.

Description of Program

Credit Strategy is a client/server application that combines credit, collection and deduction management data from your existing A/R application with new data not typically stored in your A/R system. Data is accessed through Microsoft Access client software over a LAN or WAN. Credit Strategy does not write back to your system.

Benefits

Credit Strategy organizes credit data and presents it to the user through an intuitive workflow process that increases productivity significantly. It is not unusual for Credit Strategy to increase productivity by 20-50%. Credit Strategy also helps manage accounts receivable risk. The “Return on Investment” is quickly realized through productivity savings, lower interest expense and a reduction in bad debt losses.

Why Credit Strategy?

Credit Strategy was designed by credit professionals for credit professionals. It was configured to utilize software you already own (Microsoft Office). The source code is not proprietary and is available to all customers at no extra charge. You have the option of maintaining and enhancing the program or to use one of our recommended service providers. The concept of customizing and configuring your own program has many advantages over conventional software systems.

• Own the software and avoid annual licensing fees

• Customize the software to work the way you do

• Enhance you own software

• Save money over the leading alternatives

• Best of all …. There is no software product available that is better for your company than one customized by you

Minimal IT Support Requirements

Credit Strategy will provide both a project coordinator and a programmer to work with your IT department as well as representatives from your Credit team. The IT requirements are minimal and only apply to the following areas:

• Establish a temporary remote network connection for Credit Strategy to assist in rolling out the production version. During this process our programmers will remotely make any necessary adjustments to the program.

• *Create flat file extracts per our "Record Layout" documentation (Credit Strategy can work with multiple A/R system databases)

• Assist in roll out of final version to all users.
  * Credit Strategy has a fee-based program to provide assistance on the data extract process if your IT department resources are limited.

Flat File Extract Options

Your IT department writes an automatic process to extract data from your A/R system(s) to download Credit Strategy using any of the following options:

• ASCII Tab Delimited Data Extract

• ODBC Data Extract

• ADO Data Extract

• Combinations of Above Options

Import Process

Credit Strategy will provide the import process without the intervention of the IT Department. Importing and refreshing data can occur nightly or several times during the day as determined.

Installation Process and Estimated Time Tables

1. Requirements Meeting with IT delegates to determine:
       (Total  time estimate - ¼ day – conference call)
2. Review Hardware / Software Requirements
3. Remote Connection Process
4. Unique Customer Name Identifiers
5. Parent/Child Relationships
6. Data Extract Method and Field Type Requirements

7. Requirements Meeting with Credit delegates:
        (Total  time estimate - 2 day – conference call)

8. Project Manager and Systems Administrator assignments and responsibilities. (est. ¼ day - conference call)
9. Program reviews for further customization.   (est. 1½ day - conference call)
10. Approval of customization  (est. ¼ day - remote demo)

11. Customization Programming ( time est. dependent on programming hours required to complete all customization)

12. Credit Strategy submits final Record Layout to IT.
13. IT builds automatic flat file extract process using ASCII, ODBC or ADO format.(est. 5 - 7 days)
14. IT FTP’s test data to the Credit Strategy server for user testing.(est. ½ day)
15. Credit Strategy Import and Mapping process (est. 3 - 4 days)
16. Train the Trainer Meetings (est. ½ day - remote demo)
17. Testing by Credit Department (est. 5 days)
18. Roll out
19. Credit Strategy completes any one time data transfer requirements from legacy system (i.e. collection notes, contacts, etc.) and FTP's production copy to IT for roll out.  (est. 2 days)

20. Client Roll out by IT  (est. ½ day)

Summary of Time estimates:

• 8 ¼ Days =Estimated IT time required

• 7 ½ Days =Estimated Credit Department time required

• 6 Days = Estimated Credit Strategy time required (exclusive of customization programming)

• 21 ¾ Days = Combined Estimated Time required (exclusive of customization programming)

Training

Credit Strategy provides a half day “Train the Trainer Program” at no charge for the Project Manager and System Administrators. Additional training assistance is available through the testing phase. Additional fee based post implementation training is also available for new employees or as a refresher course for existing employees.

Credit Strategy also incorporates a tutorial help screen in its base program. Users have the capability to enhance the tutorial for such items as instructions on the use of customized fields or internal processes and procedures pertaining to a specific screen.

Post Implementation Tech Support

Once installed, Credit Strategy requires minimal technical support. Our “Service Providers” offer a variety of maintenance and enhancement programs to fit your needs. Since you receive the source code, your IT department may also elect to maintain and enhance the program as needed.

Credit Strategy Data Retention

• Transactions - Until invoice is paid
• Collection Notes - Until deleted archived or purged
• Line Item Notes - Until invoice is paid
• Collection Agency Detail - - Until deleted archived or purged
• Payment Promises - Until invoice is paid
• Dispute and Chargeback Logs - Until deleted archived or purged
• Credit Evaluation Records - Until deleted archived or purged
• Bank and Trade References - Until deleted archived or purged
• Financial Statements - Until deleted archived or purged
• Attachment Links - - Until attachments are deleted or purged from Network
• Contacts - Until deleted archived or purged
• Alternative Financing data - Until deleted archived or purged
• Prospect data - Until deleted archived or purged
• Customized data fields - Until deleted archived or purged

Required Data Fields

Customer Master Data  - One record per customer
Transaction Summary Data  - One record per each open transaction

Optional Data Fields

Transaction detail (only needed when requirements call for invoice reprints)

History Data

This includes such items as legacy system notes, contacts or any other history file as required by the client.

Required Date Format

Acceptable alpha-numeric fields containing dates must be formatted as follows:

• 09/23/04 - For Access Databases
• 09232004 or, 20040923 or, 09/23/04 – For SQL Databases

Miscellaneous Questions & Answers

• Licensing - Credit Strategy does not charge annual licensing fees. The quoted price includes licensing, remote implementation, mapping, testing, training and warranty. Client is responsible for all hardware and Microsoft software licensing costs.

• Transaction Data Requirements - Credit Strategy only accepts open item data. We do not download or store closed transaction data.

• Database Backup - The Access database should be backed up daily on the server. The SQL database version has a maintenance plan that automatically backs up the database on the server. However, these backups apply to only the server on which the database resides. You should also establish an alternative backup media for the server.

• Response Time - The response time depends on the speed of your network and the CPU’s of the client.

• Security - Credit Strategy can provide user level security as well as Windows Integrated Security.

• Auto Dialing – Microsoft Access provides auto-dialing capabilities as long as the PC has a modem.

• Tech Support Hours – Tech support hours are 8:00AM – 5:00PM Monday through Friday (Pacific Standard Time)