On today’s episode of Extra Credit…Most credit tasks, such as reviewing accounts, managing collections, customer research and handling disputes, are inherently time-consuming due to their complexity and the need for attention to detail.

After a strong fourth quarter as the year closes, Poland’s economy is expected to continue to expand in 2025. With economic growth spurred on by increased consumption and infrastructure funding, the economy should remain strong despite predictions that inflation will pick up slightly in the new year.  

There are very few professions that have not been touched and reshaped by the introduction of artificial intelligence. AI technology holds the potential to revolutionize professions through its ability to streamline day-to-day workflows, with increased efficiencies giving way for more impactful work. 

In person customer visits, face-to-face meetings between a representative from your company and your customer at their location, are becoming less common. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have reshaped how businesses interact with customers, providing more convenient and cost-effective solutions.

When considering the work of a credit manager, it is impossible to overstate the importance of interdepartmental communication, especially when it comes to the relationship between credit and sales. While the two departments work in tandem, with the sales team securing customers the credit team will then manage, in some offices, the two can be a bit isolated. 

It’s no secret that B2B credit management is a forward-thinking career. From building customer relationships and mitigating risk to forecasting business and economic trends, credit managers are focused on shaping the future. By setting goals and creating a plan to achieve them, credit professionals can secure their department’s long-term success.

To advance in any field, you must be willing to learn. Earning a designation through NACM’s six-level Professional Certification Program, credit professionals gain the skill set and knowledge base needed to grow professionally. 

The journey towards earning a designation is different for everyone. Whether you spread your courses out over a few months or finish it all in a shorter period, earning a designation is a testament to your dedication to learning and understanding the complicated field of credit management. For Lindsey Purks, CBA, credit manager at Carpenter Company (Richmond, VA), earning her Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation was a long but rewarding journey, which instilled a newfound confidence in her work.  

With steady growth throughout the year despite a slight deceleration towards year’s end, the Mexican economy appears steady. However, increasingly fraught relations with the United States and the promise of tariffs from President-Elect Donald Trump, threaten the nation’s continued economic growth in the coming year.