The Case of the Setin Group
Read Agathe Godard's interview, Customer Credit Manager.
"The combination of Eloficash and Infolegale now allows us to shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one. We manage our entire client portfolio, detect risk signals earlier, and achieve much more relevant results."
Agathe Godard
Accounts Receivable Manager
SETIN Group: Overview
Can you describe your company in a few words?
The SETIN Group is a french family-owned business founded in 1920 that has grown to become one of France’s leading hardware distributors. The group operates through more than 65 branches in France — including more than 40 on the western coast — and has several subsidiaries. Its business relies on an extensive sales network comprising 340 field sales representatives and 250 in-office sales representatives.Key Figures
Year Founded
1920
Workforce
~ 1150
Revenue
~ 330 million euros
Industry Sector
Hardware
What is your role within the company?
I am the Customer Credit Manager. I supervise a team of 10 collections managers who handle more than 70,000 active customers.
Background to Minoterie Forest’s contact with Infolegale
What challenges were you facing?
Our main challenge stems from the diversity and volume of our portfolio. We work with a wide range of clients, from small business owners to large corporations and local governments.Our mission is twofold: to secure revenue and collections while supporting business growth. We must therefore identify potential issues as early as possible, without limiting ourselves to managing delinquent accounts alone.
Payment behavior, disputes, adherence to payment deadlines, and the quality of customer data are all factors we must monitor to anticipate risks.
The solutions selected: Infolegale and Eloficash
What convinced you to choose these solutions?
We’ve implemented a system based on three pillars: Eloficash for managing collections, Infolegale for enriching risk information, and Allianz Trade for credit insurance coverage.Eloficash allows us to structure and manage the entire customer collections process, while Infolegale enriches our understanding with external data and early warning signals that complement our internal analyses.
What criteria were priorities?
Our goal was to gain a more comprehensive view of risk in order to move beyond a purely reactive approach. We were also looking for tools that could help us tailor our actions to specific customer profiles and improve the organization of the collections teams’ work.Concrete Results and Benefits
What were the main benefits you observed?
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improve portfolio allocation and management;
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to tailor collection strategies to different customer segments;
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extend collection efforts to the entire customer portfolio;
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streamline the day-to-day work of the collections teams;
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to improve information sharing with sales teams;
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to record and track payment promises and disputes more effectively;
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detect early warning signs of financial distress using external data.
We now operate in a much more proactive manner than before.
Do you have any figures to share?
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a 4-day reduction in the average payment time;
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a decrease in the delinquency rate from 25% to 19.5% over two years;
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more efficient processing of a large volume of collections, with between 800 and 1,000 transfers per day;
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a shift from targeted collection efforts focused on the largest accounts to coverage of the entire customer portfolio.
Broader Impacts
Did the project have an impact on other teams?
Yes. Collaboration with the sales teams has significantly strengthened. Sales representatives now provide more on-the-ground information about clients: changes in management, employee departures, declines in business activity, or any other signs that might indicate a deterioration in the situation.In turn, the credit teams share financial information and risk indicators from Infolegale with them to improve decision-making.
Have these tools changed the way you work?
Yes. Previously, collection campaigns were conducted once or twice a month on very large volumes. Today, these actions are much more regular and integrated into the teams’ daily routines.This new organizational structure allows us to process cases gradually, improve monitoring, and respond more quickly to high-risk situations.
Case Study: Early Risk Detection
We had been monitoring a client for some time whose financial indicators were not particularly alarming. However, information provided by Infolegale revealed a decline in the client’s credit rating, as well as news articles mentioning labor disputes.
When an exceptional order of €20,000 was placed — even though the usual monthly volume ranged between €4,000 and €5,000 — an in-depth analysis led us to request payment before delivery.
The customer accepted this condition. A week later, the company was placed in receivership.
Thanks to these early warnings, the SETIN Group was able to secure the transaction and avoid significant financial exposure.
Overall Review and Outlook
Looking back, what are your greatest sources of satisfaction?
The greatest source of satisfaction is the ability to take daily action across the entire client portfolio while maintaining a comprehensive view of risk.
The combination of Infolegale data and Eloficash’s operational features has made the collections process smoother, more structured, and more efficient.
What are your upcoming projects?
The next step is to evolve the organization of the collections department by further specializing teams according to client types: large accounts, local governments, SMEs, or small businesses.
This evolution builds on the gains achieved through the tools currently in place.
