Your role
Credit controller
The credit controller keeps customers within their credit and collects what is owed. At a professional firm, the role invoices the approved bills and collects withholding tax certificates.
Steps differ for wholesalers and distributors, law firms and professional firms other than law firms.
Kila describes the role as: “Keeps customers within their credit: decides sales held over the limit, holds and lifts accounts, collects, keeps the cheque register, sends statements and credits market returns.” The role is offered to wholesalers and to professional firms.
For wholesalers and distributors
At a distributor
Link to this section: At a distributorAt Mombasa Road, Grace Njoki decides orders held over the credit left (Approvals, Order over the credit limit, up to KES 200,000) and credits market returns with Inspected: credit the outlet. See Approve an order over the credit limit and Take back a market return.
For law firms
At a law firm
Link to this section: At a law firmBilling issues the fee notes a partner has approved, and bills interest on fee notes left unpaid past the firm’s period. See Issue a fee note and Charge interest on a fee note.
For professional firms other than law firms
At a professional firm
Link to this section: At a professional firmAt Mizani Associates the role is Billing and credit control, held by Ruth Akinyi: she “issues the approved bills, chases overdue clients: payments on account, withholding tax certificates, reminders and statements.”
When you sign in
Link to this section: When you sign inKila opens Billing, with the month’s Work in progress, the Drafts, the bills Approved, to invoice and the Certificates to collect. Drafting the bills is the managers’ work: you invoice the ones a partner has approved.
Your day
Link to this section: Your day- Invoice the approved bills. On the Draft bills tab, open each bill marked Approved and tap Invoice: see Run the month-end billing.
- Collect withholding certificates. On the Tax withheld tab, remind clients and record each certificate as it arrives: see Record a withholding tax certificate.
- Watch what is owed. Your home page has Billing this month, Invoices due and overdue; cash received and Withholding certificates to collect.
What you can do
Link to this section: What you can doThe role is not quite the same at a distributor and at a professional firm.
At a distributor: everything Credit controller is allowed to do
- General
- View dashboard; Approve or reject requests
- Point of sale
- View sales
- Customers
- View customers; Create and edit customers
- Credit
- View credit and agreements; Approve agreements; Record repayments; Keep the cheque register: record, bank, clear and bounce customers’ cheques
- Finance
- View payments
- Reports
- View reports
- Distribution
- Receive and inspect market returns, credit outlets and dispose of damaged goods
At a professional firm: everything Billing and credit control is allowed to do
- General
- View dashboard
- Point of sale
- View sales
- Catalog
- View products and services
- Stock
- View stock
- Customers
- View customers; Create and edit customers
- Credit
- View credit and agreements; Create agreements; Approve agreements; Record repayments; Restructure, waive and write off; Keep the cheque register: record, bank, clear and bounce customers’ cheques
- Finance
- View payments
- Reports
- View reports
- Distribution
- Receive and inspect market returns, credit outlets and dispose of damaged goods
Approval limits
Link to this section: Approval limitsAt a distributor:
| Approval limit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Credit agreements | KES 200,000.00 |
At a professional firm:
| Approval limit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Credit agreements | KES 250,000.00 |
For professional firms other than law firms
Needs a manager
Only approved bills are yours to invoice: drafting a bill, writing it down and approving it are for the engagement managers and partners.
Common questions
Link to this section: Common questionsA bill I expected is not approved yet. What do I do? Ask the partner. It waits on Draft bills as Draft until they approve it.
Should I email the invoice? Email the invoice to the client is ticked when you open the bill. Untick it if the invoice should not go by email.
Where do I see the certificates still to collect? On the Tax withheld tab of Billing, and on the Withholding certificates to collect card on your home page.
- Approve an order over the credit limit: at a distributor.
- Run the month-end billing.
- Record a withholding tax certificate.
- Engagement partner: who approves the bills.