CM MARCH 2022

CICMQ ROUNDUP
AUTHORS – Mona Yazdanparast and Laura Rhodes
“The CICMQ
Accreditation is essential
as a benchmark and
going through the
core process helps to
ensure continuous
improvements. The
accreditation provides
the team with a clear
outlook on what we have
accomplished so far. The
process refreshes our
ideas and encourages the
team to further improve
best practices.”
members. This re-accreditation and the
team’s learning experience with CICM
benefits the company in achieving this
goal. We plan to further advance the
training development matrix to the whole
of Grocery Service Centre (GSC).”
Achieving CICMQ for the first time
is Biffa, the leading integrated waste
management company in the UK.
Tina Daulton MCICM, Head of Finance
Shared Services, is another like Phil and
Frank who is a keen supporter of the
Institute, and says it’s an honour to be
part of the wider network of ‘best practice’
organisations: “The whole CICMQ process
was a great learning experience for
all involved and it showed the passion
and commitment of
our team, as well as
ratifying the support of
the wider business. For
Biffa as a whole, it clearly
demonstrates and affirms
that we are delivering an
excellent service to both
internal and external
customers.
“Some 60 percent of our
Credit Team are CICM
members, as we are keen
to further our knowledge
and skills and strengthen
the team at all levels,”
she continues. “We are
a strong and successful
team and have learnt to
celebrate our successes
while striving for continual
improvement.”
The assessment report
noted that: ‘This team
rightly deserves recognition
for their achievement, by having an
impressive strategy to manage and develop
its people, having a common purpose
and road map, while collaborating and
working with its business partners. The
results in cash collection and overdue
debt are significant, and stakeholders are
impressed with their determination and
professionalism.’
QUALITY ASSURED
Earning CICMQ status for a fourth time is
QA Ltd, the UK’s leading provider of tech
skills and digital training. QA Ltd catered to
more than 200,000 people in 2020, offering
150 undergraduate and masters’ programmes
and serving 80 percent of the
FTSE 100.
Corinne Sanderson, Credit Manager,
says the re-accreditation continues to
help them achieve the goals set out by
“We are
delighted
to have a
renewed
accreditation
for yet another
year, as it
confirms
our work
consistently
meets the
highest
standards of
excellence.’’
QA Ltd: “We are delighted to have a
renewed accreditation for yet another
year, as it confirms our work consistently
meets the highest standards of excellence.
We are keen that our customers recognise
the quality of the service that our team
delivers, and CICMQ Accreditation
helps us share this knowledge with our
customers.”
Last but by no means least, technology
communications company, Vodafone
Limited, has also now joined the ranks of
accredited companies, a formal acknowledgement
of excellence in all things credit.
Naomi Cullen, Operations Manager for
UK Credit and Collections at Vodafone
Limited, says it was a
great honour and learning
experience to achieve
high standards in credit
management for the organisation:
“CICMQ Accreditation
can only be
attained if an organisation
can prove that best
practice is in place, so
obtaining it highlights to
our customers that we are
best in class,” she says.
“As a business, Vodafone
strives for the highest
standards, and being accredited
to CICMQ supports
that objective.”
Naomi says that the
company has had a close
affiliation with the CICM
for many years: “Several
members of our team have
studied for a CICM qualification,”
she continues,
“and we recognise the value that a professional
CICM qualification brings. We see a
CICMQ Accreditation as an extension of this
‘value’ and the importance of being
benchmarked against the best.
“We learned in qualifying for the
accreditation that working with a wider
stakeholder group earlier in the process
absolutely achieved the best results. In
return, we received support and praise,
which has been incredible for morale and
team spirit. We will continue working to
this new model in future.”
The assessment report stated: ‘The
relationship the Collection Team has
with its stakeholders is excellent. The
team demonstrate first-rate stakeholder
involvement with process developments
and working capital at the forefront of
their activities.’
Congratulations one and all!
Brave | Curious | Resilient / www.cicm.com / March 2022 / PAGE 9