29.01.09 BayWa opts for credit management software GUARDEAN DebiTEX for the entire group

Martinsried, Munich 29th January 2009 – GUARDEAN, the international provider of business software for customer risk and credit management, will henceforth provide all majority shareholders of BayWa group throughout Europe with its software GUARDEAN DebiTEX. DebiTEX will henceforth be used for optimising credit management especially in Austria and a few east European countries. With this, the company will soon open up several new target markets.

The long-time GUARDEAN customer BayWa AG has decided to use the credit management software GUARDEAN DebiTEX across the group. In the course of the next 2 years, the software will be introduced in over 20 European affiliate companies of wholesale and retail dealers. DebiTEX is already being used successfully in the parent company since 10 years. The affiliate companies will use DebiTEX in a flexible manner, as required. The scenarios will range from a reduction in bad debt losses to optimisation of the customer database to a reduction in the duration of receivables of open payments. The aim of the roll-out in all business units is an enterprise-wide standardisation and improvement of processes in credit management.

“For us, GUARDEAN DebiTEX represents an essential component in customer evaluation on an individual as well as portfolio basis”, says Rudolf Keßler, head of the credit management department of BayWa AG. “Ever since the use of DebiTEX, we have been successful in reducing bad debt losses to a minimum. Now we want to carry over this success story to all companies of the group. It is an ambitious plan, to which I look forward to very confidently, as a result of the positive experience with GUARDEAN.”

“The upgrading to an enterprise-wide DebiTEX licence is a big step for us in many ways”, says Dr. Michael Sauter, managing director of GUARDEAN GmbH. For one, the decision is a huge mark of confidence in our products and our organization. And for the other, over 20 new companies will use GUARDEAN Software. The major part of it is in the east European markets where, up to now, we only have a few business relations. Consequently, we will also get the opportunity of developing new markets for our proposal.”

Further information:

BayWa AG, which was founded in 1923 has its head office in Munich and specializes in wholesale and retail trade. The core activities comprise the segments agriculture, building materials and energy. The group has a turnover of around 8 billion Euros from around 2,600 sales locations. BayWa is one of Europe’s largest full-line suppliers in the agricultural sector. The segment ‘Engineering’ markets machines, buildings and equipment. As a trader of building materials, the BayWa Group ranks second in Germany. The building and garden centres are mainly operated in regions where the competition is less fierce. The business segment ‘Energy’ markets heating oil, diesel and lubricants and operates around 800 gas stations. BayWa is the market leader for eco-friendly, plant-based lubricants and bio-diesel.