Knowledge Centre - Case Study

Aston Villa Reduces Debtor Days with Direct Debit expert™

Aston Villa makes it easier for clients

Aston Villa is a Barclays premier league football club with a rich tradition. The club was a founder member of the English Football League and, more recently, a founder member of the Premier League. Supporters enjoy state-of-the-art facilities at Villa Park, where the club runs a successful hospitality programme. At the start of the 2009/2010 season, the club wanted to make it easier for members to pay for hospitality. Tracy Piper, Sales Ledger Supervisor and Credit Controller, says: "We introduced Direct Debit to help our box holders break up the cost. Direct Debit helps our clients and covers us because we know we've got the money coming in."

Direct Debit Limited makes it easier for Aston Villa

Aston Villa looked for a system that would help it manage its Direct Debit collections. "The football club wanted something that was easy to install and easy to use," says Piper. The club's bank recommended that it speak to Direct Debit Limited, a specialist provider of payments-management software. Direct Debit Limited showed Aston Villa how it could automate Direct Debit processes with its payments-management software, Direct Debit expert™ (DDe™). Aston Villa was impressed by how easily the software would fit with its internal processes and how easy it was to use. In addition, it realised that the software could accommodate future growth. "One of the reasons we chose to go with DDe™ was that we've got the option to integrate it throughout the business if we decide to in the future," says Piper.

Gives a better view of payments

Aston Villa installed DDe™ in time for the start of the 2009/2010 season. Since then, staff in the finance department at Aston Villa have found it easy to pull and understand reports that detail the club's Direct Debit transactions. This makes it easier to reconcile Direct Debit payments against invoices. "The reporting's been really helpful," says Piper. "The reports are clear and easy to understand."

Ensures the club complies with Bacs regulations

The club found it easy to start collecting by Direct Debit, even though it had to comply with lots of Bacs regulations. DDe™ simplifies compliance for the club. It automates many Direct Debit processes and ensures that these processes run in accordance with the Direct Debit scheme rules. For instance, the system ensures that advance notices go out at the right time. It also deals with exception reports of rejected, cancelled and amended transactions. "It's been excellent," says Piper. "DDe™ produces the right letters at the right time. You don't have to worry about typing anything up. As soon as you hit the apply button, DDe™ automatically generates that letter for the customer."

Reduces debtor days

In addition to giving box holders another, more convenient, payment option, Direct Debit saves Aston Villa's finance department time. Piper says: "We save time because we don't have to chase as many clients for payment. It's certainly reduced debtor days by a considerable amount."