Selecting a partner in commercial risk management is no longer simply a matter of comparing coverage levels and guarantees to protect the business. What if its added value depends more on the opportunities it helps to keep open? Based on the findings of the Coface survey involving 1,250 decision-makers worldwide, discover the best-fit profile and check the criteria that matter when choosing a partner who can support your commercial decisions and help your business grow.
The (right) risk partner is no longer just the one who protects
Until recently, the primary role of a risk partner was to absorb the impact of an unpaid debt, and they were therefore mainly assessed on their ability to limit losses. This role remains fundamental today, but it is no longer sufficient to meet companies' expectations in managing commercial risk. This is particularly true in an increasingly complex environment and in an era of nearly infinite possibilities offered by data and new technologies. In an environment where decisions must be taken ever more quickly, in markets that are sometimes difficult to compare, organisations seek as much to ‘predict’ risk as to determine which opportunities can be pursued, under what conditions and with what level of exposure.
The Coface 2026 study reveals a significant shift in this regard: whilst only 24% of executives view the Risk and Finance functions as strategic partners for growth, 44% believe they will fulfil this role within the next 3 to 5 years. This shift applies to internal functions, but it also illustrates the new scope of work for external partners. The key question is no longer ‘To what extent can my partner cover my credit risk?’ but ‘How can my partner help me take risks in a balanced and secure way?’
Reliable data, enabling action and informing decision-making
A company may have a large volume of information at its disposal and yet still be unable to reach a decision quickly. When a group operates in several countries, differing assessment methodologies or data that is difficult to compare can prevent the Risk, Finance and Sales teams from sharing a common understanding of a business partner’s situation (whether a customer or supplier).
The problem lies less in the volume of available data than in ensuring its regular updating, consistency and ease of use. 52% of organisations currently use fragmented risk data across markets, and almost half (47%) mention the lack of real-time data as one of the factors limiting their growth.
The risk partner must therefore do more than simply provide a report: they must make the information comparable across markets, explain the drivers influencing the assessment and translate these into actionable decisions for the various business units. A score, a credit recommendation or an alert only truly adds value if it enables action to be taken on a commercial decision.
If we combine risk information with economic data and forecasts, we’re not just protecting the company. We help it to grow smarter,
says a Risk Director in the ICTsector in Australia.
Criteria to assess your partner’s data
Is the data consistent across different countries?
Is it sufficiently up to date?
Is its analysis enriched by sector-specific and economic expertise?
Can it be turned into a credit recommendation, an exposure limit or an alert?
Prospective analysis, weak signals, early warnings: taking action before the risk materialises
For any decision-maker, a creditworthiness analysis remains essential, but it primarily describes a situation viewed through the rear-view mirror. Yet credit decisions concern the future: should we explore this market, grant a payment extension, increase a limit or maintain exposure when conditions deteriorate?
The risk partner must now be able to support these decisions by ensuring that multiple datasets are cross-referenced to cover all dimensions of risk:
- financial standing,
- payment behaviour,
- credit signals,
- sectoral environment,
- macroeconomic trends,
- the company’s exposure.
For companies, gaining an snapshot of the risk – regardless of its level of detail – remains fundamental but is insufficient for effective trade risk management. Decision-makers need to model different scenarios to make decisions with confidence and agility. Companies are aware of this and do not seek (in vain) to predict risk with certainty, but rather to have the capabilities and solutions to detect, at a sufficiently early stage, changes likely to affect the commercial relationship and to assess their potential consequences. This ability to anticipate is at the top of their list of expectations:
- 77% of decision-makers want their external partners to provide predictive insights to support more proactive decision-making.
- 80% believe that AI-based analyses and early warning signals enhance the value of external partners.
- 70% cite predictive risk and credit data integrated into their own systems.
The integration of this predictive data into all of the company’s decision-making processes is just as important here as the sophistication of the model itself. An analysis isolated within a separate tool risks being checked too late or remaining accessible only to specialists. When fully integrated, however, this analysis can trigger a review, draw attention to a change in risk, or flag a case requiring human expertise.
Criteria for assessing your partner’s recommendations
Which signals are analysed?
How are alerts explained?
How frequently is the information updated?
How does human expertise come into play when the situation cannot be simplified to a score?
From signal to decision: insights that turn uncertainty into a ‘confident yes’
An alert that merely results in a simple red, amber or green light will always be incomplete. Detecting a risk is no longer enough for companies, which now expect their partner to help them assess their room for manoeuvre. In other words:
- understanding why the risk is evolving,
- identifying adverse scenarios,
- specifying the conditions under which the opportunity might remain viable.
The kind of external insights that would help us say ‘yes’ with greater confidence are anything that converts uncertainty into something measurable – such as replacing intuition with data,
states a Chief Risk Officer at an ICT company in Romania.
This expectation is clearly reflected in the findings:
- 71% of organisations want their partners to help them say ‘yes’ to more opportunities with confidence.
- 65% of companies are looking for protection that enables bolder business decisions.
Criteria for no longer having to choose between protection and growth
What exactly is the nature of the risk?
What level of exposure remains acceptable?
What scenarios could alter the assessment?
What safeguards would enable us to move forward?
What warning signs would require us to reconsider the decision?
An ecosystem of solutions and support that can be mobilised at every stage
Evolving the role of the risk partner to support growth does not come at the expense of protection. On the contrary, the ability to explore an opportunity also depends on the existence of safety nets in place beforehand.
Data, analysis, risk insurance and expertise do not all address the same need, but combining them can provide teams with a more comprehensive analysis and thus make the decision more reliable. Following the diversification of clients and markets, decision-makers consider the following criteria to be essential – or very important – when choosing a risk partner and with a view to continuing their growth:
- contractual guarantees and safeguards (55%)
- credit insurance (45%)
- networks of external experts (37%).
A comprehensive partner must therefore be able to support the commercial relationship at various stages:
1- At the outset: they help assess creditworthiness and the market context.
2- At the decision-making stage: they help determine exposure and acceptable terms.
3- During the relationship: they enable the monitoring of risk developments.
4- When a payment default occurs: they initiate debt collection services and propose the best risk insurance solution to help limit the impact of the default on the company’s business and its commercial relationships.
If external risk management providers can give us forward-looking commercial insights combined with credit signals, then they will be more than just a protective tool. They can also help in spotting opportunities,
explains a CFO at an ICT company in Brazil.
Is your risk partner limiting your growth without you even realising it?
- Move from a protective ‘no’ to a secure ‘yes’: download the full Coface study to benefit from the advice of 1,250 decision-makers and access to Open Advantage roadmap, 5 strategies to unlock your growth.
- Keep your world open too and contact our experts now to better assess your commercial risks and grow with confidence
- Explore our Open Stories: through our clients’ testimonials, discover how Coface helps them keep their world open in the face of extreme uncertainty.
