As utilities enter into a competitive environment, it becomes increasingly important for those companies to control all components of their costs of doing business. The need to cost-effectively control credit and collection expenses is as important to a company as the need to control any other component of total costs.

The credit aspects of a utility's business involves making a determination of when, to whom, and on what terms, service will be supplied without the requirement of prepayment, contemporaneous payment, or some type of security.

In contrast, collection involves the conversion of credit sales into cash. Collection addresses the problems of consumer non-payment, late payment, or partial payment.

FSC's work involves credit and collection in the electric, natural gas and telecommunication industries.