Driving Agile Transformations in Credit Insurance

José Luis Piédrola Nadal is the Global Director of Information Technology Services at Atradius. With over 30 years of experience in the tech and insurance sectors, he has led major digital transformations across Europe and Latin America, focusing on innovation, customer-centric platforms and sustainable growth in credit insurance and financial services

International Trade and Geopolitical Constraints

The global trade landscape today is marked by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainties. These factors can significantly impact international trade, making it crucial for businesses to have robust risk management strategies in place. Atradius, a global leader in trade credit insurance, surety and debt collection services, understands these complexities and helps their clients navigate the turbulent waters. Atradius supports businesses in over 50 countries. Through the insurer’s deep understanding of global trade dynamics and proactive risk management approach, companies worldwide can be protected against the risks of default associated with selling goods and services on credit while expanding with confidence.

Digital ecosystems will enhance customer experience

Jose Luis Piédrola, the CIO at Atradius, believes that digital transformation is key to unlocking new opportunities in the credit insurance sector. His aspiration evolved from more than 20 years as an IT professional in the insurance business, is to build seamless digital ecosystems that enhance customer experience and set new standards for innovation and excellence.

“Our worldwide integrated IT systems have been able to provide us as the first in the industry to introduce an online policy management tool for our globally aligned product Modula and now with the newest generation of API and several add-on services as the AtradiusFlow application for Microsoft Dynamics, we are continuing to set a standard in the industry,” says Piédrola.

Business Transformation & Optimisation through Digitalisation

Digitalization at Atradius is not just a technical overhaul — it is a customer-centric evolution. Through the Atradius Business Transformation (ABT) initiative, all core legacy systems will be modernized, operations streamlined and compliance improved. This is effectuated through innovations in digital connectivity (APIs), platform development, Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI). All is aimed at building long-term value, not only internally but across the Atradius client base. Piédrola is convinced: “With state-of-the art technology, automation, advanced analytics and user-focused tools, the organization remains focused on delivering exceptional service and becoming the preferred supplier in the competitive landscape of trade credit insurance, debt collections and surety.”

Healthy and Sustainable Growth

Piédrola continues: “Atradius has a long-standing commitment to embracing new technologies and innovations, particularly in deploying digital products and services. Today, tools like text mining, Machine Learning (ML), generative AI, neural networks and web-crawling support automation, underwriting and decision-making. For our customers and partners, we offer a range of digital tools and applications to support business decisions in managing risk and enabling trade. We continue investing in these technologies to make credit insurance activities smoother, aiming for our digital advancements to support healthy, sustainable growth.”

“Our worldwide integrated IT systems have been able to provide us as the first in the industry to introduce an online policy management tool for our globally aligned product Modula and now with the newest generation of API and several add-on services as the AtradiusFlow application for Microsoft Dynamics, we are continuing to set a standard in the industry”

Piédrola suggests diving deeper into Atradius’ digital offerings: “Let’s start with our core capability in insurance, data management and the famous buzzword Big Data.”

Big Data

While big data remains central to Atradius' strategy, its role has evolved. Today, AI, Machine Learning and Generative AI enable real-time data analysis and the automatic generation of new solutions, making speed, flexibility and predictive power essential for business decision-making. Atradius has long used applications to analyze account narratives and detect early signs of credit risk and, through its partnership with Temenos, now applies advanced AI techniques to further improve underwriting accuracy and automation.

Digital tools for Customers and Intermediaries

Piédrola continues with digital tools for customers and intermediaries. “For example, our customers use Atradius Atrium, a credit management hub. Through a single portal, they manage daily policy activities, trade credit cover, payment cases and customer portfolios—or identify risks, spot new opportunities and detect trends to respond proactively. Policyholders can also benchmark operations against other businesses, gaining free data on potential customers—a powerful tool for strategy and growth.”

In addition to Atrium, Atradius offers AtradiusFlow, a plug-and-play application for Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365. It integrates credit insurance into clients’ systems, automating tasks and connecting to Atradius’ global buyer database.

Platforms and B2B eCommerce

“Atradius' digital strategy extends beyond credit insurance,” Piédrola made clear. APIs, B2B e-commerce payment solutions, digital marketplaces and automation of account receivables are part of a broader push to embed Atradius services into customers’ operations.

“Atradius recently partnered with Mondu, a leading German Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider, to help businesses integrate BNPL into their e-commerce platforms. The collaboration enables B2B merchants to offer flexible payment options and improves conversion rates for online sellers,” says Jose Luis.

The result is a smooth checkout experience without external gateways, while buyers benefit from better payment terms. Platforms also support due diligence between sellers and buyers, assessing creditworthiness in real time and offering insurance models from single-transaction cover to full turnover protection.

Another example is Credit-IQ from Atradius Collections, which automates accounts receivable processes. It monitors overdue payments, sends reminders and customizes workflows to fit customers’ operating models. Credit-IQ offers real-time dashboards for proactive financial management.

Corporate Culture and Innovation

“Key to the success of developing customer-oriented digital products and services are the people who make digital transformation work,” Jose Luis stresses as a key final finding. "Atradius is committed to creating within the ITS team a culture of performance, cooperation and innovation with a clear focus on customer needs and satisfaction. This will create opportunities for talents in ITS, who seek to work in a truly international environment with a cooperative and people-minded culture.”