Creating financial growth for a non-life insurance agency in South-East Asia

Shield built its reputation on fast, convenient auto‑insurance cover. Growth came quickly, and by the third year the agency had multiple branches across the country. When the pandemic struck, however, many policyholders skipped or delayed premium payments. To bridge the widening cash gap, management turned to short‑term lenders that charged high annual rates. Within eighteen months the agency was juggling several high‑interest loans while trying to keep day‑to‑day operations afloat. The finance function had never moved beyond basic spreadsheets, so leadership could not see a single, consolidated view of debt service, future cash needs, and operational spending. When Shield asked Alehar for help, the brief was clear: create reliable financial reports, stop the cash bleed, and restore stability.

1. Stabilizing the finance engine

Our first move was to install a structured monthly‑close routine. We introduced a standardized chart of accounts, connected the bank feeds to accounting software, and trained the collections team to log every customer payment the same day it arrived. With accurate books in place, we mapped the full debt schedule and calculated how much cash the agency would need to cover both principal and interest in the coming quarters. The analysis showed that servicing the highest‑rate loans consumed a disproportionate share of available funds, leaving too little for payments to insurers and new‑policy acquisition.

Armed with real numbers, we helped Shield negotiate staggered settlements with the largest insurers so Shield could stretch payables without damaging critical relationships. We also redesigned the premium schedule for new customers so that a larger share of the annual premium arrived in the first quarter of coverage. This front‑loading of cash reduced the reliance on expensive bridge loans.

Collections required a cultural reset. We replaced ad‑hoc reminder calls with a disciplined sequence of messages tied to policy start dates and grace periods. Account managers received daily aging reports and weekly targets. Early partial results showed a clear uptick in on‑time payments, allowing management to accelerate pay‑downs on the most expensive debt tranches.

2. Streamlining operations and reducing overhead

Once the cash‑flow picture stabilized, we turned to the cost base. A branch‑level profitability review revealed that two storefronts had been running at a loss even before the pandemic. Both were located in areas where agents' coverage was already high, making the physical presence largely redundant. Closing those branches removed rent and staffing commitments while shifting remaining walk‑in traffic to better‑performing locations.

During the same review we found that the claims‑administration unit had grown organically in response to rising volume but now had overlapping roles. Rightsizing the department through natural attrition and selective redeployment trimmed payroll without harming service quality.

The combined measures produced a visible turnaround. Monthly management accounts, show a steady climb in operating cash and a sharp decline in interest expense.

Shield retired the costliest note two months ahead of schedule and is on track to clear the remaining loans within the next financial year. Vendors are paid on agreed dates and new sales are on track to exceed pre‑pandemic levels. What began as a crisis of scattered data and expensive debt has become a lesson in disciplined finance and strategic cost control. With a solid reporting backbone and a leaner cost structure, Shield is once again positioned to write profitable policies and invest in growth with confidence.