Guide · updated 28 September 2026

Supplier and customer risk monitoring for UK businesses

Checking a company once tells you how it looked on the day you checked. Monitoring tells you when that changes — which is what you need to act before a customer stops paying or a supplier stops delivering.

Why a one-off check isn't enough

Companies change quickly. A customer that passed your credit check when you opened the account can file late, lose its finance director and enter administration within a year. Most businesses only find out when an invoice goes unpaid, by which point the options are few. What happens then.

Who to monitor

Customers who owe you the most — or who could, at their credit limit.
Suppliers you depend on — especially any you'd struggle to replace quickly, or who hold your stock, tooling or deposits.
Key subcontractors on contracts where their failure would stop your work.
Prospects before you give them credit terms.

What to watch

The public register changes on any working day. The signals that matter most are overdue filings, new charges, director and ownership changes, strike-off notices, winding-up petitions and formal insolvency. Each explained. Weigh them together: one small change rarely means much, several at once usually does.

Turning warnings into action

Agree in advance what you'll do at each level of risk, so the response isn't improvised:

Watch: note it, check how they're paying you, and look again soon.
High: talk to them, reduce credit terms or order sizes, and check your terms of sale include retention of title.
Critical: stop extending credit, ask for payment up front, chase what's owed, and line up an alternative supplier.

Put a number on it

A list of risky companies is useful; knowing that £48,000 of your open invoices sit with High and Critical companies is more useful. Record what each relationship is worth so you can prioritise.

Doing it without the admin

Checking dozens of companies by hand every week isn't realistic. RiskDiver monitors your whole list daily from Companies House data, scores each company from 0 to 100 with the evidence behind every point, emails you when one rises into High or Critical, and sends a short morning briefing. Import your customer and supplier list as a CSV and it's running in minutes. See plans or check one company free.

Common questions

How often should I check key suppliers and customers?

Their public record can change on any working day. A one-off check before signing is useful, but continuous monitoring is what catches a change in time to act.

Which companies should I monitor?

Start with the customers who owe you the most and the suppliers you would struggle to replace. Those are where a surprise costs most.

What should I do when a warning appears?

Look at the evidence, talk to the company, and consider tighter credit terms, smaller orders, payment up front or a backup supplier. Act early rather than waiting for a missed payment.

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General information, not legal or financial advice.