In the non-market economy, dominated by the state-owned sector, the problem of loosing paying capacity was, in practice, nonexistent. Only along with the development of the Polish economy reform in 1989, many economic entities faced financial difficulties that often ended with the loss of paying capacity.

Years 1996-1998, due to some companies quoted in the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ESPEBEPE SA, Swarzędz SA, Universal SA, Bytom SA) were critical in terms of paying capacity problems. The next myth was disproved that public enterprises had strong reliability and unflinching financial situation, therefore both lending to such entities and investing in their securities borne low risk (frequently interest rates on loans and credits granted by banks was slightly higher than interest rate on Treasury securities, considered as risk-free). As a consequence, also in Poland attention was given to an early recognition of symptoms of threat to paying capacity, using models based on selected financial indicators.

The majority of recent analyses have also rejected models based on individual variables (indicators) - one-dimensional models - due to the fact that a big number of unrelated variables (indicators) illustrate the issue of an early detection of symptoms than individual indicators. Moreover, one-dimensional methods would provide contradictory qualification, since one indicator would show a threat for paying capacity while the other, on the contrary, would transmit no signal. Thus, multi-dimensional models constitute the basis for an early detection of symptoms of threat to the paying capacity. The informative value of multi-dimensional models measured with the number of correct classification (over 90%) is considerable. Therefore, we should consider whether the early detection methods presented can be adopted to the Polish conditions. It seems that a direct transfer of the models is impossible. A correct selection of both an input indicators file and two groups of enterprises, having or not paying capacity, originating from the same industry and having similar assets structure, is a prerequisite of success of the model estimated.

The above presented models have been designed for developed economies, and therefore, it is difficult to apply them to the Polish conditions. Moreover, it is difficult to determine in what respect the indicators selected and estimated values of discrimination indices are suitable for the Polish conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a model fit to the Polish conditions. It is extremely difficult given continuous considerable instability of conditions affecting the activities of enterprises in Poland; inability to define the moment at which a company should be deemed insolvent; and, most importantly, lack of an adequate sample of insolvent enterprises that are in a possession of financial statements for the period of at least three years prior to the state of insolvency.

Such attempts, necessary for a sound functioning of the banking system, need to be made.