• Easily access all relevant information regarding each outstanding account in one location.
• Stay on top of the AR collections process.
• Eliminate steps in the collections process.
• Prioritize follow-up collections calls.
• Flag potential risks or trends early enough to be able to take corrective action.

• Be proactive and send e-mails to both the customer and sales rep before the invoice is due.
• Set automatic follow-up reminders as needed with customers and internal sales people to keep the
collection process moving.

• Allow front-line staff to enter invoices directly into the accounting system (if permitted).
• Get the invoices out days earlier by removing the need to double-enter invoices.
• Get the invoices out correctly the first time to avoid troubleshooting later.

Go beyond the printed aging report and use more sophisticated calendar tools to prioritize collection
calls, make sure follow-up occurs, escalate accounts, send automatic e-mails, and more.

Be fully informed when talking to the customer, with all transaction and contact history ready and
accessible. Avoid duplicating efforts already made by colleagues and sales people—and ensure
customers aren’t bothered twice.

Document collection communications (e-mail, phone calls, notes, letters) efficiently in one
central location to maximize effectiveness and allow colleagues to easily pick up where the
last person left off.

Give Sales and customer service representatives permission-based access to the transactional
and contact information they need including payment history, credit status, order status, discounts

Give Sales and customer service representatives permission to input orders and RMAs at the source
and pass it to the accounting system, reducing the risk for data error and eliminating the need for
duplicate data entry.

Have customer address and phone number changes entered by the front-line staff, to ensure the
information is accurate and up-to-date and that invoices are sent to the correct place.
• Troubleshoot discrepancies easily by researching all transactions and communications—not just the
ones that are normally visible to accounting.

Keep track of each step in the purchasing process and set tasks in the calendar to make sure
they get done.
• Set tasks and reminders to ensure timely payment by AP and take advantage of any early
payment discounts

Document and access all communications—phone calls, letters, e-mails, RFQs, and service level
agreements—in one place, so issues can be resolved quickly.
• Keep an airtight history of communications so that requests don’t fall through the cracks and quotes
don’t get inadvertently revised by vendors.

Nurture relationships with vendors by scheduling “relationship building” calls.
• Facilitate communication by keeping track of the key members of your vendor’s team, such as
the AR clerk, the account manager, accounts manager’s boss, technical support, fulfillment.