Invoicing. The invoices that ultimately lead to the need to collect on accounts receivable are too often see as entirely distinct from the latter type of activity. In practice, it will always be wise to ensure that collections and invoicing are connected and integrated as thoroughly and naturally as possible.
Increasing integration has been the rule in business for many years, but some areas have been less amenable to this important development than others. Many companies still rely upon collections processes, for example, that are poorly integrated with many related systems and activities.
Collection Software that is designed to integrate closely with a business's other important systems will almost necessarily deliver many benefits, as a result. Switching to such software can easily end up being one of the most productive moves a business might possibly make.
It is fairly easy to fall into the trap of seeing collections as an extraordinary sort of activity that must almost necessarily be distinct from core business undertakings. Even in cases where there is some merit to such a view, however, allowing any avoidable sort of separation to persist will never be prudent.
Debt Collection activity that is properly integrated with other aspects of a given business's operations will always be a better bet. Some of the ways by which a well integrated collections system can win out over the alternatives revolve around issues like:
Invoicing. The invoices that ultimately lead to the need to collect on accounts receivable are too often see as entirely distinct from the latter type of activity. In practice, it will always be wise to ensure that collections and invoicing are connected and integrated as thoroughly and naturally as possible. Whether that means being able to raise warning flags upon the issuance of a new invoice or collectors having the tools required to add their experiences into the system, these types of integration almost inevitably pay off.
Compliance. Debt collection is one of the most heavily regulated business activities of all. Legal departments and compliance officers often spend a great deal of time keeping up with the latest developments and trying to make their conclusions known. Unfortunately, poor integration often means that collectors remain outside of the loop for overly long on a regular basis. A system that is well integrated with established compliance processes will prevent such potentially costly problems from cropping up.
Once it has become clear that collections activities and systems can be better integrated with other aspects of a business, progress becomes almost inevitable. Instead of the unproductively detached, disconnected collection processes that so many companies rely upon, businesses that arrive at this realization can count on far more efficient and reliable settlement of their accounts receivable.