Accounts receivable management is essential for all companies because it ensures timely account collections, efficient cash flow, and stability in your balance sheet.
Companies must maintain a high level of accounts receivable because these funds are crucial for day-to-day operations and future investments.
Most business owners understand the importance of good bookkeeping and practical accounting, but few realize the role of accounts receivable management.
This fact is unfortunate, as a company can face severe consequences and significant financial risk if it cannot streamline accounts receivable.
We discuss some common causes of inadequate accounts receivable management and how to avoid them. Read on for details about these issues and suggestions, such as software for accounts receivable for improved performance.
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Lack Of An Adequate Customer Credit Policy
A customer credit policy is essential to your company’s overall accounts receivable management plan. It delineates the terms and conditions a company will accept customer payments and prevent defaults which can set the tone for all business transactions.
Poor AR management occurs due to the lack of understanding about the credit policies, the lack of employee training, and neglect of the policy by the administration.
However, you can write a better credit policy that covers all aspects to help improve your company’s accounts receivable and minimize the number of unpaid invoices.
The policy should clearly state how to determine a customer’s creditworthiness, which will help you decide how much risk you are willing to take when extending credit. It should also detail credit limits and describe collections procedures to recover debts.
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No Timely Reminders To Customers
A common misconception is that customers will never forget to pay their invoices on time. In the real world, this is not the case. While most customers do pay on time, some may not remember, and this assumption can lead to problems for your company.
Other companies avoid reminding clients of overdue payments for fear that the client may interpret it as aggressive and rude. They worry they might lose business or customers due to a poor public image.
If your company wants to avoid problems with overdue invoices, you must be willing to remind clients of past-due payments. Send a thoughtful reminder if a client has not paid their bill within the agreed-upon time frame.
Regular contact with your customers will help keep them informed about your business and their outstanding invoices and prevent possible late fees. Also, consider adopting an automated reminder system for overdue payments, which can take the load off of you and your staff.
Disorganized AR Data
Data is essential for any business, and accounts receivable data is fundamental. This information can help you determine how successful your company is in collecting funds on time, why customers are slow to pay, and can even provide insight into your pricing strategy.
A poor AR management system will hinder your financial performance. Poor data collection and analysis can result in cost overruns in daily operations, inaccurate reports, and misallocation of resources.
However, if you have an efficient system, you can quickly identify problems and improve your collection rates. To rectify this situation, conduct regular audits to ensure that your AR management system is efficient.
Analyze your accounts receivable management data and establish a transparent system for documenting all data and account details. Designate a centralized data source and point of contact for all customer queries.
In addition, categorize your customers based on their reliability, payment record, and profitability. This approach will help you determine which customers to prioritize during collections and which customers have become too risky.
Limited Payment Options
Consider your business’s needs when designing your payment options. However, having limited payment options and no provision for flexibility can hurt your company’s performance and stability.
Expand your business-to-business transactions beyond cash and cheques. You can offer various payment options for your customers, including online banking, phone payments, credit card payments, and direct debit.
Partner with a popular digital payment solution provider to streamline your business transactions and improve your company’s cash flow. Integrating payment systems allows you to collect payments anytime and anywhere.
Also, you can customize options for customers with specific needs, such as payment discounts, customized invoices, and on-demand reports.
Incorrect Remittance Matching
Invoicing errors may not seem like a significant cause behind inadequate accounts receivable management, but they can hinder your business’s performance. Invoices and other documentation errors can lead to late payments, incorrect payments, and disputes.
You must adhere to the most delicate details when writing an invoice, including dates, descriptions, prices, currency symbols, and codes. Also, check for inconsistencies in data before sending an invoice to a customer.
You also need to accurately match your invoice remittance with the payment received from your customers. If you do this incorrectly, you risk a bounced cheque, which can lead to future problems and high payment rates.
The best way to avoid this problem is by implementing strong collection policies and management practices to ensure that your invoices are always paid in full when they are due. Also, be sure to have a thorough review process in place so that no invoices go to the wrong customer.
Not Stepping Up With The Technology
A lack of technological advancements can hinder your company’s AR management capabilities. Consider how your business processes AR data and whether you can benefit from advanced technologies and systems.
A CRM or accounting solution can help you capture data and automate payments. Furthermore, a digital invoicing solution can streamline your invoicing process, automate payments, reduce costs, and improve data quality.
Incorporate software for accounts receivable management to automate the entire process and improve cash flow. You can enter all transactions into a central database to access your information and avoid errors at any time.
Read reviews, compare features, and choose a system that best fits your needs.
Final Thoughts
A poor AR management system can be detrimental to your company’s performance. However, by taking the necessary steps with software for accounts receivable to improve your finances, you can overcome this problem and boost your company’s productivity and profits.