Published: September 01, 2009
Vedior Asia Pacific’s credit and collections processing is centralised in a shared service centre (SSC) in Sydney, Australia. This SSC handles the majority of accounts receivables activities for the organisation’s operating locations across Australia and New Zealand. The credit and collections team based in the SSC comprises 16 team members, including 12 collections staff and four allocation staff. The firm uses Microsoft’s Great Plains as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system across eight separate databases for each of its brands.
Before investigating receivables technology, Vedior Asia Pacific’s credit and collections department had a number of manual processes in place which were time-consuming and prone to error. For example, statements for each customer had to be printed manually, using valuable resource which could be better used on more service-orientated duties. As the company had a variety of different databases in place, users had to switch between different programmes and screens to access customer data.
To address this issue, Vedior Asia Pacific recognised that adopting a single, automated solution would help to streamline its order-to-cash processes. The company was looking for a solution that was able to offer a consolidated view, and single means of accessing, essential customer data. This would in turn enhance work efficiency.
Another objective was to lower days sales outstanding (DSO) which was higher than necessary as a result of manual processing and the lack of a unified repository for housing customer data. Consequently, the company demanded a solution that could assist it in optimising the collections environment by offering robust automation and strategic workflow.
Vedior Asia Pacific selected SunGard’s AvantGard Receivables to enhance its order-to-cash processing, with a view to achieving a significant reduction in DSO, improved cash flow and the ability to increase and prioritise customer contact over manual processing. By taking advantage of the solution’s ability to generate strategic and highly organised work queues, and the resulting automated correspondence, the firm was confident that it would be able to achieve their desired outcomes.
The IT department collaborated closely with the vendor at every stage, resulting in a project which was delivered rapidly and within budget.
The company’s initial requirements were for a solution that would help lower DSO and equip collections staff with the tools necessary to operate more efficiently. Although still in the early stages of using the system, Vedior Asia Pacific has already experienced a variety of positive outcomes. For example, by replacing a number of disparate client databases, AvantGard Receivables has provided the company with an integrated solution across a single, unified platform. A large number of manual processes have been eliminated and a single database enables staff to view and exchange client information in a consistent fashion. There has also been a measurable increase in the number of customers that members of the accounts receivable are able to contact directly.[[[PAGE]]]
Other ways in which the solution supports the credit and collections department is by automating processes and instituting controls by segmenting customers and applying proper collection strategies. The collections module has been particularly valuable in helping to establish automatic work queues and producing mass correspondence. As a result of the system’s structured workflows, front-office managers are better able to decide how best to allocate work.
Dispute resolution is another area in which the company has seen progress. The solution is helping the credit and collections SSC to escalate queried accounts when required, and notify branch staff accordingly, enabling the company to identify and assign ownership of queried transactions automatically and track and escalate unresolved issues. With the automation, workflow and appropriate controls that its SSC has implemented through a new technology solution, the company also anticipates additional benefits in the form of decreased DSO and a considerable reduction in operating costs.
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