Overdue receivables demand more than consistent follow-ups. It calls for a structured accounts receivable collection process, seasoned AR collection experts and continued visibility into receivable performance.

This customer success story portrays how our AR collection solution helped recover more than $25 million in 4 years while improving operational performance and nurturing customer relationships.

Founded in 1999, our customer was a recycling and waste management company. They were serving across Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

They carried a reputation in serving both residential and commercial customers through distinct, well-matured B2B and B2C models.

With over 23 databases and over 75,000 customers, they were operating in a highly complex environment.

As the business continued to grow and the workload doubled, the company wanted to have a structured collection process in place with a dedicated AR collection team.

If your collections team is managing growing receivables, disconnected data, or increasing payment delays, you may be facing many of the same operational hurdles our customer encountered.

What Operational Hurdles Did A/R Collection Team Face?

With annual revenue exceeding $80M and a growing customer base, our customer relied on a custom-built Waste Management ERP to manage customer service, billing, payment history, and aging accounts across the business.

After business expansion through mergers and acquisitions, the volume of outstanding receivables continued to grow.

The existing collections process started to create operational issues affecting recovery, reporting, and everyday operations.

Limited Collection Capacity

With a steep increase in receivables, the in-house AR collection team faced difficulties managing the growing volume of receivables, besides operational responsibilities.

Growing Overdue Receivables

Handling customer balances, particularly those in the 60+ day aging bucket, became increasingly difficult as collection volumes continued to rise

Billing & Payment Delays

Unpredictability in invoicing and payment processing caused delayed or missed invoices. This affected collection timelines.

Fragmented Customer Data

Data was sitting on multiple systems. This made capturing accurate customer records and prioritizing collections difficult.

Limited Performance Visibility

Decision-makers didn't have access to timely collection insights. Thus, monitoring performance and identifying improvement opportunities became difficult.

These challenges created a demand for more structured accounts receivable collection process - to improve recovery, create operational visibility, and support business growth. 

How our Accounts Receivable Specialists Implemented the Process

"Successful accounts receivable collections begin long before the first customer call. They begin with the right priorities, a structured process, and disciplined execution that turns outstanding receivables into predictable cash flow."

~ Derick Miller, 25+ Years in Accounts Receivable Collections.

We prioritized building a structured accounts receivable collection process focused on high-value opportunities, standardize execution, and create measurable milestones for recovery improvement.

Our step-by-step approach

Account Segmentation

We first analyzed customer data and aging reports to prioritize accounts within the 60–120-day aging bucket, allowing our AR collection specialists to focus on recovery efforts where they would have the greatest financial impact.

Targeted Campaigns

We ran a pilot program as a part of a strategic collections campaign, targeting 500-600 customers simultaneously from an increasing database of 4,000-5,000 accounts.

Collections Outreach

To attain prompt billing and payment, we executed strategic outbound collections calls and managed inbound customer inquiries.

SLA Implementation

We implemented SLA guidelines to address payment-related issues and customer disputes within 30–60 days.

Performance Monitoring

We performed daily audits and verified weekly performance reports. This brought visibility to all the stakeholders about payment progress, collection activity, and operational metrics.

Compliance Monitoring

We deployed SLA-driven workflows, conducted daily validation audits, monitored collection performance through weekly reporting, and reviewed customer interactions to maintain regulatory compliance.

Payment Support

We helped customers with payment processing and account clarification while implementing A/B testing tactics. This increased response rates.

Besides the structured collection framework, our specialists managed a growing communication volume of 3,000–5,000 customer interactions each week. This ensured timely follow-ups, payment support, and continuous engagement throughout the recovery process.

This structured operating model helped us build a foundation for consistent recovery improvements, enabling the program to mature year after year while maintaining service quality and customer relationships.

Do you also need a similar AR collection program for your recovery activities?

We have got you covered with our risk-free 90 day performance commitment plan, delivering measurable results you can count on.

What Results did Our AR Collection Services Achieve?

The engagement began with a dedicated team of three AR collection specialists focused on establishing a structured operating model.

Rather than pursuing short-term recovery gains, the objective was to build a scalable accounts receivable collection process capable of delivering consistent, year-over-year improvements.

2022-2023 - Laying the Foundation

We created a structured accounts receivable collection process, standardized workflows. This helped observe early recovery performance improvements.

2023-2024 - Ramp Up Recovery Performance

With the stable framework we established initially, we then started prioritizing execution. This helped boost collections performance, improve recovery rates, and consistently meet predicted DSO targets.

2024-2025 - Scaling the Operating Model 

By the third year, the collections program matured. We focused on scaling the operation model to support fluctuating receivable workloads without affecting recovery outcomes and cash flow.

Four-Year Outcome 

Over four years, the program recovered more than $25 million, demonstrating the long-term value of a structured AR collection solution supported by experienced AR collection specialists. 

The success of the engagement extended beyond accounts receivable collections. 

As confidence in the operating model grew, the customer expanded the partnership into additional finance functions, including cash application, while continuing to grow the Integrative Systems team. 

The Operating Model Behind the Results 

Recovering more than $25M wasn't the result of a single initiative. It was the outcome of a structured accounts receivable collection process built around prioritization, disciplined execution, continuous performance monitoring, and experienced AR collection specialists. 

Why Organizations Trust Integrative Systems for AR Collections Services 

At Integrative Systems, we start by helping you succeed first!

We work as an extension of your finance team, aligning with your processes, technology stack, performance goals, and customer experience standards.

This allows our AR collection specialists to integrate seamlessly into your operations while driving measurable collection outcomes.

Our capabilities include -

Accounts Receivable Collection Services

Performance & Process Optimization

Long-Term Partnership

We help you identify process gaps, execute measurable improvements, and strengthen cash recovery. No matter if you need a structured collections program and wish to embellish an existing process, our priority is helping you succeed first while nurturing customer relationships.