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- Escalating A/R Problems to Management
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Escalating A/R Problems to Management
Sometimes, it is necessary to escalate a problem within the creditor company to resolve difficult collection issues. For example, a pricing dispute may necessitate the involvement of the salesperson, or of the person who took the order.
Monthly meetings with your senior management utilizing, e.g. an Excel spreadsheet could be useful in examining and accelerating the closure of open invoices and outstanding deductions. A spreadsheet could include the following information:
| Date Item | Item Description |
| Owner | The owner of the problem/unresolved payment- who is responsible - sales, credit etc. |
| Region | Region where the customer is located. |
| Company | Customer name. |
| Type of A/R | This indicates product, service etc. |
| 000's | The dollar amount past due, as well as the total amount owing. |
| Amount of Revenue Reversal | This an indication that unless the amount in question is resolved in 90 days, that the revenue is charged back to the product or service organization |
| Period to Revenue | It indicates when the open accounts receivable item was recognized as revenue. |
| Period Billed | Date the item was invoiced |
| Write-off/Reversal | Would show a dollar amount if the transaction had been reversed and charged back against revenue. |
| Issue | A description of the problem. |
| Close/Recommendation | If the item is resolved, it is maintained in a "Closed" section of the report for two quarters. If the item continues to be unresolved, an updated plan of action is needed. |
Edited by Michael C. Dennis. Mr Dennis is an author, lecturer and consultant. He can be reached by email at mcdennis13@yahoo.com