Collections Agency
A Collection Agency: What Is It?
A third-party business called a collection agency is employed to collect past-due payments, usually when invoices are sixty days or more past due. To collect money due, agencies use letters, phone calls, and occasionally legal action.
The Operation of Collection Agencies
Only when an account goes significantly past due do they step in.
Negotiate payment plans or provide payment settlements.
Work on commission, typically 20% to 50% of the money that has been recovered.
may, as a last option, intensify disagreements or bring legal claims.
Collection agencies are useful in recovering aged receivables, but they can be costly and often risk damaging customer relationships through aggressive collection tactics.
Importance Of The Collection Effectiveness Index (CEI)
A important performance indicator called the Collection Effectiveness Index (CEI) gauges how well a company collects receivables over a specific time frame.
The formula
CEI is equal to Beginning Receivables plus Credit Sales minus Ending Receivables.
Starting Receivables plus Credit Sales × 100
Beginning Receivables + Credit Sales - Ending Receivables × 100 CEI = Beginning Receivables + Credit Sales
The Significance of CEI
shows the amount of money received on time.
demonstrates operational effectiveness in the managing of receivables.
aids in quantifying the effects of financial automation tactics.
A CEI above 80% is considered healthy; high-performing businesses aim for 90% or above.
Automated Collections vs. Collection Agencies
Feature | Automated Collections | Collection Agencies |
Best For | 1–30 day follow-ups | 60+ day overdue accounts |
Timing | Proactive, from invoice creation | Reactive, after delays occur |
Cost | Fixed, subscription-based | High commission (20–50%) |
Customer Experience | Professional and timely | Risk of strained relationships |
Scalability | Easily scalable across accounts | Manual and team-limited |
Impact on CEI | High, prevents overdue invoices | Moderate, recovers overdue accounts |
Legal Handling | Not applicable (pre-default) | Available (as escalation path) |
The Reasons Companies Favour Automated Collections
Automation is used by contemporary financial teams to increase collections without increasing staff or jeopardising client connections. Automated collections increase visibility, speed, and accuracy, all of which are critical for expanding companies dealing with large invoice quantities.
Principal Advantages
Increased CEI and improved cash flow
Lower DSO through early engagement
65% reduction in manual follow-up work
Better retention of high-value customers
Lower credit risk via early risk detection
Example Case: Automation Drives CEI Growth
A mid-sized logistics company's past-due receivables were ₹4 crore. Following the installation of an automated platform for collection:
Within 60 days, CEI increased from 58% to 83%.
Within 30 days, 70% of payments were received.
The number of manual jobs decreased by 65%.
Collection-related customer complaints drastically decreased.
Without destroying connections, automation substituted timely, proactive reminders for reactive agency calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How frequently should businesses monitor a company's CEI score and what constitutes a good score?
A CEI of 80% or higher is regarded as healthy. Companies should modify their credit risk policies and collection procedures based on monthly CEI monitoring.
2. What distinguishes automated payment reminders from manual ones?
Automated solutions provide fast, individualised follow-ups using behavior-driven logic and segmentation, which is not possible with human methods.
3. Is it possible to combine automation and collection agencies?
Indeed. Only include agencies in complex or elderly cases, and use automation to avoid delays early. This hybrid model strikes a compromise between efficiency and cost.
4. How is credit risk decreased by financial automation?
Businesses can take proactive measures, including modifying credit limits or payment conditions, by using automation to deliver real-time alerts for late payments.
5. Will my finance team be replaced by systems such as FinanceOps?
No. By removing monotonous work and freeing up time for strategic endeavours like credit analysis and forecasting, FinanceOps increases team productivity.
Learn More: E-Invoicing, Credit Insurance, Grace Period
