Define the reporting window
Specify the year start, cutoff date, included accounts, currency, and qualifying payment event. Depending on the measure, collections may use receipt, settlement, or posting dates; use one documented basis consistently.
State how refunds, returned payments, reversals, and collection costs are treated. Payment promises are not cash collections.
Calculation and example
YTD collections = qualifying collections in the reporting window, adjusted under the stated policy.
Hypothetical example: By June 30, collections total $500,000. Against a $1.2 million annual target, annual target attainment is 41.7%.
If the separately defined June 30 YTD target is $600,000, attainment against that target is 83.3%. These answer different questions. Do not describe 41.7% of the annual target as 41.7% of the YTD target.
Compare equivalent periods
Compare the same elapsed dates and account scope. Consider seasonality, placement volume, portfolio composition, one-off receipts, and data freshness before concluding that an approach improved performance.
Avoid double counting
Applying previously received cash to an invoice is not another receipt. Reconcile transactions across bank, processor, and account records.
A cumulative dollar total is not a recovery rate, profit figure, or measure of incremental collection impact by itself.