The AR Recovery Playbook
Universal strategies for B2B accounts receivable recovery. Proven programs that work regardless of industry.
Universal B2B AR challenges
Every B2B company with significant receivables faces these problems. The solutions are consistent—it's the execution that matters.
Accounts Aging Faster Than Teams Can Reach Them
Manual prioritization means high-value accounts slip through. By the time collectors get to them, invoices have aged 30+ days unnecessarily.
AI-powered prioritization that surfaces the right accounts at the right time based on value, risk, and collection probability
Disputes That Drag On For Weeks
No centralized tracking. Documentation scattered across emails. The same disputes come up repeatedly with no resolution history.
Centralized dispute queue with investigation workflows, document attachment, and resolution tracking
Broken Promises to Pay
Customers commit to payment dates, then miss them. Nobody follows up consistently because there's no system to track promises.
Automatic promise-to-pay tracking with follow-up alerts when commitments break
Collectors Buried in Spreadsheets
80% of collector time goes to finding information, building worklists, and updating records. Only 20% is actual collection work.
Unified worklist with all customer context, communication history, and next actions in one place
No Visibility Into What's Working
Which collection strategies work? Which customers need different approaches? Without data, every account gets the same generic treatment.
Analytics that show what's working, identify at-risk accounts early, and help teams continuously improve
B2B AR benchmarks
How does your AR performance compare?
Average DSO
Industry Typical
45-65 days
With Able Collect
30-45 days
Collector Touch Rate
Industry Typical
25-35%
With Able Collect
60-75%
Dispute Resolution
Industry Typical
3-6 weeks
With Able Collect
1-2 weeks
Bad Debt Write-off
Industry Typical
1-2%
With Able Collect
0.3-0.7%
Best practices for B2B AR recovery
Strategies from high-performing collection teams across industries.
Prioritize Based on Value and Risk, Not Just Age
Aging is important, but it's not everything. A $500K invoice at 35 days from a struggling customer needs attention before a $5K invoice at 60 days from a reliable payer.
- Weight prioritization by invoice value, not just days past due
- Factor in customer payment history and risk signals
- Consider collection probability—some accounts need different strategies
- Surface accounts where a single touch could unlock significant cash
Follow Up Early and Consistently
The best time to collect is before the invoice ages. The second best time is immediately after it goes past due.
- Send payment reminders before invoices go past due
- Make first contact within 5 days of an invoice aging
- Use multiple channels—email, phone, portal—based on customer preferences
- Document every contact and set clear next action dates
Track and Close Disputes Quickly
Unresolved disputes are cash sitting on the sideline. Every day a dispute lingers is another day you're financing your customer.
- Log disputes immediately with clear categorization
- Assign ownership—disputes without owners don't get resolved
- Set SLAs for resolution and escalate when they're missed
- Track dispute patterns to address root causes upstream
Escalate Strategically
Not every past-due account needs executive escalation. But some do—and knowing which ones makes the difference.
- Define clear escalation triggers based on age, value, and communication gaps
- Have different escalation paths for different customer types
- Escalate to the right level—sometimes operations contacts are better than AP
- Document escalation history to avoid repeating ineffective approaches
Monitor Credit Risk Continuously
Payment behavior changes before customers go bad. Watch for warning signs and act early.
- Track changes in payment patterns—slowing payments signal trouble
- Monitor communication responsiveness—going silent is a red flag
- Review credit exposure regularly, especially for large customers
- Tighten terms or require deposits when risk increases
5 Proven AR Recovery Programs
Universal programs that work for any B2B company. Configure the triggers, thresholds, and escalation paths to match how your team operates.
Early Delinquency Intervention (30-60 Days)
The problem: Invoices slip to 90+ days simply because no one followed up early enough. By then, collection becomes exponentially harder.
The approach: Systematically identify invoices entering delinquency and initiate structured outreach before they age further.
Configure it: Set your balance thresholds, aging windows, and escalation timing.
High-Risk Aging Recovery (90+ Days)
The problem: Large aged balances linger without structured recovery efforts. Each month they age, collection probability drops.
The approach: Surface high-risk accounts, generate recovery strategies, and coordinate escalation through appropriate channels.
Configure it: Define your risk thresholds, escalation paths, and collection agency handoff criteria.
Dispute Resolution Fast-Track
The problem: Disputes sit unresolved for weeks or months. Cash stays stuck while someone digs for documentation or waits for responses.
The approach: Centralized dispute queue with investigation workflows, documentation requirements, and automatic escalation.
Configure it: Set resolution targets, define dispute categories, and establish escalation triggers.
Credit Risk Monitoring
The problem: Payment behavior changes before customers go bad. Without monitoring, you learn about problems after they become write-offs.
The approach: Continuous monitoring of payment behavior with early warning alerts before problems escalate.
Configure it: Define your risk thresholds, alert recipients, and automatic actions for different risk levels.
Collection Process Optimization
The problem: Collectors spend most of their time on administrative tasks rather than actual collection work. Inefficiency compounds across the team.
The approach: Unified worklist with automated prioritization, integrated communication, and streamlined workflows.
Configure it: Set prioritization rules, communication templates, and workflow automation triggers.
$800K-$1.5M
Combined annual improvement for mid-size B2B companies
*Based on outcomes from companies with $50-150M revenue and $8-15M in open AR. Impact scales with your AR volume—larger companies with more AR outstanding see proportionally larger results.
See Able Collect in action
We'll show you how Able Collect handles prioritization, disputes, and collection workflows for your business.