Customer Story
Kuriyama
Taking the busy work out of credit and collections
- FasterTask creation and statement generation
- More timeto perform critical collections activities
- Improved visibilityfor Credit Manager
Headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, Kuriyama of America, Inc. is an industrial supply wholesaler that operates in several diverse markets. The company recently upgraded its software system, which led to some accounts receivable (AR) processes being automated (invoice delivery) while others remained manual (collections management). For Credit Manager Andrea Linke and her team, this meant that “busy work” was often the rule rather than the exception.
If a customer wanted a statement that day, it was like six or seven steps in order to pull all the information, save the document, email it, etc. It felt like my team was spending more of their time doing that kind of thing than actually doing collections calls.
CHALLENGES: Complicating collections with tedious, low-value activities
Another challenge for Linke was the lack of tracking associated with the manual process, saying: “We have roughly 1,500 active accounts and the only way to see how everyone was doing in terms of calls was to pull all the accounts into an Excel spreadsheet and go one by one — not a realistic option.”
Kuriyama decided its best option was to explore digital solutions for centralising the process and delivering new levels of speed, efficiency and visibility to the team.
OBJECTIVES:
- Centralise collections process (including customer info) instead of managing multiple tools
- Empower collections staff to be more productive & strategic by automating manual tasks
- Improve visibility into each account, as well as staff performance metrics
SOLUTION: Centralising collections activities in a single cloud platform
Kuriyama selected Esker’s Collections Management automation solution after narrowing down its search to three vendors. “The other two platforms didn’t really hit what I was looking for,” said Linke. “I want to see something that ‘shouts out’ how it’s going, and Esker’s interface provides the executive reports and performance metrics right at my fingertips. It really helped us take our day-to-day performance to the next level.”
Esker’s Collections Management solution works similarly to how other departments use CRM software to manage workflow functions. Through a centralised digital interfaced, users can easily orchestrate post-sale collection interactions with tools such as payment reminder emails, rule-based task lists, collections forecast, root-cause analysis and deductions, account lookups and call logging.
The call prioritisation feature is a favourite within the team. Every morning it generates what calls need to be done which makes it incredibly easy to plan their day.
The versatile “all-in-one” nature of Esker’s solution has been particularly helpful for Linke and her management style. “I’m always trying to be proactive and looking for improvement,” she said. “Esker gives me the big picture and so many ways to collaborate. Whether it’s creating tasks that get sent to our cash app person or sharing performance reports with my boss, it’s all possible through Esker.”
Statements are now super easy to generate. All the contact details are included so we just click it and it sends — there’s no back and forth.
RESULTS: Thriving in a digital environment
While it’s still too early to calculate measurable results since implementation, it’s safe to say that automating its collections management process has been a smashing success for Kuriyama. Task creation and statement generation — previously two manual problem areas for Linke’s team — are now performed in a matter of seconds directly from Esker’s simple and easy-to-user interface.
Not only does the team now have more time to perform critical collections activities, Linke’s ability to manage the team has also been optimised. “It’s just way easier and faster for me with Esker,” she said. “If I need to pull a report or things like that, it’s simple. I don’t have to worry about not finding it or wasting time.”
Esker affords me more time to get things done as a manager. I know exactly what’s going on, who’s doing what, and what needs to get done.
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