Outstanding Management System (CIS01US08)

1. Problem Statement

User Roles Identified:

• Recovery Executive: Collections specialist responsible for managing delinquent accounts
• CSO Manager: Customer service operations manager overseeing collection strategies
• Billing Manager: Oversees billing operations and revenue recovery

Pain Points by User Role:

Recovery Executive:

• Cannot easily identify which consumers have the highest outstanding amounts
• Lacks visibility into how long consumers have been delinquent
• Unable to systematically send disconnection notices
• No streamlined process for setting up payment agreements
• Difficult to prioritize collection efforts effectively

CSO Manager:

• Cannot assess overall collection performance and risk exposure
• Lacks data-driven insights for collection strategy decisions
• Unable to monitor team performance on collection activities
• No visibility into consumer communication history
• Difficult to balance collection efforts with customer retention

Billing Manager:

• Cannot track total revenue at risk from outstanding accounts
• Lacks ability to analyze collection trends and patterns
• Unable to generate comprehensive reports for management
• No systematic approach to account statement distribution
• Difficult to coordinate collection activities across teams

Core Problem:

The utility lacks a centralized system to identify, prioritize, and take action on consumers with outstanding balances, resulting in increased bad debt, inefficient collection processes, and poor customer communication.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Recovery Executive

• Primary user responsible for day-to-day collection activities
• Manages individual consumer accounts and payment arrangements
• Initiates disconnection processes and customer communications

CSO Manager

• Oversees collection operations and strategy
• Monitors team performance and collection metrics
• Makes decisions on collection policies and procedures

Billing Manager

• Responsible for revenue protection and billing accuracy
• Analyzes financial impact of outstanding accounts
• Coordinates with other departments on collection activities

Access Requirements:

• All three roles should have access to the feature with role-specific permissions
• Recovery Executive: Full access to individual account actions
• CSO Manager: Dashboard access and team performance metrics
• Billing Manager: Financial reporting and analytical capabilities

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Recovery Executive: When I need to prioritize my daily collection activities, But I can't easily see which consumers have the highest outstanding amounts or longest delinquency periods, Help me quickly identify and rank consumers by risk and outstanding amount, So that I can focus my efforts on the most critical accounts and maximize collection success.

For Recovery Executive: When I need to take action on delinquent accounts, But I have to use multiple systems to send notices, set up agreements, or communicate with consumers, Help me access all collection tools from a single interface, So that I can efficiently manage the entire collection process and improve my productivity.

For CSO Manager: When I need to develop collection strategies and monitor team performance, But I lack comprehensive data on collection trends and team activities, Help me access real-time dashboards and analytics on collection performance, So that I can make data-driven decisions and optimize our collection operations.

For Billing Manager: When I need to assess the financial impact of outstanding accounts, But I can't easily quantify total revenue at risk or analyze collection patterns, Help me generate comprehensive reports and analytics on outstanding balances, So that I can protect revenue and provide accurate financial reporting to management.

4. Solution

Comprehensive Outstanding Consumer Management Platform

The solution provides a centralized dashboard and workflow system that enables utility staff to identify, prioritize, and take action on consumers with outstanding balances through intelligent risk assessment and streamlined collection tools.

Key Capability Areas:

1. Risk Assessment & Prioritization

• Automated risk scoring based on outstanding amount, delinquency period, and payment history
• Configurable priority rankings with visual indicators
• Advanced filtering and sorting capabilities

2. Consumer Identification & Analytics

• Real-time dashboard showing total outstanding consumers and amounts
• Trending analysis of collection performance
• Geographic and demographic segmentation of outstanding accounts

3. Communication Management

• Automated disconnection notice generation and delivery
• Template-based account statement creation
• Multi-channel communication tracking (email, SMS, mail, phone)

4. Payment Agreement Setup

• Guided workflow for creating payment arrangements
• Automated approval routing based on amount and terms
• Agreement compliance monitoring and alerts

5. Action Tracking & Documentation

• Complete audit trail of all collection activities
• Task management and follow-up reminders
• Integration with customer service records

6. Reporting & Performance Analytics

• Executive dashboards for collection performance metrics
• Individual and team performance tracking
• Financial impact analysis and forecasting

7. Integration & Workflow Automation

• Seamless integration with billing and customer service systems
• Automated workflow triggers based on account status
• Role-based access controls and approval processes

5. Major Steps Involved

Recovery Executive Workflow:

Step 1: Access Outstanding Consumer Dashboard

• Login to SMART360 and navigate to Collections module
• View prioritized list of outstanding consumers with risk scores
• Use filters to focus on specific criteria (amount, days past due, location)

Step 2: Review Consumer Details

• Click on consumer record to open detailed view
• Review account history, payment patterns, and previous collection activities
• Assess risk factors and communication preferences

Step 3: Take Collection Action

• Select appropriate action from available options menu
• For disconnection notices: Choose template, customize message, schedule delivery
• For payment agreements: Launch guided setup wizard
• For account statements: Generate and send via preferred channel

Step 4: Document Activities

• Record collection attempt details and outcome
• Set follow-up reminders and next action dates
• Update account status and priority level

Step 5: Monitor Agreement Compliance

• Review active payment agreements for compliance
• Generate compliance reports and alerts
• Take action on broken agreements

CSO Manager Workflow:

Step 1: Access Collection Performance Dashboard

• Navigate to Collections Analytics section
• Review key performance indicators and trends
• Identify areas requiring attention or intervention

Step 2: Analyze Team Performance

• View individual recovery executive statistics
• Compare performance across different territories or consumer segments
• Identify training needs and best practices

Step 3: Strategic Decision Making

• Review collection strategy effectiveness
• Adjust policies and procedures based on performance data
• Coordinate with other departments on collection initiatives

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

Detail view

1. Account number - diplay the account number of the consumer
2. Consumer name - display consumer name
3. Category

Balance Summary card

1. Outstanding amount - display the outstanding amount that has pass due date
2. Days of outstanding - display the number of days passed after the last payment
3. Last payment - display the last payment date
4. Risk -
   • if days passed are less than 30 then low
   • if days passed are between 31 to 60 then medium
   • if days passed are between 61 to 90 then high
   • if days passed are 90+ then critical
5. Follow up -
   • Required - when no actions are taken
   • Reminder send - when a reminder is send
   • Final notice - when final notice is send
   • Aggrement created - when an agreement is created

Actions tab

1. Process payment - redirect to record payment add form with pre selected consumer
2. create agreement -
   • Display outstanding balance
   • Current billed amount
   • checkbox - Include current billed amount in payment agreement
   • total agreement amount
   • Down payment - cannot be more than total agreement amount
   • number of installments - select number of months for the remaining balance installments
   • Notes - textbox - optional
   • Payment summary
     • Total amount due
     • Down payment
     • Remaining balance - total amount after subtracting down payment from total agreement amount
     • Monthly payment - dividing the remaining balance by number of installments
   • Create agreement - create a agreement and display a success message
   • print agreement - print the agreement form
3. Print statement - print the account statement
4. Send Reminder - Select reminder type which should be configured in the communication module. Riminder can be print and a success message should be shown
5. Send Notice - an disconnection notice should be send and a disconnection request should be generated in the Disconnection tab with the reason non - payments of bills.
6. Send statement - An account statement should be send to consumer on the mail.

Installment Tab

1. Payment agreement Information
2. Agreement id - from num format
3. created date
4. created by
5. total amount
6. Down payment
7. monthly payment
8. Start date
9. End date
10. Notes - if added when createing aan aggreement
11. view agreement document - view the agreement created
12. cancle agreement - can only be canclled if no installments are paid. if any one is paid then button is disable
13. Payment aggreement installmation - display all the installments with amount, status (Pending , paid, overdue), due date, paid date (if paid), Days overdue (days after duedate passed)
14. Total paid - Display the total paid amount
15. Total due - display the total due
16. remaining - display the total remaining amount

Notes tab

• User can add notes - User name, date, and note

History Tab

Display all the history of the outstanding actions taken on the consumer

Landing page

KPI cards

• Total outstanding - display the total outstanding, excluding the billed amount
• Accounts - display the number of accounts whoes outstanding is not 0
• Average days outstanding - total days of outstanding / total number of accounts outstanding - display round figure days
• Collection rate - (Total Amount Collected in the current month / Total Amount Billed in the current month) × 100

Search bar

• can be search by the Account no and name

Filter

• days
• follow up
• Risk
• due date
• outstanding

Sort

• should be applicable for all coloums in list view

listview

• Account - account number, name, premise, sub area
• billed amount - current month billed amount, move it in outstanding when due date is passed
• Due date - current bill due date'
• outstanding - outstanding amount of the current bill
• Days - days passed after llast payment
• Last payment - amount, date
• Follow up
• Risk
• Action - View details, create aggresment, send notice

Export data

• Download the all the data in the format of the listview coloums

8. Sample Data

Outstanding Consumer Records

Consumer Record 1:

• Consumer ID: CON-2024-001
• Name: John Smith
• Outstanding Amount: $1,250.75
• Days Past Due: 87
• Risk Score: 85 (High)
• Last Payment: $125.00 (2024-01-15)
• Previous Agreements: 1 (Completed)
• Communication Preference: Email
• Territory: Zone A

Consumer Record 2:

• Consumer ID: CON-2024-002
• Name: Maria Garcia
• Outstanding Amount: $2,345.20
• Days Past Due: 134
• Risk Score: 95 (Critical)
• Last Payment: $50.00 (2023-11-30)
• Previous Agreements: 2 (1 Broken)
• Communication Preference: Phone
• Territory: Zone B

Consumer Record 3:

• Consumer ID: CON-2024-003
• Name: Robert Johnson
• Outstanding Amount: $567.45
• Days Past Due: 45
• Risk Score: 65 (Medium)
• Last Payment: $200.00 (2024-02-20)
• Previous Agreements: 0
• Communication Preference: Mail
• Territory: Zone A

Payment Agreement Sample

Agreement Details:

• Agreement ID: AGR-2024-156
• Consumer: John Smith (CON-2024-001)
• Total Amount: $1,250.75
• Monthly Payment: $125.08
• Term: 10 months
• Start Date: 2024-04-01
• Created By: Recovery Executive - Jane Doe
• Approval Status: Approved
• Compliance Status: Current (3 of 10 payments made)

Collection Activity Log

Activity Record:

• Activity ID: ACT-2024-2341
• Consumer: Maria Garcia (CON-2024-002)
• Action Type: Disconnection Notice Sent
• Date: 2024-03-15
• Channel: Email + Mail
• Template Used: Final Notice - 15 Day
• Created By: Recovery Executive - Mike Wilson
• Status: Delivered
• Follow-up Date: 2024-03-30

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display a prioritized list of all consumer accounts with outstanding balances along with associated risk levels.
2. The system must calculate and display risk levels based on days since last payment using predefined ranges (Low, Medium, High, Critical).
3. The system must allow filtering of consumer accounts by days outstanding, risk level, follow-up status, due date, and outstanding amount.
4. The system must enable recovery executives to send reminders and disconnection notices using predefined templates from the communication module.
5. The system must provide a guided workflow to create payment agreements with options for down payment, installment selection, and auto-calculated monthly amounts.
6. The system must track and log all follow-up actions including reminders, notices, and agreement creation with timestamps and user details.
7. The system must prevent agreement cancellation if any installment has already been paid.
8. The system must automatically update follow-up status based on the latest action performed.
9. The system must allow exporting of all consumer outstanding data in the format of the list view.
10. The system must provide a dashboard displaying KPIs including total outstanding, number of accounts, average days outstanding, and collection rate.
11. The system must generate and allow sending of account statements via email to consumers.
12. The system must allow printing of agreement documents and account statements directly from the interface.
13. The system must compute payment agreement summaries including total due, down payment, remaining balance, and monthly installments.
14. The system must track the compliance of each payment agreement and update installment status as Paid, Pending, or Overdue.
15. The system must restrict actions (e.g., cancel agreement, send notice) based on role-based permissions and agreement/payment status.
16. The system must support search functionality by account number and consumer name.
17. The system must allow users to add notes tied to their identity and timestamps for internal tracking.
18. The system must provide a history log of all actions taken on the consumer account in relation to outstanding follow-ups and agreements.
19. The system must allow sorting on all list view columns to assist in prioritization and navigation.
20. The system must integrate with billing and payment modules to ensure accurate display of billed amounts and outstanding balances.

10. Process Changes

Impact percentages are based on industry benchmarks for similar utility collection system implementations and typical process automation benefits.

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

12. User Behavior Tracking

Recovery Executive Tracking Plan

CSO Manager Tracking Plan

Billing Manager Tracking Plan

Key Insights Expected:

From Recovery Executive Events:

• Which collection strategies yield the highest success rates
• How risk scoring accuracy predicts collection outcomes
• What consumer characteristics lead to successful payment agreements
• How workload distribution affects individual performance

From CSO Manager Events:

• Which team performance metrics correlate with collection success
• How management attention affects team performance
• What strategic changes improve overall collection outcomes
• How often collection policies need adjustment

From Billing Manager Events:

• Which financial metrics best predict collection challenges
• How aging patterns change with different collection strategies
• What economic factors influence collection performance
• How collection activities impact overall revenue protection

13. Wireframe

https://preview--utility-compass-flow-41.lovable.app/payments/new

14. Enhancement in latest release

Create Payment agreement

• Added a "Payment Day of Month" Field below down payment and installments
• User can select on which day of the month payment should be made by the consumer.
• For each installment the due date can be calculated from this field.

Wireframe: https://preview--utility-compass-flow-41.lovable.app/outstanding