Outstanding Management System

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

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

Billing Manager Workflow:

Step 1: Financial Impact Assessment

Access revenue protection dashboard
Review total outstanding amounts and aging analysis
Generate financial reports for management

Step 2: Collection Trend Analysis

Analyze historical collection performance
Identify seasonal patterns and risk factors
Forecast bad debt and collection rates

Step 3: Process Optimization

Review collection workflow efficiency
Implement process improvements based on analytics
Coordinate billing and collection activities

6. Flow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A[User Login] --> B[Collections Dashboard]
    B --> C{User Role?}
    
    C -->|Recovery Executive| D[Outstanding Consumer List]
    C -->|CSO Manager| E[Performance Analytics Dashboard]
    C -->|Billing Manager| F[Financial Impact Dashboard]
    
    D --> G[Filter & Sort Consumers]
    G --> H[Select Consumer Record]
    H --> I[Review Account Details]
    I --> J{Action Required?}
    
    J -->|Disconnection Notice| K[Generate Notice]
    J -->|Payment Agreement| L[Setup Agreement Wizard]
    J -->|Account Statement| M[Send Statement]
    J -->|Documentation| N[Record Activity]
    
    K --> O[Schedule Delivery]
    L --> P[Define Terms]
    M --> Q[Select Channel]
    N --> R[Set Follow-up]
    
    O --> S[Track Delivery Status]
    P --> T[Route for Approval]
    Q --> U[Confirm Receipt]
    R --> V[Update Priority]
    
    E --> W[View Team Metrics]
    W --> X[Analyze Performance]
    X --> Y[Generate Reports]
    
    F --> Z[Revenue Analysis]
    Z --> AA[Trend Reporting]
    AA --> BB[Management Dashboard]
    
    S --> CC[Update Consumer Status]
    T --> DD[Monitor Compliance]
    U --> EE[Track Response]
    V --> FF[Next Action Queue]
    
    Y --> GG[Strategic Planning]
    BB --> HH[Financial Reporting]

7. Business Rules

General Rules

Outstanding balance calculation includes principal, interest, and applicable fees
Risk scoring updates automatically when account status changes
All collection activities must be documented within 24 hours
System maintains complete audit trail of all actions and communications

Role-Specific Rules

Recovery Executive:

Can only access consumers assigned to their territory
Cannot approve payment agreements exceeding $500 without supervisor approval
Must follow regulatory compliance guidelines for collection communications
Cannot modify risk scoring parameters

CSO Manager:

Has access to all consumer records within their jurisdiction
Can approve payment agreements up to $2,000
Can modify collection strategies and templates
Has read-only access to financial reporting

Billing Manager:

Full access to financial analytics and reporting
Cannot initiate collection actions directly
Can adjust billing-related components of outstanding balances
Has authority to write off uncollectable accounts per policy

Process Rules

Disconnection notices require 15-day advance notice per regulations
Payment agreements cannot exceed 12 months without special approval
High-risk accounts (>$1,000 outstanding) require supervisor review
Automated escalation occurs after 90 days past due

Data Validation Rules

Payment agreement amounts must be positive values
Agreement start dates cannot be in the past
Notice delivery must be confirmed within 5 business days
Risk scores recalculate daily at midnight

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

The system must display a prioritized list of all consumers with outstanding balances ranked by risk score
The system must calculate risk scores based on configurable parameters including amount, days past due, and payment history
The system must allow filtering consumers by amount ranges, days past due, territory, and risk level
The system must enable recovery executives to generate and send disconnection notices using customizable templates
The system must provide a guided workflow for setting up payment agreements with automated approval routing
The system must track and confirm delivery of all communications sent to consumers
The system must maintain a complete audit trail of all collection activities with timestamps and user identification
The system must automatically escalate accounts based on configurable business rules
The system must provide real-time dashboards showing collection performance metrics by individual and team
The system must generate account statements that can be sent via multiple channels (email, SMS, mail)
The system must monitor payment agreement compliance and generate alerts for missed payments
The system must integrate with existing billing system to ensure accurate outstanding balance calculations
The system must provide role-based access controls restricting actions based on user permissions
The system must support bulk actions for processing multiple consumer accounts simultaneously
The system must generate automated reports on collection performance, revenue at risk, and aging analysis
The system must allow managers to override risk scores and priorities when justified
The system must track the success rate of different collection strategies and communication methods
The system must provide mobile access for field collection activities
The system must ensure all collection communications comply with regulatory requirements
The system must enable seamless handoff of accounts between recovery executives

10. Process Changes

Process Area	From	To	Impact
Consumer Prioritization	Manual review of aging reports to identify high-risk accounts	Automated risk scoring with prioritized dashboard view	60% reduction in time spent identifying priority accounts
Disconnection Notice Process	Manual letter generation using word processing software	Template-based automated notice generation with multi-channel delivery	75% faster notice processing and improved delivery tracking
Payment Agreement Setup	Paper-based forms with manual approval routing	Digital workflow with guided setup and automated approval	50% reduction in agreement setup time and improved compliance tracking
Collection Activity Documentation	Spreadsheet tracking with manual data entry	Integrated activity logging with automatic timestamps	80% improvement in documentation accuracy and completeness
Performance Monitoring	Monthly manual reports compiled from multiple sources	Real-time dashboards with automated metrics calculation	90% faster access to performance data and improved decision-making
Account Statement Distribution	Batch printing and manual mailing process	Digital generation with multi-channel delivery options	40% cost reduction and faster delivery times
Collection Strategy Planning	Quarterly reviews based on limited historical data	Continuous optimization using real-time analytics and trend analysis	30% improvement in collection success rates
Team Coordination	Email updates and weekly meetings for status coordination	Centralized system with real-time status updates and automated alerts	50% reduction in coordination time and improved communication

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

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Impact Category	Metric	How It Improves
Financial Performance	Bad Debt Reduction	Proactive identification and management of high-risk accounts reduces write-offs by 25-35%
Operational Efficiency	Collection Cycle Time	Automated workflows and prioritization reduce average collection time from 120 to 75 days
Staff Productivity	Cases Handled Per Day	Streamlined interface and automated tools increase recovery executive productivity by 40%
Customer Experience	Payment Plan Compliance	Structured agreement process improves payment plan success rate from 65% to 85%
Revenue Protection	Days Sales Outstanding	Faster identification and action on delinquent accounts reduces DSO by 15-20 days
Regulatory Compliance	Documentation Accuracy	Automated audit trails ensure 100% compliance with collection activity documentation requirements
Management Visibility	Decision Response Time	Real-time dashboards enable management decisions within hours instead of weeks
Communication Effectiveness	Notice Response Rate	Multi-channel delivery and tracking improves customer response to collection notices by 50%
Process Standardization	Workflow Consistency	Standardized processes across all recovery executives improve overall collection success rate by 20%
Risk Management	Early Intervention Success	Automated risk scoring enables intervention 30 days earlier, improving resolution rates by 45%

12. User Behavior Tracking

Recovery Executive Tracking Plan

Event Name	Trigger	Properties	Business Question
`consumer_list_viewed`	User accesses outstanding consumer dashboard	user_id, filter_criteria, sort_method, list_size	How do recovery executives prioritize their workload?
`consumer_details_accessed`	User clicks on consumer record	user_id, consumer_id, risk_score, outstanding_amount	Which types of accounts get the most attention?
`collection_action_initiated`	User starts any collection action	user_id, consumer_id, action_type, risk_score	What collection strategies are most commonly used?
`notice_generated`	User creates disconnection notice	user_id, consumer_id, template_used, delivery_method	How effective are different notice templates?
`payment_agreement_created`	User sets up payment arrangement	user_id, consumer_id, agreement_amount, term_length	What agreement terms lead to highest success rates?
`activity_documented`	User records collection activity	user_id, consumer_id, activity_type, outcome	How well are collection activities being documented?

CSO Manager Tracking Plan

Event Name	Trigger	Properties	Business Question
`dashboard_accessed`	Manager views performance dashboard	user_id, dashboard_type, time_period	What metrics do managers focus on most?
`team_performance_reviewed`	Manager accesses team analytics	user_id, team_member, metric_type, time_period	How do managers monitor team performance?
`report_generated`	Manager creates custom report	user_id, report_type, parameters, frequency	What information is most valuable for strategic decisions?
`strategy_modified`	Manager changes collection policies	user_id, policy_type, old_value, new_value	How do collection strategies evolve over time?

Billing Manager Tracking Plan

Event Name	Trigger	Properties	Business Question
`financial_dashboard_viewed`	User accesses revenue analytics	user_id, dashboard_section, time_period	What financial metrics are most critical for decision-making?
`aging_analysis_performed`	User reviews account aging data	user_id, aging_buckets, total_amount	How does account aging correlate with collection success?
`trend_analysis_conducted`	User analyzes collection trends	user_id, trend_type, time_period, comparison_period	What trends indicate collection strategy effectiveness?
`management_report_created`	User generates executive report	user_id, report_type, recipients, frequency	What information does executive leadership require?

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