Set up collections

This article explains how to set up the collections functionality. You must complete some setup steps when using collections capability. There are also some optional capabilities, including customer pools and collections teams.

• Aging period definitions
• Aging snapshots
• Journal names
• Reason code for writeoff transactions
• Collections agents
• Writeoff account
• NSF (not sufficient funds) information
• Outlook settings for those who use the Collections page
• Email addresses

These points are discussed in more detail throughout the rest of this article.

Set up aging period definitions

Set up an aging period definition. An aging period definition defines the columns that appear on the Aged balances, Collections activities, and Collections cases list pages. It also defines the periods that appear on the Collections page. If a customer pool is set up, the aging period definition for the pool is used. If no pools are set up, the default aging period definition that is specified on the Accounts receivable parameters page is used. If no default aging period definition is specified, the first aging period definition on the Aging period definitions page is used.

Create an aging snapshot

Create aging snapshot records for all customers or for the customers in a customer pool. Aging snapshot information appears on the Aged balances list page and on the Collections page. You must create an aging snapshot before you can use the list page. The list page shows information only for customers that an aging snapshot has been created for.

Optional: Set up customer pools

You can set up customer pools to represent groups of customers. You can use customer pools as filters for the customer information that appears on Collections list pages, on the Collections page, or when you create aging snapshots.

Optional: Create a collections team

If multiple people in your organization do collections work, you can set up a collections team. You can select the team on the Accounts receivable parameters page. If you don't create a collections team, a team is created automatically when you set up collections agents on the Collections agent page.

Set up a collections case category

To use cases to organize your collections work, set up a case category that has the Collections category type. This is required only if you want to use the case functionality on the Collections page.

Set up journal names (settlement, writeoff, and NSF)

Set up the journal names that are used when transactions are processed on the Collections page. This processing includes settling a transaction, writing off of a transaction, and processing a not sufficient funds (NSF) payment.

Set up a reason code for writeoff transactions

Set up the default reason code that is used when transactions are written off on the Collections page. You can change the code during the write-off process.

Set up a folder for email attachments and create email templates

If you will send email messages from the Collections page that have Microsoft Excel attachments, you can create optional email templates for those messages.

Set up accounts receivable parameters for collections

Set up the accounts receivable parameters that appear on the Collections tab.

Optional: Set up collections agents

If multiple people in your organization do collections work, you can set up collections agents. A collections agent is a worker who is set up as a user on the User relations page. You can assign customer pools (customer queries) to collections agents to help the agents organize their work. The collections agents are added to the team that is selected on the Accounts receivable parameters page. If a team isn't selected on that page, a new team that is named Collections is automatically created, and the collections agents are added to that team.

Set up a writeoff account

Set up the write-off account that is used for the general ledger write-off entry when a transaction is written off. This account is stored on the customer posting profile.

Set up NSF information for bank accounts

Update bank accounts so that they have the correct journal when NSF payments are identified on the Collections page. On the Currency management tab, in the NSF payment journal field, select a payment journal.

Set up Outlook settings for users of the Collections page

Before workers can create activities or send email messages by using the Collections page, you must verify that the Microsoft Outlook synchronization configuration key is selected, and that Outlook synchronization is set up for those workers.

Set up email and addresses

You can use email to communicate with both customers and salespeople about collections issues to send email messages from the Collections page.

Set up email and address settings for collections customer contacts

Set up email addresses for customer contacts to send email messages to those contacts from the Collections page. The collections contact is used as the default contact on the Collections page. You can set up a statement address for a customer if statements should use an address other than the primary address.

On the Credit and Collections FastTab for a customer, in the Collections contact field, select the person in the customer organization who works with your collections agent. This person is used as the default contact on the Collections page, and email messages are sent to them.

Set up email settings for salespeople

Set up email addresses for salespeople to send email messages to salespeople from the Collections page. Set up an email address for each sales representative in each commission sales group. The sales representative who has the Contact option selected is the default salesperson that email messages are sent to.

If a sales representative isn't specified, the primary salesperson for the customer organization is used. If a primary salesperson isn't specified, email messages are sent to the first salesperson who is listed on the page.

For more information, see the following topics:

• Create a collection letter sequence

• Process collection letters

• Review collections information