After the order has been released for payment, it is moved into the invoice lifecycle workflows. These workflows monitor the payment status of an invoice and trigger workflow events based on the data in the accounting systems. This process eliminates the need for clerical staff to monitor reports in order to take action on an invoice status. The workflows can perform the function that presents documentation to the shipper for payment resolution. In addition, scorecards are created that provide insight to shippers paying habits that allow changes in the billing function to improve DSO.
As many of the major shippers outsource the shipping needs payment status, updates within providers' websites have become increasingly more labor intensive for carriers. The status update workflow opens a third party payer's website and checks payment statuses. These statuses include items such as whether an EDI invoice has been received, or if there is a specific payment status condition such as a required POD document, or that a claim has been filed. Based on the status, response workflows are created to fulfill the request. As an example, a POD can be emailed to the shipper representative or a claim workflow is created at the carrier based on responsbility.
The shortpay workflow monitors payments from shippers and triggers a workflow for any payments that fall short of the invoiced amount. When this occurs, the documents are sorted by business rules and placed in workflow by responsibility. As the invoice and supporting documents are reviewed, if the error was billing related, the transaction is updated in the accounting system and the biller's scorecard is updated. If the shipper is short paid an accessorial such as toll, detention, fuel surcharge or other item, the carrier's scorecard is updated and the CSR prepares a supplemental invoice. To efficiently prepare supplemental invoices, carriers scan contracts into the SHIPS system. When a shipper does not pay for an item, the page of the contract supporting the charge is added to to the order number document types. When supplemental bills are processed, the supporting document is included with the invoice.
The collections workflow monitors the aging and total amount due reports within the accounting system. In addition, new shippers may be monitored by different criteria to flag poor or nonpaying trends. As an invoice ages to a specific date outstanding, a workflow is triggered that creates an email or fax that contains the freight bill and supporting documents. The documents are sent to the shipper then placed in a collections workflow based on business rules and account responsibility. The shipper's scorecard is updated with the collection status. The following day, the collections personnel process the invoice transaction in their workflow by bill-to code until all contracts are completed. This process is repeated until the invoice is removed from the aging report. If the invoice ages too long or if the total amount exceeds a threshold, the transaction is routed to upper management for review. In addition, the shipper can be set to a non-dispatch status by the collections workflow.
