Course Overview

Accounts receivable are critical to cash flow, working capital management, and long-term business sustainability. Poor credit management, inefficient collections, or delayed payments can severely impact operational performance and financial stability.

The Accounts Receivable – Planning, Organising and Achieving Best Practice Training course by Transformentors Academy provides practical, actionable guidance to plan, organise, and implement best practices in AR management. Over five intensive days, participants develop expertise in customer credit evaluation, establishing trading terms, designing cash collection strategies, resolving disputes effectively, and tracking performance metrics. The course also demonstrates how to leverage KPIs and analytics to drive improvements in cash collection efficiency.

Participants will engage in practical exercises and realistic role-plays that simulate genuine AR challenges, enabling them to develop actionable solutions that enhance collections performance, strengthen customer relationships, and optimise working capital management.

Agenda

Day — 1 Introduction to Accounts Receivable

• Definition of accounts receivable (AR) and its core functions within financial management
• Exploring the order-to-cash process and understanding its direct impact on business operations and efficiency
• Understanding the impact of accounts receivable on working capital management and cash flow dynamics
• Introduction to cash management strategies and credit facilities that support effective AR operations
• Explaining the cost of credit and how to calculate the real cost of extending payment terms to customers
• Recognising the critical importance of credit management in ensuring long-term business survival and financial stability
• Explaining the close relationship between accounts receivable management and the delivery of effective customer service

Day — 2 Evaluating Customers and Trading Terms

• Guidelines for setting smart trading terms tailored to different customer types and risk profiles
• Exploring customer credit assessment techniques and the methodologies used to evaluate creditworthiness
• Exploring financial analysis tools used to support informed credit decisions, including:
  • Ratio Analysis
  • Trend Analysis
  • Altman’s Z-Score Analysis
  • Financial Distress Analysis
• Discussing why measuring cash flow is more important than profit when evaluating credit risk and customer viability
• Exploring commonly used tools for analysing financial statements to assess customer financial health:
  • Common Size and Horizontal/Trend Analysis
  • Vertical Trend Analysis
  • Segmental Analysis
  • Value Added Analysis
• Exercise: Conducting a comprehensive financial evaluation to determine creditworthiness and establish appropriate trading terms

Day — 3 Developing Cash Collection Maximisation Strategies

• Understanding pre-delinquency planning processes and the proactive measures that prevent payment defaults
• Exploring post-delinquency activities and the systematic steps for managing overdue accounts effectively
• Guidelines and key considerations for designing customer-sensitive collection approaches that preserve relationships
• Exploring cash collection techniques and letter cycle management practices that drive timely payments
• Understanding internal and external escalation protocols and the sequential steps for handling difficult collections
• Discussing workflow management practices that optimise collector performance and maximise collection outcomes
• Exercise: Designing a comprehensive and effective cash collection strategy that balances firm action with customer consideration

Day — 4 Practical Collection Tools and Techniques

• Strategies for overcoming common barriers to payment and identifying practical solutions to encourage settlement
• Best practices in billing management and effective techniques for resolving customer queries and disputes
• Discussing professional techniques for handling customer excuses and managing payment delays with sensitivity
• Exploring practical solutions for resolving non-payment situations, including:
  • Negotiations
  • Litigation
  • Recoveries
• Exploring telephone collection techniques and negotiation strategies that maintain professionalism and achieve results
• Strategies for building and strengthening customer relationships even during the collections process
• Exercise: Engaging in realistic role-play collection calls to develop practical skills and confidence in challenging conversations

Day — 5 Managing the Receivables Ledger

• Strategies for developing cross-functional relationships across the organisation to maximise AR performance and results
• Guidelines for defining and monitoring AR KPIs and performance metrics that drive accountability and improvement
• Discussing the strategic role of data in enhancing collections effectiveness and supporting informed decision-making
• Exploring emerging trends and technologies reshaping accounts receivable management and collections processes
• Describing the continuous improvement framework that enables AR teams to evolve and adapt to changing business needs
• Exercise: Redesigning the complete AR process from the ground up, incorporating all key concepts and best practices covered throughout the course
• Course Evaluation & Recap: Consolidating essential learning outcomes, reflecting on practical applications, and gathering structured feedback on the overall course experience

Post-Course

• Three (3) x hour-long Executive Coaching sessions at monthly intervals following Course Completion

Target Audience

• Senior Executives and C-level Leaders
• HR Directors and Organisational Development Managers
• Leadership Coaches and Mentors
• Change Management Specialists
• Managers and Department Heads
• Business Unit Leaders
• Talent Development and Leadership Development Professionals
• Employee Engagement and Culture Managers
• Strategic Planners and Decision Makers
• HR Business Partners
• Team Leaders and Supervisors involved in change initiatives
• Organisational Psychologists and Behavioural Experts
• Business Advisors

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to implement a successful strategy that enables you to:

• Identify and understand key characteristics of great leadership.
• Develop behaviours and habits that build credibility and influence.
• Analyse and evaluate leadership styles using real-world benchmarks.
• Recognise core traits that enable effective leadership in complex environments.
• Cultivate and apply growth-oriented mindsets.
• Adapt leadership behaviours through cognitive flexibility.
• Implement strategies to maintain leadership stability.
• Recognise and manage personal leadership triggers.
• Use techniques to sustain focus and clarity under pressure.
• Strengthen key dimensions of executive presence: credibility, clarity, and composure.
• Ensure alignment between self-perception and external signals of leadership.
• Utilise verbal and non-verbal techniques to enhance leadership impact.