In today's business world, there is little margin inefficiency or error. Customers expect to be able to pay online and supplement or replace their statement mailing with online accessibility. As technology takes the place of painstaking manual labor (which is prone to clerical errors), employing a traditional paper statement mailing, invoicing and filing system becomes increasingly cost effective. Consider some of these changes to the way you handle accounts receivables – it may make your business better and the planet a little bit greener.

Before electronic statements and easily accessible online records, coupon books were a useful method for keeping track of payment due dates and processing incoming payments. But now, these cumbersome coupon booklets prove to be more of a hindrance than a help. Offering convenient online payments, recurring ACH payments and scheduled payments circumvents the need for posting coupons and receipts back and forth. You'll save on postage, paper and time spent ripping open envelopes and processing payments manually. Plus, customers will be able to get those last minute payments in on time without feeling slighted when you're forced to levy a late charge because the postal service was slower than anticipated.

The role of administrative professionals is also growing in outstanding healthcare offices, law firms and other professional practices. Rather than having his or her sole responsibilities revolve around menial clerical duties, paperwork and filing, the skills of the administrative staff are better utilized to improve customer experiences, interface with other businesses and dedicate more resources towards streamlining operations. An intuitive web-enabled billing and filing system allows representatives to quickly reference historical and current records, meaning they can answer questions faster and move right on to business. Solving problems quickly exudes a more professional face for your entire operation.

Ease of bill processing and invoice inquiries also plays a pivotal role in customer satisfaction. A client who is frustrated by inaccuracies on their statements, slow statement mailings and queries that take several days to address are more likely to report dissatisfaction. Payment issues are particularly sensitive for customers, especially for medical services. By offering quick, responsive and effective solutions when customers do have questions, you can easily turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one.

Many of these implementations may seem beyond the capabilities of your workforce. True, training your employees to use a new software suite and operate expensive hardware can be expensive, disruptive and time consuming. Plus, the ongoing costs of installing and upgrading ever-changing technology can be prohibitive for smaller firms. Luckily, all of these solutions for online billing and accounts receivable can be handled quickly and unobtrusively by an outsourced billing provider. These firms retain their core competency to streamline the accounts receivable process and can do so without forcing your staff to learn confusing software. If you've been looking for a way to bring your company into the an era of greater efficiency, transitioning to a billing outsourcing solution may be the best option.