Order to Cash Controls

Order to cash breaks down when billing, disputes, and collections are treated as separate problems. The result is predictable: higher DSO, recurring short pays, avoidable write-offs, and cash that never arrives when Finance expects it.

This collection installs a beginner-safe operating system for accelerating cash while keeping the process simple enough to run every week.

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Who this collection is for

• Finance and AR leaders responsible for DSO, collections performance, and cash forecasting
• Operations teams who need a clean handoff from delivery to billing and collections
• Executives who want working capital improvement with clear evidence, not guesswork

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What you will install

By the end of this collection you will have:

• A clear credit and terms policy with exceptions that are visible and approved
• A dispute intake and evidence standard that prevents missing proof and endless back and forth
• A root cause log for deductions and short pays, with prevention actions tied to owners
• A collections cadence and escalation ladder that is repeatable and measurable
• A DSO cash acceleration estimate to align on expected impact and payback

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How to use this collection

Install in this order:

1. Credit and terms policy kit
2. Dispute intake and evidence pack
3. Deductions and short pay root cause playbook
4. Collections cadence and escalation playbook
5. DSO and cash acceleration estimator

Do not start with collections messaging if you cannot resolve disputes quickly. Disputes must have intake and evidence first.

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Beginner-safe definitions

Order to cash: the full process from invoicing through collections and cash receipt.

DSO: average days it takes to collect cash after invoicing.

Short pay: when a customer pays less than the invoice amount.

Deduction: a deliberate short pay tied to a stated reason or claim.

Dispute: any invoice issue that delays payment and requires evidence to resolve.

Promise to pay: a customer-confirmed payment date (and amount) that should be tracked and verified.

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What good looks like

• Every past-due invoice has an owner and a next action
• Disputes are opened with evidence, not opinions
• Short pays are classified and prevented, not normalized and written off
• Collections cadence is consistent, and escalation triggers are documented
• DSO improves month over month with clear accountability
• Cash acceleration is tracked and verified, not assumed