Situation

The organization was mired in the process of deploying a massive new billing and categorization system across the entire organization. As a result, getting bills out on time to customers was becoming much more challenging and cash flow and collections were suffering as a result.

Team Engagement Strategy

A frontline team of employees who work on both the customer- and the internal billing side was engaged to brainstorm ways to improve the process without changing or replacing any technology. Equipped with Rapid Action, a process for solving problems quickly through teams, they were able to sort and act on their best ideas to see substantial gains in less than 60-days.

Rapid Action Project Charter

How can we improve the billing process efficiency in order to reduce day sales outstanding, reduce unbilled invoices, improve cash flow, and replicate solutions to other branches?

Sample Solutions Implemented

1. Created a new process for organizing and color-coding reports to track where specific billing paperwork is located at any given time in the process.
2. Retrained field operations on editing jobs and tickets in the field so billing errors are significantly reduced.
3. Developed a frequent error list from billing software to improve routine error corrections.
4. Created a required yearly training webinar for relevant parties to raise awareness of the entire billing process across departments.