Case study
How a b2b company streamlined AR collections with AI
A mid-sized B2B company used Squirrels.ai to automate AR outreach, track payments, and reduce manual effort. AI agents improved collection efficiency and staff productivity progressively.
300 overdue customers monthly
managed automatically through AI outreach
Multi-channel engagement
calls, emails, and texts coordinated efficiently
Real-time dashboard
track responses, payment promises, and reconciliations
Overview
The company faced challenges managing a high volume of overdue invoices, approximately 300 per month. Payment terms were short (Net 15), and follow-ups began only after invoices became overdue. Outdated contact information in the accounting system caused misrouted communications, leading to reduced collection effectiveness.
The controller, responsible for manually contacting customers, realized that this labor-intensive approach was unsustainable. Additionally, there was a risk of damaging customer relationships by over-contacting or mistakenly targeting customers who had already submitted payments.
To address these issues, the company partnered with Squirrels.ai to implement an AI-powered AR Collections agent. The AI automated initial outreach, verified invoice details, and tracked responses across multiple channels while providing a centralized dashboard for monitoring status and prioritizing follow-ups. The pilot phase used manual invoice uploads, progressing later to full NetSuite API integration for automatic data synchronization.
Client at a glance
Industry
B2B services
Primary challenge
High manual effort and inefficient AR collections
Size
Mid-sized organization with high-volume AR
AI solution implemented
Automated multi-channel AR collections with real-time dashboard tracking
AR volume managed
300 overdue accounts managed monthly
The challenge
Database accuracy issues
Outdated customer contact information in the accounting system led to failed outreach and wasted effort. Missing phone numbers and incorrect email addresses required manual correction, consuming significant staff time.
Wrong contact routing
Invoices and collection outreach were often sent to sales representatives instead of the correct accounts payable personnel. This reduced the effectiveness of collections and delayed payments.
High volume of overdue customers
Approximately 300 accounts became overdue monthly, creating a backlog of manual follow-ups. Managing this volume without automation caused delays and limited the team’s capacity to focus on higher-value AR tasks.
Manual collections process
The controller personally handled most AR follow-ups, performing calls, sending emails, and tracking responses. This made him the most resource-intensive AR contributor in the company and highlighted the need for an AI solution to automate routine tasks.
Risk of customer relationship damage
Over-contacting customers who may have already paid risked harming relationships. Ensuring gentle, respectful, and accurate communications was critical for maintaining trust while improving collections efficiency.
The solution
Squirrels.ai implemented an AI-powered AR Collections agent with a progressive rollout, beginning with manual invoice uploads for a pilot, followed by full NetSuite API integration.
Multi-channel outreach
The AI agent contacted customers via phone calls, email, and text messages. Configurable scripts ensured that messages were polite, accurate, and stopped automatically once a response was received.
Automated response tracking
The AI recorded customer replies, including payment confirmations, requests for invoice details, or incorrect contact information. This eliminated manual tracking errors and allowed the AR team to focus on unresolved accounts.
Dashboard insights
A centralized dashboard summarized outreach status, showing promises to pay, payments received, no responses, and flagged accounts requiring manual attention. This enabled staff to prioritize high-value follow-ups and monitor overall AR performance efficiently.
Pilot and progressive adoption
The pilot program lasted one month, using manual invoice uploads to validate AI performance. During this period, the AI handled routine communications for approximately 300 overdue accounts, demonstrating time savings and improved outreach consistency. After successful validation, the organization planned to implement full API integration with NetSuite for automated invoice data retrieval.
Gentle communication strategy
Scripts were designed to avoid annoying customers, with checks to prevent follow-ups for accounts already paid. This preserved customer relationships while ensuring consistent outreach for unpaid invoices.
Integration with email infrastructure
A dedicated outbound email inbox was configured to integrate with Microsoft email infrastructure, maintaining security and preventing interference with shared AR inboxes.
Results and impact
The progressive adoption of Squirrels.ai produced measurable improvements in AR collections and staff productivity.
Reduced manual workload
The AI agent handled the majority of repetitive outreach, freeing the controller and AR staff to focus on higher-value tasks such as managing complex cases and exception handling.
Improved outreach consistency
All customers received timely and accurate follow-ups. Automated multi-channel communication reduced missed contacts and ensured every overdue account was addressed systematically.
Real-time visibility
The dashboard provided detailed insights into customer responses, payment promises, and reconciliation needs. Staff could prioritize effectively, reducing follow-up errors and improving decision-making.
Increased collection efficiency
Automation reduced time spent chasing overdue accounts and helped the team recover payments more quickly. By tracking responses and updating records automatically, the AI improved cash flow while maintaining positive customer interactions.
Scalable operations
The solution enabled the AR team to manage approximately 300 accounts per month without increasing headcount, creating a scalable model for future growth.
TESTIMONIAL
Why companies choose Squirrels.ai
Squirrels.ai provides AI agents that automate repetitive AR processes while maintaining compliance, transparency, and customer-friendly communication.
- Multi-channel outreach via calls, emails, and SMS
- Automated tracking of payments and customer responses
- Dashboard insights for prioritizing follow-ups
- Configurable scripts to prevent over-contacting
- Integration with accounting systems for seamless data flow
- Progressive rollout for safe adoption
- Scalable solution without adding headcount
- Pilot programs to demonstrate ROI and system effectiveness
Automate AR outreach, improve collections, and free your team to focus on high-value tasks