Automated payment reminders and follow-ups

Purpose

1.1. Automate the process of sending payment reminders and follow-ups to clients, reducing manual oversight in finance and billing within quarry operations.
1.2. Automating ensures timely notifications, minimizes late payments, improves cash flow, and keeps collections proactive in a mining and quarrying context.
1.3. Automated payment reminders integrate client account data, overdue invoices, customizable escalation cadences, and documentation logs for compliance and audit trails.
1.4. The automation orchestrates multi-channel notifications, e.g., email, SMS, WhatsApp, postal mail, or in-platform messaging, synchronized with ERP and accounting records.
1.5. Automates follow-up escalation to finance managers or external collection services if overdue thresholds are triggered.
1.6. Automation supports reporting functions with logs and status dashboards for real-time tracking and decision-making.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Invoice status changes to “Sent” or “Due”.
2.2. Payment not received within defined payment terms (e.g., Net 30/Net 60).
2.3. X days before or after due date as per client contract (e.g., 3 days before due date, 1 day after due date).
2.4. Defined tolerance for overdue period met (e.g., 7, 14, 21 days overdue triggers escalating actions).
2.5. Manual trigger by finance user for custom cases (via finance dashboard).

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Use “Messages API”, set automated triggers to send SMS when invoice is nearing or past due date; sample config: POST /Messages with dynamic body for client name and balance.
3.2. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: “Transactional Templates”; automate email reminders using dynamic InvoiceID and DueDate fields; API call to /mail/send.
3.3. QuickBooks Online
• Feature/Setting: “Automated Reminder Rules”; use Payments API /invoices, trigger reminders based on due dates.
3.4. Xero
• Feature/Setting: “Invoice Reminders”; activate “Automated invoice emailing,” adjust timing and template.
3.5. Microsoft Outlook 365
• Feature/Setting: Create Outlook Flow with Power Automate, set trigger on calendar task for due invoice, automate email.
3.6. Slack
• Feature/Setting: “Incoming Webhooks”; propagate overdue invoice alerts into finance Slack channel.
3.7. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature/Setting: Use Messages Endpoint, configure automated template-based WhatsApp alerts with dynamic merging.
3.8. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: “Process Builder”/“Flow Builder”, automate follow-up tasks and emails from Opportunity or Invoice object.
3.9. Zoho Books
• Feature/Setting: “Payment Reminders”, setup auto-reminders per customer profile, API for custom workflow triggers.
3.10. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: Google Apps Script, schedule triggers to check “Due Date” and automate email reminders via Gmail API.
3.11. FreshBooks
• Feature/Setting: “Automated Reminders”; enable and customize under client billing settings.
3.12. SAP S/4HANA
• Feature/Setting: Use “Dunning” automation, set dunning procedure for customer account group.
3.13. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: “Workflows”; design automator sequence for overdue deals, connect to email tasks.
3.14. Mailgun
• Feature/Setting: “Email API” with templates, schedule send through triggered automations based on external webhooks.
3.15. Pipedrive
• Feature/Setting: “Workflow Automation”; trigger follow-up activities when payment stage hasn’t advanced.
3.16. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: “Automations Center”; set date-based triggers on Invoice boards, send reminders to assigned reps.
3.17. Stripe
• Feature/Setting: Connect “Billing Reminders” via Subscriptions API and webhooks for overdue or failed invoice payments.
3.18. Trello
• Feature/Setting: Use “Butler Rules” to automate card checklists/tasks when reminders are due.
3.19. Airtable
• Feature/Setting: “Automations”; schedule triggers on overdue columns, send automated email or Slack notification.
3.20. Zoho CRM
• Feature/Setting: “Workflow Rules”; create automator tasks for follow-up based on invoice module “Due Date”.
3.21. Sage Intacct
• Feature/Setting: Automated “Accounts Receivable” dunning/reminder notifications, trigger via API or schedule.
3.22. Microsoft Teams
• Feature/Setting: Use Power Automate to post overdue invoice cards in team channels for accountant follow-up.

Benefits

4.1. Automates collections and reminders, reducing DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) and accelerating payment cycles.
4.2. Minimizes manual effort, freeing finance teams for higher-value tasks.
4.3. Enables audit-ready, automated logs and communication trails, aiding compliance.
4.4. Prevents missed collections with automated, multi-channel outreach.
4.5. Empowers escalations and reduces human error through rules-based automators.
4.6. Enhances client experience with consistent, timely, and professional automated communications.
4.7. Supports scale by replacing manual billing follow-up with schedulable and repeatable automation across geographies and customer volumes.