Overview
Software Bridging Multiple Agency Locations
An agency that operates with more than 1,000 seats will often have multiple locations. While the prospect of locations could lead to additional revenue in new markets, it also multiplies the potentiality of something going wrong. Collection software can help ease the burden as long as it is included in the plan for the new location.
“When an agency decides to open additional locations it is important to understand the reasoning and the expectations of doing so,” said Dax Nelson, director of product development at DAKCS Software Systems. “What is it the agency hopes to accomplish by opening a second or third location? Once this is defined, the agency should involve their technology partners to ensure that they are aligned with the agency to accomplish these goals in a secure and efficient manner. For example, can the software vendor segregate the database or can they provide information pertaining to remote access? I have seen examples of agencies that make the decision to move locations or open a second location without talking to the various vendors with which they have partnered. It is important for an agency to include the software vendor in the conversation to ensure there are no hurdles to overcome.”
Don Taylor is president of ACSI, which has multiple locations. He believes supporting the systems that support the agency is the key to running a successful agency.
“Connectivity, so there is no system degradation and backup support so you have redundancy if the primary site goes down,” said Taylor.
Taylor is also an advocate of getting people familiar with the software.
“Training and local support are key,” said Taylor. “The local staff and IT support need to be well versed in the software. I can’t stress training in the software enough.”
As recovery from the recession has made great leaps forward, more and more agencies are preparing themselves for growth and additional locations. This potential for growth has led the industry to anticipate the needs of the future of debt collection.
“Communication is key when operating multiple locations,” said Nelson. “As technology advances and Internet access speeds increase, it is going to become easier for an agency to maintain efficient communication between their offices. Scalabitility will continue to be a demand as many agencies look for flexible solutions to meet their business needs while minimizing costly hardware or licensing expenditures.”
Reviews
Built-in UltimateAnalytics Indentifies Accounts
Ajility
- The configurable business rules can allow users to change processes when needed to react nimbly to changing business requirements.
- Users can automate routine tasks to aid in the increase of productivity.
- The graphical user interface (GUI) can make the collection process more intuitive, which can result in lower training costs and reduced trouble-shooting.
- Features compliance with regulations such as FDCPA, FCRA, PCI and HIPAA is built-in.
- The Data Services module can ensure that address, credit status and key contact information is always up-to-date.
- Can establish a comprehensive disaster recovery infrastructure.
- Built-in UltimateAnalytics identifies accounts that are most likely to pay and the value they represent, while providing address, deceased and bankruptcy information.
What Users Say
“Having reviewed or worked with the major collection software platforms, I am most excited about Columbia Ultimate’s Ajility platform,” said Don Taylor, president at ACSI. “While all software requires a degree of customization to fit individual needs, Ajility’s is built on a solid, feature-rich architecture that supports our competitive advantage.”
Ajility | Columbia Ultimate
ajility.com | 800-488-4420
Create Customized Collector Work Screens
Beyond ARM
- The screen designer allows system managers the option to create customized collector work screens and control the look and feel of the system, which can ease the transition to a new system.
- Workflow and business rules allow users to manage accounts more smoothly.
- Beyond’s Visual Intercept allows the development and implementation of account flow process and organized strategies.
- Features include e-signature, predictive dialing, e-payment, legal functionality, credit and risk scoring, and secure cloud debtor email communication.
- The table builder allows system managers to add and associate files to the database, which gives users the ability to find key performance indicators.
What Users Say
“We chose Beyond ARM for a number of important reasons,” said Michael Meyer, CRO and CSO, at MRS Associates. “One of the most important features to us was the ability to integrate Beyond ARM with our software architectures. Next, the software had to be customizable, flexible and very adaptable to be able to handle the myriad of workflow and unique configurations that our clients require. Beyond ARM and the workflow processes have helped revolutionize our business in ways we didn’t anticipate.”
Beyond ARM | DAKCS
dakcs.com | 800-873-2527
Rules Automate Account Assignment
CollectOne
- Users can prioritize multiple queues for each account representative as well as update work queues based on collection productivity.
- Manage geography specific restrictions such as: call times, state specific bad check fees and state or local sales tax.
- The management level business rules automate account assignment. Assignment can include variables such as: geography, responsible party, account age, debt category and amount.
- Associate scanned and electronic documents can be applied to consumer accounts. Print documents and send them via email or fax. Import multiple documents to a single account or multiple accounts.
- The automated accounting workflow is based on management defined processes. Users can establish client-specific accounting rules based on contractual requirements. Features assigned account representative commission rules based on variables including account age, status, status class and amount.
What Users Say
“We have unique needs that require us to have software in place with the flexibility to meet our demands,” said Natalie Mansour-White, senior vice president and COO at National Commercial Services.
CollectOne | CDS Software
collectone.com | 888-816-3333
Account Support for Co-Consumers
Interaction Collector
- Allows for account process orchestration (multi-state capabilities).
- As a collection software application it features a browser-based collector workstation. Built as a recovery application, it manages the debt lifecycle from early-stage delinquency through post charge-off.
- Can accommodate multiple financial arrangements.
- Provides account support for co-consumers.
- Includes a configurable process automation engine that automates business workflow logic; configuration tools to modify the collector desktop, workflows, and reporting; integration to primary loan servicing systems; account analysis and query tools.
- Features pre-built integration to the Interactive Intelligence Interaction Dialer application for screen-pop and single-entry disposition with notes.
- Permits external tokenization requests for PCI compliance.
What Users Say
“In such a competitive industry, our Interactive Intelligence collection solution has been instrumental these past ten years,” said Marian Sangalang, vice president at The Bureaus. “Its ability to securely communicate and pass critical data between our service providers is paramount and can’t be understated.”
Interaction Collector | Interactive Intelligence
inin.com | 800-267-1364