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Delinquent Letter Processing |
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Contents |
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Overview |
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The Accounts Receivable System produces various types of delinquent letters for customers with past due accounts. Delinquent letters are generated from templates created by you. Once the templates are created, they can be selected for use when generating delinquent letters. Thus you may have one template for accounts running 1 to 30 days past due and another for accounts running 31 to 60 days past due, etc. There are three parts of a delinquent letter template: 1=The Delinquent Letter Type definition; 2=The Delinquent Letter Content Definition; and 3=Delinquent Letter Type Comments. 1. The Delinquent Letter Type definition names and describes a template. 2. The Delinquent Letter Content defines the text and layout of the letter. It also identifies within the body of the letter where specific account information is to be placed. When a letter is generated, information related to an account is merged with the template and the letter is created. 3. The Delinquent Letter Type Comments are used to describe a Delinquent Letter and its uses. Delinquent letters can be created in mass for accounts which fall into certain categories or individually for selected accounts as needed. Once the letters have been generated, they may be reviewed and modified or deleted prior to actually being printed and sent. The letters can also be printed in mass or individually as selected. A list of past due invoices can be generated to be included as part of the letter content. This list can be reviewed and modified after generation and prior to the letter being printed and sent. When the letters are actually printed, a comment is created in the account's collection comments section indicating the date and type of letter sent to the account. Once the letters have been printed, they remain in the system for inquiry and review purposes until they are purged. They cannot be deleted.
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| Work with Delinquent Letter Types |
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This display allows you to work with Delinquent Letter Types. You can create, change, copy and delete Delinquent Letter Types from this Display. You can also access Delinquent Letter Comments and Delinquent Letter Content from here. Access Delinquent Letter Types by selecting option "28=Delinquent Letter Types" from the Accounts Receivable System display. The following display should be shown. If you have not created any delinquent letter types, no types will appear on the list.
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| Creating a Delinquent Letter Type |
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This display allows you to create a new Delinquent Letter Type. Access the New Letter Type display by selecting option "28=Delinquent Letter Types" from the Accounts Receivable System display. Then use function "F6=Create". The following display should be appear.
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Enter the code and the description you wish to use for the new letter type. This name should not already exist. Press the enter key to create the letter type. Days Past Due allows for the selection of accounts that have invoices past due within a range of days but not beyond. I.e. if the Days Past Due range is from 1 to 30, letters will be generated for accounts with one or more invoices at least 1 day past due and none past due by more than 30 days. Days Since Last Payment is used in conjunction with the Select/Omit value to include or omit accounts which have not made a payment within a certain number of days. Thus you can send one delinquent letter type to customers who are past due and have not made a recent payment and a different letter to those who have. When days are zero, this value is ignored when selecting accounts. Select/Omit is used to indicate if the accounts identified by the Days Since Last Payment value are to be included or omitted. If done correctly, you have now created a new letter type and you should now see a blank Work with Type Content display for the letter type just created.
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Enter the letter content. (See: Work with Type Content).
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| Work with Type Content |
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This display allows you to work with Delinquent Letter Type Content. You can create, change or delete Delinquent Letter Type Content from this display. You can also add codes to indicate the account information which is to be included when a letter is generated using the Delinquent Letter Type. Access Delinquent Letter Type Content by selecting option "28=Delinquent Letter Types" from the Accounts Receivable System display. Then use function "T=Content Text". The following display should be shown. If you have not created any delinquent letter type content, a blank page will be displayed. The following displays are a sample of the content for a Delinquent Letter Type. When you complete your Delinquent Letter Type Content, it should look similar to these three pages.
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Page 1 |
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Page 2 |
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Page 3 |
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Enter the text as you would like it to appear on the finished letter, assigning as sequence number to each line. You can enter blank lines by just keying a sequence number without any text. You can insert blank lines in order to get the top of your text down below your letterhead or positioned on the page where you want. These blank lines must also have a sequence number assigned. For multiple pages, you must ensure you have enough blank lines separating the lines you wish to have on different pages. Page down to add more lines as needed. You can insert new lines by entering a sequence number which will place the line between two others, at the beginning or at the end. When lines are added or changed, all lines are renumbered by 10's. You can delete lines by using the "4=Delete" option. Place a "4" in the field to the left of the text line or lines you wish to delete and press the "Enter" key. There are several key words you may use to insert customer information in the letter. When you use a key word, the information referred to will be placed on the line starting in the same position as the key word it replaces. Insure you leave enough room for the actual data. The key words are: (These must be entered as capital letters.)
* Date and amount values are ajusted for the number of positions required and are then moved to within 1 position of any text to their left. Any text to their right is moved to within 1 position of the right side of the value. By placing the cursor on one of the text lines and using the "HELP" key, you can also display a list of these values.
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| Generating Delinquent Letters for Multiple Accounts |
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Letters can be generated for multiple accounts at one time. When letters are generated, they are added to a file of letters to be printed. These Unprinted letters can be displayed for review and modified or deleted prior to printing. The Delinquent Letters Request prompt can be accessed in one of two ways. One way is by using option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display and then using the function key "F16=Gen Dlq Ltrs". The other way is by first using option "7=Mgrs" to access the list of account managers and then using option "R=Cr Watch" to access the "Work w/Mgr Cr Watch Accts" display. From there use the function key "F16=Gen Dlq Ltrs". The following display should appear.
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The Delinquent Letters Request prompt allows you to select a particular letter type to be sent to a selected set of accounts. The accounts are selected using the select criteria entered on the prompt. Account Manager Code allows for the selection of accounts assigned to a particular manager. When an Account Manager Code is entered, letters are generated only for accounts assigned to that manager. All other accounts are omitted. When accessed via the account managers list, the account manager code is inserted automatically for the selected account manager and is protected from change. Thus, delinquent letters will be generated only for that particular account manager. When left blank, all manager codes are included. Statement Cycle Code allows for the selection of accounts assigned to a particular Statement Cycle. When a Statement Cycle Code is entered, letters are only generated for accounts assigned to that cycle. All other accounts are omitted. When left blank, all cycles are included. When you have finished entering your selection, submit the request by pressing the "ENTER" key. The job is submitted and will run in the back ground. Once the letters are generated, you may work with the unprinted letters by using one of the work with unprinted letters displays. See the section entitled Working with Unprinted Letters.
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| Generating a Delinquent Letter for a Single Account |
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Letters can be generated for single accounts. When letters are generated, they are added to a file of letters to be printed. These unprinted letters can be displayed for review and modified or deleted prior to printing. The Delinquent Letter Request prompt can be accessed from any customer list display. One way is by using option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display and then using option "29=Gen Dlq Ltr" on the desired account. The following display should then be shown. You can use the same method from any customer list display.
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The Delinquent Letters Request prompt allows you to select a specific letter type to be sent to the account. The items to be included on the letter are selected using the select criteria entered on the prompt. The values on the prompt will be blank the first time it is displayed. The values will be saved each time and filled in automatically on any subsequent request. When you have finished entering your selection, submit the request by pressing the "ENTER" key. If you have entered option "29" on more than one account, all selected accounts will be processed using the same request prompt values. Once the letters are generated you may work with the unprinted letters by using one of the work with unprinted letters displays. See the section entitled Working with Unprinted Letters.
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| Working with Unprinted Letters |
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Delinquent Letters do not print automatically upon generation. This allows you to review, correct and/or remove letters prior to printing, if needed. You can change text and/or the items that are included on the letter. Once you have determined that all remaining letters are as you would like them, you can then print the letters and direct them to a desired output queue. The Work with Unprinted Letters displays can be accessed in one of the two following methods. The first is for working with all letters. Use option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display. Then use the function key "F20=Dlqnt Letters". The other way is to work with unprinted letters for a particular manager. Use option "7=Mgrs" to access the "Work w/Account Managers" display. Now use option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display. Then use the function key "F20=Unprinted Dlqnt Letters". One of the following two displays will appear.
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Either of the above displays will be shown. The display you finished with last time will always be displayed next time you access Unprinted Letters. You can toggle back and forth between these two displays by using the function "F20=Alt View". To work with the receivable items included on the letter select Option "I=Items". This will allow to remove and add items to the letter if needed. To work with the text body of the letter, use option "T=Text" which allows you to change the text of the letter if needed or desired. However, you should not use any reserved words other than "&&ITEMS", &&PSTDUBAL and "&&SIGNER". All other reserved words have already been processed at letter generation and will not be reprocessed during printing. To print one single letter from the list, use the option "6=Print". To print all or part of the remaining letters on the list, use function "F21=Print". The "Delinquent Letter Print Request" will be displayed.
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| Multiple Delinquent Letter Print Request |
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The Multiple Delinquent Letter Print Request allows you to print some or all of the unprinted letters which have been generated. It also gives you the ability to enter the name of the signer to be placed on the letters, to direct the letters to a specific output queue and to limit which letters print based on some specific values. The Multiple Delinquent Letter Print Request display can be accessed in one of the two following ways. One way is for working with all letters. To work with all generated but unprinted letters, use option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display. Then use the function key "F20=Dlgnt Letters". From the list of letters, use function key "F21=Print". The other way is to work with unprinted letters for a particular manager. Use option "7=Mgrs" to access the "Work w/Account Managers" display. Now use option "R=Cr Watch" to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display. Then use the function key "F20=Unprinted Dlqnt Letters". From the list of letters, use function key "F21=Print". The following display will appear.
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Number of Copies allows you print more than one copy of the letter. Output Queue is used to direct the letters to a specific printer attached to your system. You may have to ask your systems administrator for the name of the output queue to be entered here. Signer allows you to enter the name to replace the reserved value "&&SIGNER" on the letter. Letter Type Code is used to limit which letter types are to print during the print request. Leaving this value blank will print all letter types. Entering a letter type will limit the letters printed to only that type. Account Manager Code allows for the selection of accounts assigned to a particular manager. When an Account Manager Code is entered, letters are printed only for that manager. All other accounts are omitted. When accessed via the account managers list, the account manager code is inserted automatically for the selected account manager and is protected from change. Thus, delinquent letters will be printed only for that specific account manager. When left blank, letters for all manager codes are printed. Statement Cycle Code allows for the selection of accounts assigned to a particular Statement Cycle. When a Statement Cycle Code is entered, letters are printed only for accounts on that cycle. All other accounts are omitted. When left blank, all cycles are included. User Generating allows you to limit the letters printed to those generated by a particular user. When this value is left blank, letters for all users are printed. When you have finished entering your selection, submit the request by pressing the "ENTER" key. The job is submitted and will run in the background.
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| Single Delinquent Letter Print Request |
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The single Delinquent Letter Print Request allows you to print a selected Delinquent Letter. It also gives you the ability to enter the name of the signer to be placed on the letter, to direct the letters to a specific output queue and to specify the number of copies to be printed. The single Delinquent Letter Print Request display can be accessed from any Delinquent Letters List display. One way is from working with all unprinted letters. To work with all unprinted letters, use option "R=Cr Watch" from the Accounts Receivable System display to access the "Work with Credit Watch Accounts" display. Then use the function key "F20=Unprinted Dlqnt Letters". From the list of letters, use option "6=Print". The following display should be shown.
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Number of Copies allows you print more than one copy of the letter. Output Queue is used to direct the letter to a specific printer attached to your system. You may have to ask you systems administrator for the name of the output queue to be entered here. Signer allows you to enter the name to replace the reserved value "&&SIGNER" on the letter. When you have finished entering your selection, submit the request by pressing the "ENTER" key. The job is submitted and will run in the background.
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