Reflecting our customer-level workflows, this article explains how to set up and manage invoice-level workflows. While customer-level workflows track collection efforts at the account level, invoice-level workflows allow you to follow up on individual invoices.
As for customer-level workflows, when setting it up, you decide:
- The logic that carries the workflow: standard or contextual
- When the first action should be triggered
- How often are the actions executed
Here as well, the interval of these actions are based on the invoice's due date.
Invoice-level carrying invoice
If you're familiar with our customer-level collection process, you know that your workflows are triggered based on what we call the carrying invoice.
In invoice-level collection, the carrying invoice is the one triggering the reminders. Regardless of the customer's other outstanding invoices.
Triggers
The logic is the same. Your actions are triggered by a delay you define following the invoice's issue and/or due date. However, this trigger can be overulled by the workflow minimum contact delay.
Let's take the following example - if the invoice enters the workflow for the first time, being 17 days overdue...
...all actions that are less than the invoice age will be sent, respecting only the workflow's minimum contact delay:
From the 1st reminder to the 4th at least, will be sent respecting only a 5-day delay (+weekends) between each reminder sent. Instead of 7 days between the 1st and 2nd, for example.
Manage your collection and assign the proper workflows
Workflow Assignment
You can create one or multiple dedicated invoice-level workflows based on your needs. However, it's important to note that, currently, there isn't an automation feature to assign different workflows to specific invoices based on predefined conditions.
Creating and Assigning Workflows
Once the invoice-level feature is activated (refresh your browser to confirm), navigate to the "Workflows" section and click on "Create Invoice Workflow" to begin configuration. Initially, consider setting emails as manual until the workflow aligns with your requirements and assignments are finalized.
Default Workflow Setting
Marking an invoice workflow as "Default" ensures it's automatically assigned to every new invoice imported into Upflow.
If you choose not to set a default workflow, new invoices will be imported without an assigned workflow.
This option is useful if you plan to use multiple workflows and prefer to assign them in bulk based on specific invoice attributes.
Double level of communication
Avoiding Duplication
Ensure that your customers aren't simultaneously assigned to a customer-level workflow to prevent overlapping communications. This separation helps maintain clarity and prevents redundant reminders.
If you wish to keep both level of collections, we recommend to adapt each of their content.
Main collection: Invoice level
If you want the main collection to be at the invoice level, while keeping some communication at the customer level, ensure that invoice and customer actions don't repeat themselves. Adapt the tags you use in each collection level to avoid duplicates. Adapt also the triggers to keep avoid spamming your customers.
Tailored Communication: When designing your invoice-level reminders, emphasize fields related to the specific invoice. For example, your initial reminder template might include:
Additionally, consider sending pre-due date reminders to notify clients of upcoming due dates
Main collection: Customer level
But you could also want to keep your main communication at the customer-level, while sending one specific reminder at the invoive level when it's almost due, or just overdue.
In that case, create an invoice level workflow, with only one reminder before the due date:
Your invoice level workflow fields
Responsibility and Sender Details
You can replicate your existing configuration regarding who is responsible for sending reminders and the designated sender. For instance, the group Cash Collectors can be assigned as responsible parties, and the sender's profile can be set to a specific team member or an alias:
Assigning Invoice Workflows
Bulk Assignment to Invoices
Go to the Invoices list view, select all due, not due, and disputed invoices by checking the box in the "Number" column. Click on the blue link at the top right to select all relevant invoices. Then, choose Actions > Assign a Workflow and select the appropriate workflow.
Unassign Customer Workflows
To prevent duplicate reminders, and if you wish to do a full invoice level collection, then we recomment unassigning workflows at the customer level.
Head to the Customers list view, select all customers, and choose Actions > Assign a Workflow > select "No Workflow." This update may take a few minutes, depending on the number of customers.
Refreshing and Monitoring
After making these changes, refresh your browser to ensure all updates are applied. Head to the Actions list view, "All" or "To-Do" tab to view actions for each invoice based on the new workflow. As a reminder, manual actions will be displayed in the To-do, while both manual and automatic will be in the All tab.
Important Note
Transitioning from customer-level to invoice-level collection means that clients will enter the first reminder stage of the invoice workflow, even if they're currently at a later stage (e.g., the 5th reminder) in the customer-level workflow. Except if you choose a contextual logic in your invoice workflows. However, here a customer that was at the 3rd step, might enter the invoice-level 6th step if the invoice is old.
Any questions or feedback? Submit a support request!