Collections Queue Workflow

Last Updated: 2025-12-03 20:30 UTC

Platform Feature: This guide is for the full Plixo A/R Automation Platform. Using Sniper? Go to Sniper Documentation →

Personas: Controller / A/R Manager / A/R Operator

What you'll learn

• Understand how Plixo prioritizes items in the collections queue.
• Move drafts through review, approval, and Autopilot sending.
• Recognize stopping conditions that remove invoices from the queue.

Step-by-step

1. Start in “Today’s focus.”
   • The queue surfaces the top three invoices that need attention based on aging, promises coming due, deliverability risk, and exposure. Always start here so the riskiest cash blockers move first.
   • The impact card and (i) tooltips show live exposure, bounce risks, and promise obligations owned by your persona.
2. Learn the prioritization model.
   • Beyond the focus strip, the queue scores each invoice based on bucket (aging), amount, promise status, and customer risk tier.
   • Promised follow-ups, disputes, and bounce-prone contacts automatically rise to the top, even if the balance is small.
3. Drafting vs. sending.
   • In Shadow Mode, Plixo generates drafts that require human review. Operators edit and send manually, while Controllers can approve high-value outreach.
   • When Autopilot is enabled, Plixo sends on your behalf once quiet hours and guardrails are satisfied. Drafts show as "Scheduled" with a countdown timer and the inspector will remind you why Autopilot is waiting.
4. Use the inspector guidance.
   • The inspector highlights Execution guardrails, prescriptive Recommended next steps, and the Promise & plan context for the selected invoice. Email drafts now render in the enlarged compose box with AI-generated language tailored to persona and payment status.
   • Hover the (i) icons to see what each block represents. Use the suggested templates or AI recommendations to copy approved language for reminder, promise, or escalation emails.
5. Approvals and overrides.
   • If a message includes a discount, credit, or plan that exceeds thresholds, it routes to the Controller or Legal via the Approvals sidebar.
   • Operators can request manual holds or escalate items back to Shadow Mode for a single invoice.
6. Stopping conditions.
   • Payments (via Stripe), accepted plans, or dispute filings automatically remove the invoice from the queue.
   • Manual suppression, portal opt-outs, or write-offs also stop cadence sends and are recorded in the audit log.

Design cadences in Admin → Cadences

• Open Admin → Cadences to view active and shadow-mode cadences with real-time cash impact metrics. Click "Create cadence" to launch the 3-step wizard.
• Step 1: Name & Segment – Choose a descriptive name and target segment (e.g., "High-Value 30-Day Follow-Up" for customers with $50K+ AR).
• Step 2: Sequence – Define email touchpoints with custom timing (e.g., Day 0, Day 3, Day 7), subject lines, and message templates. SMS and phone channels coming soon.
• Step 3: Review & Launch – Choose Shadow Mode (recommended for testing) or Active (go live immediately). Shadow mode runs in parallel for 14 days before activation.
• Guardrails (quiet hours, throttling, approval thresholds) apply to all cadences automatically—configure them in Admin → Policies to set org-wide rules.

Success checks

• Queue burn-down aligns with the expected daily volume and no invoices linger beyond their cadence end.
• Focus items clear each day before touching lower priority work.
• Approval SLAs are met and do not block Autopilot segments for more than one business day.
• Promise commitments tracked in the inspector show 100% follow-up before the due date.
• Stopping conditions correctly remove invoices without manual cleanup.

Common pitfalls

• Ignoring countdown timers. Review scheduled sends before the timer expires if you need to adjust tone or attachments.
• Skipping focus items. If the same invoice keeps showing in “Today’s focus,” it means risk just got higher—resolve it instead of jumping randomly.
• Overusing manual holds. Frequent pauses may indicate your policy needs adjustment--work with the Controller.
• Not documenting overrides. Leave notes when suppressing or editing cadence steps for audit clarity.

Related pages

• Next step: Promises & Payment Plans
• A/R Operator Guide
• Policies & Templates
• Deliverability & DNS

What's new

• Inspector-first workflow. Guardrails, AI-written outreach, promise timelines, and (i) tooltips mirror the refreshed /work/queue inspector.
• Focus rail parity. Today’s Focus now matches the CFO console style so finance stakeholders see the same prioritization cues as collectors.
• Email compose upgrades. The compose surface is taller (3× height), making AI-drafted outreach easier to audit before approval or send.