Why AR is an undervalued strategic asset

Finance leaders often categorize accounts receivable as back-office administration as it involves matching receipts, reconciling payments and resolving disputes. Yet AR is much more indicative of an organization's health. It determines the degree to which customers find you easy to work with, if capital flows into the business on schedule and whether finance teams spend their time on strategic analysis or manual cleanup.

The scale of these misaligned values is well documented. Some 86% of businesses report up to 30% of their monthly invoiced sales remain overdue even though automation has been proven to reduce Days Sales Outstanding by double digits. Further, nearly 85% of firms rely on partially manual AR processes despite the cost of delayed cash intensifying in an elevated interest-rate environment.

Fortunately, AI is fundamentally changing the AR function, transforming receivables from a reactive process into a predictive one. What's missing isn't team capability but recognition that AR modernization solves the problems finance leaders deal with daily: cash flow predictability, customer retention and capital efficiency.

Why most companies misunderstand receivables

Receivables are often treated as routine work post-sale, which means they rarely compete for investment against growth initiatives. On the contrary, research from McKinsey shows companies integrating predictive analytics into order-to-cash processes can improve working capital efficiency by 30% or more within weeks.

Rather than categorizing AR as clerical, finance leaders should consider it as the operational layer that determines whether cash moves from invoice to bank account on time or becomes trapped in delayed cycles. When it's the latter, liquidity is shortened and customers are frustrated. In industries like manufacturing where payment terms already stretch from 60 to 120 days, this distinction compounds quickly.

Leading companies are reframing AR as a strategic driver of customer loyalty and capital performance. They compete on checkout convenience, procurement alignment and payment flexibility. Pay by invoice or net terms is one of B2B commerce's most powerful loyalty tools, but only when the invoicing experience reinforces, rather than undermines, the supplier-buyer relationship. From my extensive background in B2B, retaining a business buyer for seven years can lead to a 150% increase in revenue per customer, jumping to 240% after 10 years.

How invoice friction impacts customer loyalty

AI-enabled AR removes friction at the points where it typically accumulates. Intelligent systems can automatically re-order invoice data to match a buyer's purchase order template or validate the correct billing entity is used. These adjustments prevent the rejections and payment delays that, across millions of transactions, materially impact working capital.

As a global customer experience leader noted on a panel at a recent payments salon hosted in New York City, many transformation efforts fail to deliver maximum value "because they didn't put the people they serve at the absolute center and build around them." That principle applies directly to receivables. When suppliers remove barriers to payment, they become easier partners. The ease translates into an expanded share of wallet from the customers who matter most.

This customer-centric approach also reveals what traditional AR processes miss: the early warning signs that payment problems are developing. Certain behavioral patterns reliably indicate cash flow pressure before a payment deadline passes. A round-number payment — say, $5,000 on an invoice for $8,798 — suggests someone is rationing available cash rather than paying what's due. 

When systems flag these patterns automatically, finance leaders gain time to act. They can tighten credit exposure for that customer, propose an adjusted payment plan, or reprioritize collection efforts before the situation deteriorates. The difference between reacting to a missed payment and anticipating one is the difference between managing damage and preventing it. That predictive capability is what transforms AR from administrative burden into strategic advantage.

What intelligent AR systems deliver

The operational impact is significant. It's common to see 20 to 30% of receivables more than 30 days past due. With intelligent AR systems in place, that number routinely falls below 3% from our experience. The improvement comes from accuracy at the source. When invoices are complete, correctly formatted and routed to the right recipient, they don't generate disputes.

Intelligent AR also strengthens decision-making. Modern systems reveal which customers consistently pay on time, which invoice formats introduce friction, and which negotiated terms of work in practice versus only on paper. These insights feed into more accurate credit decisions, better relationship management and stronger working capital planning. Finance teams spend less time reconciling data and more time making decisions that advance the business.

Where finance leaders should start

As 2026 approaches, the path forward starts with aligning systems and processes with how key buyers operate. Ensuring invoice formats and data structures match buyer requirements before delivery prevents disputes later. Automating credit monitoring with behavior-based indicators gives finance teams early visibility into developing risk. Tracking the operational metrics that quantify return — from DSO compression to improvements in on-time payment rates — helps organizations measure the impact of modernization and build internal support for continued investment.

None of this is simply a technology upgrade. It is a strategic decision about how finance functions in relation to customers and capital. Leaders who invest in these capabilities now create operations to collect predictably and give teams more capacity to focus on work that strengthens the business.