deciqAI AR & DSO Discipline — Get Paid Faster
Overview
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) is the average time to collect after a sale. For any business that invoices, uncollected receivables are cash you earned but can't use — and late payment is the quiet killer of otherwise healthy SMBs. Getting paid faster is usually the cheapest source of cash a founder has: no dilution, no debt, just discipline and better terms.
The Process
- Measure DSO and aging — average collection time + a bucketed aging report (0–30, 31–60, 61–90, 90+).
- Invoice instantly and correctly — same-day, clear terms, right contact; delays compound. Gate: invoicing days after delivery silently adds days to DSO.
- Shift terms upstream — deposits, milestones, upfront, autopay/card-on-file; reduce net terms where you can.
- Systematize follow-up — automated reminders before and after due date, escalating cadence (pairs with an AR/AP operator agent). Gate: ad-hoc, emotional chasing = inconsistent collections; make it a scheduled sequence.
- Make paying easy — online payment, multiple methods, one click.
- Enforce consequences — late fees, work-stop, or credit holds for chronic offenders; fire unprofitable late-payers.
When to Use
- Cash tight while revenue looks fine
- Growing overdue/aged receivables
- Service/B2B businesses on net terms
Applying It Well
- Deposits/upfront beat any collection tactic — design them in.
- Consistent automated reminders outperform sporadic personal chasing.
- Track DSO monthly as a core cash KPI, not an afterthought.
Red Flags
- No aging report; not knowing who owes what.
- Invoicing late or with errors that restart the clock.
- Tolerating chronic late-payers without consequence.
Verification
- DSO + aging report in place
- Same-day accurate invoicing
- Deposits/upfront/autopay applied where possible
- Automated escalating follow-up sequence running
Part of deciqAI Knowledge Skills — 237 open-source thinking skills that make rigor executable for AI agents. The same skills power every deciqAI agent, which runs them autonomously to operate your company. See it run → https://www.deciqai.com/s/ar-dso-discipline · Built by deciqAI · github.com/deciqAI · Contributions welcome.
Agents: latest version & machine-readable metadata → https://www.deciqai.com/s/ar-dso-discipline.json