Traffic jams. Work zones. Detours. Nobody likes disruptions on the road. They slow you down and keep you from getting where you want to go. Luckily, modern tools like GPS can guide you around them.
As much as we all hate traffic, economic disruptions are even worse. They cause delays, uncertainty, and operational challenges. All the while, you’re got to maintain customer trust and keep things running smoothly, no matter what’s happening in the rest of the world.
So, why isn’t there GPS for your financial processes? A tool that helps you find the best route through any obstacles that pop up?
Turns out, it does exist! AI-powered automation helps you navigate the slow-downs and disruptions, so that you can reach your goals, no matter what is happening.
Why Resilience Matters in Times of Disruption
It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business or a huge enterprise; economic disruptions cause problems.
Late payments are one of the first you’ll meet. When economic challenges arise, companies start holding onto their money for longer, making payments as late as possible.
Customer communications become harder too. As customers look to hold onto their money, they may stop responding to messages. At the same time, they’re likely to begin analyzing invoices more closely, increasing the chances of a dispute. And as late invoices pile up, your AR team has more and more work to do.
If all of this goes on for too long, you’ll end up with frustrated customers, an overworked team, and decreased cash flow.
So, let’s take a closer look at how AI-powered automation helps you through this mess.
AI-Powered Automation as Your Safety Net
When traffic jams happen, you still have to get where you’re going on time, and when economic disruptions occur, you still have to meet your goals. That’s where automation and AI enter the picture.
- Speed: Automation decreases routine, manual work so your team can focus on what matters: collecting cash.
- Accuracy: By decreasing manual work like data entry, you lower the chance of mistakes that can lead to disputes and other delays. That means faster payments and happier customers.
- Scalability: When your workload increases, your team starts to fall behind. That means increasing head count, something you can’t really afford when the economy isn’t very reliable. Automation allows you to adjust to increases or decreases in workload while keeping the team you already have in place.
Two Key Areas Where Quadient Helps You Stay Resilient
Quadient’s AI-powered automation solutions keep you on track, no matter what bumps appear in the road.
It starts with customer communication. Set up the software to send out regular messages to customers, starting with the delivery of an invoice and continuing until the bill is paid. With an assist from generative AI, tailor messages to suit customer preferences, and machine learning even helps find the best methods and times to send communications to make sure they are read and acted on.
Regular, personalized communications also show you as a reliable partner in your customer’s success. No one wants to feel like their business is taken for granted or only matters when the bills are due. AI-assisted automation helps you keep regular contact, without your customers feeling like they’re in an e-mail blast.
Want to learn more about AI and Customer Communications Management (CCM)? Check out the QKS AI Maturity Matrix™ for Customer Communication Management, 2025
Beyond customer experience, AI is also playing an increasing role in accounts payable and accounts receivable.
On the AR side of things, AI helps predict customer payment behavior, so that you know which invoices are likely to be paid late. Not only does this help you plan your cash flow, but it lets you reach out to potential problem accounts early to come up with a solution that is good for you and your customer. That’s the sort of collections activity that builds relationships.
When it comes to your payables, AI can study past transactions and help you determine the best schedule for making payments. This helps you keep your cash for as long as possible, while still taking advantage of perks like early payment discounts.
AI also improves the cash application process. If payments are received with missing customer interaction, the software will look at past transactions and make an educated guess about the account it is most likely associated with, saving your team the trouble of poring through all of your accounts.
Why automation is more than a trend
The business world is full of trends that are here one day and gone the next, but automation is bigger than that. It’s not only a tool that keeps you on track when the economy becomes uncertain, but a solution that will help keep you financially stable in the future. So, no matter what happens, your business is ready to meet the challenge.
Conclusion
You can’t control the economy, but you can be prepared for whatever comes your way. AI-enhanced automation gives you that ability.