Notices that have to go out on a fixed schedule
The date matters, and so does the proof.
Some notices have to go out on set days, in set order, and the business has to be able to show they did.
Not every business has this problem, and some should leave it alone.
Most of these can be handled better. Whether it's worth doing is a separate question. What follows is one common form of the problem, described in general terms, because your version will differ. These are possible challenges, not a description of your business, and some should be left exactly as they are. If it sounds like your week, that's worth a conversation.
Watch: Dates Somebody Has to Watch
Sound familiar?
- Somebody counts days on a calendar to know which notice is next.
- A notice went out late because the person who sends them was out.
- Proof of sending is a receipt in a drawer.
- Nobody is sure which step each account is on.
What it looks like
When an account falls behind, some businesses have to follow a set sequence: a first notice, a second after a certain number of days, then a final one. The days and the order come from the agreement or the rules the business works under.
Somebody tracks where each account is in the sequence, prepares the right notice on the right day, sends it, and keeps proof that it went. For a few accounts this is a calendar and a folder. For many at once, it is a job that has to be perfect every time.
What it costs
A late or missing step can cause problems. What that means depends on the rules the business works under, and is a question for its advisor.
The proof is the product. Sending the notice is half the job. Showing later that it went, on the day it went, is the other half, and it is the half most likely to be kept loosely.
It depends on one careful person. The rules are usually understood by whoever has done it for years. When they are out, the sequence waits.
Where it goes wrong
- The count is done by hand. Days are worked out on a calendar, one account at a time.
- Accounts are at different steps. Keeping many sequences in step at once is where mistakes happen.
- Proof is kept separately from the account. A mailing receipt is filed in one place, the account in another.
- Changes are not reflected. A payment or an agreement arrives mid-sequence, and the next notice goes out before anyone has looked at it.
What a better version looks like
Each account's sequence is tracked with its start date, which step is next, and when. Each day, a list shows which notices are due. The notice is prepared from a template, a person reviews it, and it is sent. The proof of sending is attached to the account the same day.
A payment or an agreement on that account is flagged for the responsible person to assess before the next notice goes out.
What still needs a person
A person decides what the rules actually require. That is a question for the business's advisor, not for a list. A person reviews each notice before it goes, handles every account that responds, and decides when to pause or stop.
Questions worth asking about your own operation
- How do you know which notice each account is due for today?
- Where is the proof that each notice was sent?
- What happens to the sequence when the person who runs it is out?
- If a payment arrives mid-sequence, how does the right person hear about it?
If this sounds familiar
Bring me the version you actually have. I'll learn how the process really works before I suggest anything. If it isn't worth changing, or isn't a fit for me, I'll say so. Talk through a problem