Author: Laura Bulmer
Managing accounts receivable efficiently is essential for maintaining healthy cash flow and minimising wasted time. Yet many businesses still rely on paper-based or disjointed digital systems that slow down invoice processing, delay payments, and make audits more stressful than they need to be.
A Document Management System (DMS) offers a smarter, more organised approach and is often quickly implemented for the Accounts payable process but what about Accounts Receivable?
By digitising and automating key processes within all finance presses including accounts receivable, businesses can reduce admin, improve communication with customers, and ultimately get paid faster.
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Centralised Document Access
A DMS stores all receivables-related documents in one searchable location, improving access and collaboration.
Increased Efficiency
Automation reduces manual tasks, speeds up query resolution, and accelerates payment cycles.
Simplified Compliance
Secure storage and audit trails make financial reporting and audits faster and more accurate.
A DMS such as DocuWare stores invoices, purchase orders, delivery notes, and email correspondence in a central, searchable location. This means your accounts team can quickly access any document they need without chasing colleagues or digging through filing cabinets.
This is particularly helpful when responding to customer queries or following up on overdue payments. Having everything at your fingertips makes it easier to provide clear answers and avoid delays. You can go one step further have the DMS integrated with your other systems such as ERP or Finance software to eradicate searching and data entry.
Invoices generated by your accounting software can be automatically filed in the DMS. The data capture tools on offer such as DocuWare’s Intelligent indexing ensures that each document is tagged with the right customer, date, invoice number and payment terms saving time and reducing errors.
It also means nothing gets misfiled or lost, and documents are ready to retrieve instantly when needed.
Disputes or questions around invoices are a common cause of late payments. With a DMS, your team can find and send supporting documents (like proof of delivery or signed agreements) within seconds helping to resolve issues quickly and keep payment schedules on track.
A DMS offers clear visibility into the status of invoices whether they’ve been sent, when they’re due, and if any reminders have been issued. You can also set up alerts to notify staff when invoices are approaching their due dates or if further action is required.
This level of oversight helps teams stay on top of outstanding payments and avoid surprises at month-end.
Because all records are stored securely with full audit trails, a DMS makes it far easier to demonstrate compliance with financial regulations.
During audits or year-end reporting, your team can produce required documentation quickly and accurately without the last-minute scramble.
Organisations that move their accounts receivable processes into a DMS often see:
• Faster payment turnaround times
• Fewer customer disputes
• Reduced manual work and data entry
• Improved collaboration between finance and sales or customer service
• Better oversight of cash flow and debtor ageing
You can read real life Accounts Receivable DocuWare Case Studies HERE.
Adopting a DMS doesn’t mean overhauling your entire finance system. Most solutions integrate smoothly with popular accounting packages, allowing you to automate document storage and streamline communication without changing how you raise invoices.
Start by identifying key pain points in your current accounts receivable process such as document access, response times, or follow-up delays. From there, you can configure the DMS to match your existing workflows while removing the repetitive, manual tasks that slow things down.
Accounts receivable is about more than sending invoices it’s about how effectively your team can manage documentation, respond to queries, and keep payments on schedule.
A DMS supports all of this by providing fast access to documents, automating routine tasks, and improving visibility across the board.
For finance teams looking to modernise their processes without adding complexity, a DMS is a practical, scalable solution that delivers real value where it counts.
Explore our latest blog post - Automating Complex Workflows in DocuWare.
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