TTrace

Find the real reason it's unpaid.

What this step does

An unpaid invoice has a reason. Until you know it, you are guessing. Trace sorts the cause so the next step fits it. There are four common causes: a dispute, a cash flow problem, an admin error, or avoidance.

The four common causes

• Dispute: the customer disagrees with something on the invoice or the work.
• Cash flow: they intend to pay but can't yet.
• Admin error: wrong details, a lost invoice or a missing purchase order.
• Avoidance: they can pay but aren't engaging.

What good looks like

• The cause is recorded against the account.
• Replies are read for clues, not just for a payment date.
• You ask, rather than assume.

Common mistakes

• Negotiating before you know the cause.
• Assuming avoidance when it is an admin error.
• Treating a dispute as a payment problem.

Who does what

The Copilot

Reads replies and sorts the cause: dispute, cash flow, admin error or avoidance.

You or your team

Confirms the cause on complex accounts.