Down economy spurs automation in collections. (Feature Article).

It's a tough time to be a credit manager. On the one hand, customers are trying to improve their cash flow by conveniently forgetting to pay their bills, by dreaming up evermore arcane deductions, and by declaring bankruptcy. All of that adds up to extra work for credit managers, but because profits are down, there's less money to add additional staff. That makes 2003 a good year to automate more functions in the area of deduction management, collections and credit.

Deductions are a big problem at Swank Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of men's accessories. "I think that's probably the biggest issue that we face on an ongoing ...