I sometimes advise small and midsize businesses that are having financial problems. Most of them have this exact issue: accounts receivable are a mess. Often, it's because they try outsourcing it to their accountant, who means well but doesn't quite understand that trading money for services/products is the core function of most businesses. Often, instead of buying billing/POS software that fits the business, the accountant has everything being billed out of quick books, and no one but accounting has access to it.

* Sales can't price products accurately and quickly and eventually get frustrated with being stuck with quota pressure and no way to sell the product. Eventually, they start doing bad deals.

* Cash and payment handling is not disciplined. So think PCI nightmare and easily pilfered cash and checks.

* Eventually, the issue becomes, "Where did all the money go?"

This problem is usually really easy to fix as long as the financial problems haven't turned malignant.