Gascoynes replaced four disconnected payment methods and manual credit control with one platform, and changed the trajectory of its debtor book.
“We just send an email, here is your payment link, and clients love it. Whether it’s Apple Pay or credit card, they’ll just be double-clicking on their phone like they would with any other bill.”
Four disconnected tools became one platform, and the debtor book fell 10% in the same year turnover rose 8%.
With cash flow freed up, Gascoynes can fund its tenth acquisition with less borrowing, and a leaner credit control team that won’t need to grow with the firm.
Gascoynes runs three offices across Norfolk and Suffolk, looks after around 2,000 clients, and has grown through nine acquisitions in thirteen years.
Payment arrived four different ways: PayPal, card over the phone, QuickBooks Payments, and Satago for chasing, each running separately, with no central view of what had been paid or what was outstanding. It wasn’t straightforward for clients either: they had to hunt through statement text to find a payment link.
Every invoice reminder was sent manually. Reminders rarely prompted a response, and there was no visibility into why. As invoice volume grew, so did the credit control headcount.
“It was just a real mishmash of different apps. The credit control team seemed to be growing, with more and more people involved in chasing the debts.”
Chris Reeve · Managing Director, Gascoynes
Adfin replaced all four disconnected methods. Payment links, Direct Debit and automated chasing now run from a single place across all three offices.
“We’ve just consolidated, reduced the amount of apps that we use, and really simplified the process across the various offices we’ve got.”
Chris Reeve · Managing Director
Gascoynes eliminated manual chasing by setting up automated workflows in Adfin, configured in their own voice. Because reminders sound like they come from the firm, clients respond to them.
“It seems like it’s coming from us, but they’re actually all automated workflows. We get probably five responses a day. From previous reminders, we wouldn’t usually get any.”
Jamie · Credit Controller
Adfin’s QuickBooks integration gives the team a real-time view of what’s been collected and what’s outstanding, reconciling payments automatically without manual intervention.
“Everything that comes through Adfin has been reconciled automatically through QuickBooks. There’s not any overdue payments in QuickBooks that aren’t in Adfin.”
Jamie · Credit Controller
Over the same twelve months, turnover grew 8% while the debtor book fell 10%, and the late-payer rate dropped by more than a third.
“Adfin has been very responsible for this.”
Chris Reeve · Managing Director
As Gascoynes enters its next phase of acquisitions, the credit control function won’t need to grow with it. More clients, same team.
“Adfin has definitely helped the process be more efficient and consolidate the team, so there are fewer people working on it now.”
Chris Reeve · Managing Director
Gascoynes is buying its tenth practice next year. Improved cash flow means the deal leans less on external funding.
“Improved cash flow is great because we are acquiring another firm next year. It will save us on any funding solutions and ultimately save us in loan interest.”
Chris Reeve · Managing Director