WHAT DOES AN ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SUPERVISOR DO?

Published: Nov 04, 2024 - The Accounts Receivable Supervisor is tasked with producing monthly and quarterly cash reports and analyses, managing cash receipts, and applying discounts. Responsibilities include processing payment reversals and write-offs, performing credit checks, preparing aging schedules, and assisting with year-end audits. This role supports the financial close process, facilitates process improvements, and maintains SAP configurations to enhance service levels.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Accounts Receivable Supervisor

1. Accounts Receivable Supervisor Duties

  • Customer Service Excellence: Deliver excellent customer service to both internal and external customers, within the boundaries of Company processes and procedures.
  • Accounts Receivable Management: Managing the Accounts Receivable function.
  • Team Supervision: Managing Accounts Receivable Clerk.
  • Clerical Support: Assisting duties of the Ledger Clerks when necessary.
  • Financial Reporting: Generating receivables reports including overdue and aged debt analysis.
  • Financial Reconciliation: Reconciliation of payments and bank accounts.
  • Transaction Processing: Performing daily financial transactions such as verifying, calculating, and posting accounts receivable data.
  • Ledger Reconciliation: Reconciling the accounts receivable ledger to ensure that all payments are accounted for and accurately posted.
  • Finance Collaboration: Working closely with other finance managers in the team.
  • Month-end Support: Supporting the month-end process.
  • Receivables Reporting: Generating receivable reports.
  • Debt Process Communication: Communication of process to be undertaken for bad debts.

2. Accounts Receivable Supervisor Details

  • Cash Flow Monitoring: Monitor cash payments against contractual payment plans.
  • Credit Risk Management: Maintain a stop list of clients that are in significant financial difficulties, and coordinate with others to limit credit risk exposure.
  • Enforcement of Payments: Enforce payments with Providers to ensure these are in line with payment plans.
  • Payment Plan Revision: Provide input into revised payment plans to manage credit risks.
  • Policy Compliance: Ensure compliance with the credit risk management policy.
  • Financial Process Operation: Effective operation of financial processes and controls to manage credit risk exposures.
  • Month-End Preparation: Prepare and review month-end schedules related to AR (rebates, promotions, bad debts).
  • Month-End Closing: Responsible for the month-end closing and balancing of AR and Sales GL accounts.
  • Reporting Support: Support month-end reporting including financial statements and reporting.
  • Auditor Liaison: Act as a contact for the auditors, and communicate with them to ensure all questions can be answered efficiently.
  • Task Prioritization: Ensure that all tasks are prioritized and completed on a timely basis for the AR department below.
  • Risk Notification: Notify Senior Management of impending credit risks/issues.

3. Accounts Receivable Supervisor Responsibilities

  • Cash Reporting: Provide monthly and quarterly cash reports and analysis to Corporate Accounting.
  • Cash Management: Responsible for cash applications with discounts and posting cash receipts.
  • Payment Processing: Process payment reversals and re-allocations in conjunction with the billing team.
  • Account Management: Process write-offs of small account receivable balances as necessary.
  • Accounts Payable Collaboration: Work with Accounts Payable to submit positive pay files, initiate stop payments, and handle positive pay exceptions.
  • Credit Assessment: Perform credit checks to deem credit worthiness.
  • Financial Scheduling: Prepare aging schedules.
  • Audit Support: Assist with year-end audit requests.
  • Credit Review: Review credit and collections on a weekly basis.
  • Financial Verification: Verify and sign off daily deposits and assist in year-end closing.
  • Close Process Support: Support month/quarter/annual close process, act as team liaison within finance and the company.
  • Process Optimization: Drive process improvement and improve service levels, including SAP configurations or similar.

4. Accounts Receivable Supervisor Job Summary

  • Financial Clearing: Ensures correct open items/invoices are cleared (i.e., clear open items and post advance receipt as per the rules imposed by Headquarters policy).
  • Documentation Issuance: Issue AR Credit/Debit memos in Financial by Headquarters and local guidelines.
  • Approval Compliance: Ensures that full approval is obtained at the time of issuing a Credit/Debit memo from FI.
  • AR Analysis and Management: Analyze and manage in advance A/R on all customers so as to improve A/R collection from customers and minimize bad debts.
  • AR Confirmation: Conduct A/R balance confirmation on transactions (A/R and liabilities) each month with customers by Headquarters and local guidelines.
  • Compensation Management: Conduct compensation process for customers with AP items according to the rules stated in local legislation.
  • Collection Assurance: Ensure 100% collection of AR confirmation letters for customers with an A/R balance every quarter.
  • Customer Follow-Up: Call and follow up with customers (via phone and email) to obtain payment of overdue amounts as soon as possible.
  • Document Filing: File all documents in the appropriate dated folder by the procedures in place.
  • Information Security: Protects an organization's value by keeping information confidential.
  • Team Leadership: Lead and develop the team, and manage conflict.

5. Accounts Receivable Supervisor Accountabilities

  • SLA and KPI Adherence: Ensure compliance with agreed SLAs and KPI Metrics.
  • Team Supervision and Training: Supervise and train the team in procedures and updates in the process.
  • Communication Facilitation: Take team huddles and pass along key messages to drive the business narrative.
  • Process Documentation: Prepare and review the process documentation and get it signed by the Mars Team.
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure timely correction of identified duplicate/incorrect processing.
  • Compliance Management: Ensure compliance with Mars ICE controls and help with internal/external audit walkthroughs.
  • Issue Resolution: Drive the resolution and troubleshooting of issues during development post-production support.
  • Project Implementation: Implement transformation projects and continuous process improvement.
  • Payment Analysis: Analyze the quantum of blocked payments by reason to improve “First Time Match.”
  • Process Improvement Identification: Identify transformation/process improvement projects.
  • Escalation Management: Handle vendor/Mars internal escalations and provide Root Cause Analysis.
  • Progress Reporting: Participate in weekly/monthly progress calls with Mars.