One of the biggest mistakes a company routinely makes is waiting until a bill is past due to begin collection efforts. A strong credit department reduces bad debt and past due accounts by becoming proactive about debts collected, preferably before the due date. Collection of debts should be the final step in the sales process, beginning as soon as the debt is incurred. As you can see from the infographic below - the longer an invoice goes unpaid, the less likely you are to collect your money. The infographic also contains a few tips to help you collect before the due date and improve your cash flow.