Clarification Management 2.0

Introduction and overview of changes to clarification management

Clarification Management 2.0

The second generation of the Bilendo clarification module. From workflow tool to collaboration and reporting layer for open items.

Clarification Management 2.0 is the largest release in the Bilendo Receivables product since the module's introduction in 2020. It addresses six structural weaknesses of the previous version and replaces them with an event-based architecture where it's clear who needs what from whom, when it should happen, and why an item is open.

This document describes the new version from a user and configuration perspective and guides through the two-stage release process.

Our Webinar from 18.05.2026

Bilendo - Clarification 2.0 (EN)

Why a new version

The clarification module was designed in 2020 as a workflow engine: condition met → clarification created → response possible → workflow check again. This architecture has survived six years of production operation with many tens of thousands of users, but has revealed six recurring weaknesses.

Known weaknesses of version 1.0

Clarification Management 2.0 is the answer to each of these six weaknesses.

Major Features

1. Event Timeline

Every clarification is now a chronological event stream. All occurrences since creation – comments, escalations, dunning blocks, closures, reopenings, approvals, rejections – are on one timeline with timestamps and originator.

The timeline replaces the previous point view and makes searching unnecessary: "Who did what when and why" is no longer just a question for the database, but for the interface.

Structure of the clarification view:

• Expectations – Initial question to the colleague about why the items are open

• Context – Customer, booking, workflow

• Extended Context – Charges and related documents

• Events – Comments, escalations, payment blocks, status changes

2. Info & Action Area

Between context and timeline lies a new block with two clearly separated functions:

Info Area: What has happened, what will happen.

• Upcoming and completed escalations ("Upcoming 1st escalation – next auto escalation scheduled on …")

• Upcoming follow-ups ("Schedule restart in one day")

• Completed closures and reopenings ("Re-opened 1 time")

Action Area: What needs to happen next, who does it.

• Expected action (response, approval, conflict resolution)

• Close & reopen

• Escalation

When there's currently nothing to do, the action area is empty. This is intentional: no visual noise without need for action.

3. Next Action & Next Action for

The module now explicitly answers three questions on each clarification:

• Who needs what from whom?

• Who's turn is it?

• What action is expected?

Reporter and assignee are clearly displayed separately. Above the action box, there's a status line in each clarification of the type Waiting for answer from Marina Freund (Assignee) or Awaiting review from Maximilian Stuber (Reporter).

This finally clarifies the question "Who's actually up next?"

4. Bi-Directional Communication

Clarifications are no longer a one-way street. Directly on the matter, you can:

• reply to every comment (reply threading)

• ask questions about every reason

• Have informal communication without setting a new reason

All parties involved in the clarification are notified of new communication. The conversation remains visible in the timeline – no need to switch to email or Teams.

Practical effect: The context of a clarification stays with the document. Anyone who opens the process three months later sees the complete conversation history.

5. Standardization of Reasons

Probably the most consequential change. Previously, reasons were embedded in response templates – a reason "Buyer insolvency" could exist in ten different workflows in ten slightly different variations. Reporting on this was practically impossible.

New: Reasons are independent master data objects.

A reason consists of:

• Title (short keyword, e.g., "Financing failure")

• Description text (longer, explanatory)

• Color categorization for main reasons (e.g., Liquidity risk · Process/Admin · Technical · Contractual · Dispute · Fraud/Legal)

The same reason can now be used in any number of response templates and workflows. This makes cross-workflow reporting possible for the first time:

"Open items by reason, quantity and volume, comparable across accounting areas, business units or regions."

Top Reasons (Industry Reference)

For the automotive trade, Bilendo has developed a top-20 reference list (sources: ZDK Annual Report, DAT-Report, Atradius Payment Practices Barometer, Federal Motor Transport Authority, automotive trade experience in DACH). This can serve as a starting point for your own configuration:

New & Used Cars: Financing failure · Warranty dispute · Trade-in difference · Delivery delay · Revocation / withdrawal · Fleet conditions difference · Dealer bonus dispute · Odometer fraud · Discount overpayment · Buyer insolvency

Aftersales: Repair cost dispute · Goodwill posting error · Warranty billing error · KVA overrun · Insurance reimbursement pending · Parts complaint · Fleet service difference · Workshop invoice lost · Mobility guarantee chargeback · Debtor not traceable

6. Approval Process

The new approval process formalizes Bilendo's role as an orchestrator between accounting and sales / after-sales.

Accounting
("I would like to send a reminder. May I?")
        ↓
   ┌─────────┐
   │ Bilendo │  ← Orchestrator: inquires, sets expectation,
   │ Module  │     forwards, approves
   └─────────┘
        ↓
Sales / After-Sales
("Please no reminder. Customer is sensitive.")

Concrete mechanism:

• Approve response → Reason is set, clarification is ready to be closed

• Reject response → Responsibility returns to the clarification recipient, new response cycle starts

Conflict Resolution for Ambiguous Reasons

Escalated clarifications can be answered by multiple people with different reasons. When this happens, the reporter (or an admin) can resolve as the final authority:

• Accept one of the proposed reasons, or

• Set a different custom reason (e.g., "Financing failure" instead of the proposed "Delivery delay" and "Fraud")

• With comment as justification

• Clarification is closed with the final reason

7. Related Documents (Pull-in / Pull-out)

Bilendo automatically pulls all related documents into a clarification as soon as they are identifiable via the assignment field or the interface. Specifically, this means:

• Related documents appear in the context area of the clarification

• They are netted against each other – the open amount is displayed at the position level and in the clarification overview

• They receive – if configured – an automatic dunning stop during the active clarification

• When the clarification is closed, the documents are released again (Pull-out)

Practical effect: A clarification regarding a complaint that has ten follow-up invoices attached will no longer be managed as ten parallel clarifications. One process, one conversation, one closure point.

Additional Features

In addition to the major features, this release includes a number of other improvements:

• Inbox 2.0 – New overview display of all clarifications with better filters and visibility of pending reminders

• More flexible workflow scope (AND / OR) – More complex conditions for clarification generation

• Clarification stop at document and customer level – Prevents duplicate clarifications and excessive clarification load

• Reminder limitation – Protection against the abuse pattern "clarification as dunning block extension"

• Reporting by clarification reason – Cross-workflow, comparable across company codes and business units

• Dynamic clarification recipients – Recipient determination from customer master data or company code

• Duplicate clarification warning – When a document is already under clarification (even if closed but reminder planned), a warning appears before creating a second clarification. Prevents context loss due to parallel processes.

• Reopened tracking – For reopened clarifications, it becomes visible who reopened when and how often. For automatic reopenings (Bilendo Automation Bot), a reason is additionally requested from the user.

Migration & Release Plan

Clarification Management 2.0 will be rolled out in two stages. Data and settings will be completely migrated by Bilendo – customers do not need to migrate themselves.

Timeline (tentative)

Note: The release originally planned for CW 22 was postponed based on customer feedback to provide sufficient lead time for preparation.

What Bilendo Does Automatically

• Migration of all existing reasons – The current description text will be transferred to both the new title field and the description field to avoid any gaps

• Migration of all clarifications to the new data model

• Transfer of all workflows – Existing workflows will continue to function identically after Part 1 release

• No interruption – Clarification and dunning processes will continue without functional disruption

What We Recommend to Customers

You don't have to do anything – but those who prepare the following will benefit faster from the new reporting capabilities:

1. Take inventory of reasons List all existing response reasons comprehensively. Experience shows: 15–20 reasons on average, maximum 50.

2. Define keywords for titles One to three words per reason as a concise title (e.g., "Financing failure" instead of "Bank or leasing company rejects application; dealer payment fails to materialize.").

3. Consider color categorization E.g., liquidity risk (red), dispute (yellow), process/admin (blue).

4. Prepare training materials A generic training environment will be provided before the release, where key users can familiarize themselves with the interfaces and record their own training videos for internal distribution.

Recommendation for Release Timing

We recommend conducting Part 1 of the release on a Wednesday and pausing workflows for Thursday and Friday. This creates a 1–2-day "learning corridor" where key users:

• Customize reasons configuration

• Take screenshots from your own system

• Conduct internal training sessions (e.g., record as Teams meetings and share on the intranet)

Workflows will be reactivated on the weekend or the following Monday.

Important Notes

Global Release without Opt-out

Bilendo is a cloud application. The release takes place simultaneously for all customers worldwide. There is no option to remain with the old module – similar to updates for Google services or other SaaS platforms.

The advantage: You don't need to install updates, plan maintenance windows, or synchronize system states.

Functional Continuity

After Release Part 1 (CW 25), the interface is new, but all workflows, automations and processes continue to run unchanged. The structural workflow improvements will only come in Release Part 2 (CW 27) – deliberately separated so that users can first get used to the new interface before the workflow logic changes.

Support During the Release Phase

Throughout the entire release phase, the Bilendo Customer Success Team is available. Additionally:

• Regular webinars with relevant updates are offered

• Recordings are published on the Bilendo website

• Release preparation checklists are sent (CW 22)

• A generic training environment for key users is provided