Guide & Checklist

Step-by-step guide and checklist for the transition.

Preparation Checklist — Dispute Management 2.0

You don't have to work through this checklist. Bilendo automatically migrates all data, workflows, and reasons. However, if you clean up the following three areas before the release, you'll benefit from the new reporting from day one and avoid rework.

Overview

Recommended completion period: between the date this document is sent and 06/03/2026 (sandbox launch). If you finish earlier, you can test your preparation directly in the sandbox.

Before You Start

• Designate a responsible person. Ideally a key user from the Receivables team who is familiar with the existing workflows and reply templates.

• Review existing admin permissions. Who can edit reasons, reply templates, and workflows? If permissions are missing, request them in advance from the Bilendo Customer Success team.

• Export the current state / take screenshots. As a precaution. This lets you trace what the configuration looked like before you made changes.

• Schedule a time window. 2–4 hours without interruption is more efficient than ten 15-minute slots.

Module 1 — Consolidate Reasons

Why This Matters

In Dispute Management 1.0, reasons were embedded in individual response templates. The same issue — e.g., "buyer insolvency" — could exist in ten workflows in ten slightly different variants. This made cross-workflow reporting impossible.

In Dispute Management 2.0, reasons are standalone records. A reason is defined once and used in as many response templates as you like. This enables the reporting that many of you have wanted for years: "Which reasons cause which open volume — across all company codes, workflows, and regions?"

Steps

• 1.1 Take inventory. List all reasons currently used in your response templates. Rule of thumb: 15–20 reasons on average, 50 at most.

• 1.2 Identify duplicates. Which reasons mean the same thing but are worded differently? (Example: “Customer files complaint” / “Customer complaint” / “Buyer complaint” → one shared reason.)

• 1.3 Define titles. 1–3 concise keywords per reason. Not: “Bank or leasing company rejects application; dealer payment not received.” Instead: “Financing failure”.

• 1.4 Write descriptions. The existing long text becomes the description of the reason. Refine it if needed.

• 1.5 Determine categorization. Which reasons belong to which higher-level category? Suggestion (see reference list below):

  • Liquidity risk

  • Dispute

  • Contractual

  • Process / Admin

  • Technical

  • Fraud / Legal

• 1.6 Color coding. Define one color per category (e.g., liquidity risk = red, dispute = orange, process/admin = blue). This enables quick visual recognition later on.

• 1.7 Flag obsolete reasons. Which reasons are effectively no longer used? Archive these after the release.

Working Template

Enter your reasons into this structure:

Pitfalls

Too many reasons. More than 30 reasons make reporting hard to follow. When in doubt, consolidate them and capture detailed information in the dispute comments.

Titles that are too generic. "Other" or "Customer inquiry" say nothing and undermine your reporting. If a reason doesn't fit into 1–3 words, it's probably not a standalone reason but a comment.

Deleting too quickly. Bilendo migrates all existing reasons automatically. You can consolidate after the release — you don't have to do it beforehand. However, preparing makes the migration easier.

You're done when…

• all reasons currently in use have a concise title and a clear category

• there are no more semantic duplicates in the list

• each category has a unique color

Module 2 — Review Response Templates

Why This Matters

Response templates are migrated 1:1. However, many response templates have accumulated over the years. Some are never used, some overlap, and some were created for workflows that no longer exist. Before the release is the natural time to clean them up.

Steps

• 2.1 Complete list of all response templates. Directly from Bilendo (Settings → Response Templates).

• 2.2 Check usage frequency. Which templates were actually used in the last 12 months? Which weren't? (The Customer Success team can provide a usage report on request.)

• 2.3 Map to new reasons. Which of the consolidated reasons from Module 1 should be available in which response template?

• 2.4 Identify redundant templates. Are there templates that differ only in nuance and could reasonably be merged?

• 2.5 Wording review. Are the template texts still current? Are the right fields being populated? Are the salutations and tone correct?

• 2.6 Mark outdated templates for archiving. Don't delete them — mark them. Decide on deletion only after the release.

Working Template

Pitfalls

Templates for "special cases." Templates that are needed once a year are rarely worth it. When in doubt, delete them and use a free-text comment instead.

Nested wording. Templates whose text is assembled from several other templates indicate a messy configuration. Untangle them before the release.

Done when…

• every active response template is assigned to a unique business situation

• every active response template is assigned to a clear list of reasons

• outdated templates are flagged

Module 3 — Create a Workflow Inventory

Why this matters

Workflows are at the heart of dispute resolution automation. In Klärungsmanagement 2.0, workflows offer new capabilities:

• AND/OR conditions for more flexible trigger logic

• Dynamic recipients from the customer master and company code (instead of fixed recipient groups)

• Dispute stop at the document and customer level

• Limit on follow-ups

This often makes it possible to consolidate several existing workflows into one — or, conversely, to split an overloaded workflow in a sensible way.

Steps

• 3.1 Complete workflow list. From Bilendo: Settings → Workflows.

• 3.2 Document for each workflow:

  • What triggers it? (Which condition creates the clarification?)

  • Who is the recipient?

  • Who is the reporter / assignee?

  • What is the desired outcome?

  • When does it typically start running? (Frequency / volume)

• 3.3 Check consolidation potential. Are there workflows that differ only in one condition? In 2.0, these can often be merged into a single workflow with AND/OR logic.

• 3.4 Check splitting potential. Are there workflows that cover too many special cases? These can often be modeled more cleanly as two separate workflows.

• 3.5 Check recipient logic. Which recipients are statically defined today but could be determined dynamically from the customer master data or company code? (Example: One workflow per region → one workflow with a dynamic recipient based on the region field.)

• 3.6 Document escalation paths. Who receives the clarification if the primary recipient doesn't respond?

• 3.7 Flag conflicts and overlaps. Workflows that map the same document to multiple parallel clarifications — candidates for consolidation.

Working Template

Pitfalls

Workflows that grew organically over time. Workflows whose original purpose nobody remembers anymore. When in doubt: temporarily deactivate them and see who complains. No complaints after 4 weeks → archive.

Workflow nesting. One workflow triggers another workflow, which triggers a third workflow. In 2.0, this can often be modeled more cleanly with a flat structure and AND/OR.

Overly aggressive consolidation. Not every workflow should be merged. If different teams have different functional needs and require different logic, separate workflows are still the right choice.

Done when…

• every workflow is documented with its trigger, recipient, and purpose

• candidates for consolidation and splitting are marked

• workflows with no identifiable purpose are flagged

After the Release (07/15/2026)

In the days after the production release, we recommend the following:

• Day 1 (07/16): Review the configuration in the live environment. Did the migrated reasons come through as expected?

• Days 1–3: Finalize reason titles and categories (based on the preparatory work from Module 1).

• Days 3–7: Link response templates to the new reasons.

• Week 2: Implement workflow consolidation (based on Module 3).

• Weeks 3–4: Run the first reports by clarification reason. Identify anomalies.

Bilendo Customer Success actively provides support throughout this entire phase.

Reference — Top 20 Reasons for the Automotive Retail Industry

For customers in automotive retail, this list can serve as a starting point. Sources: ZDK annual report, DAT report, Atradius Payment Practices Barometer, German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), practical experience in DACH automotive retail.

New & Used Vehicles

Aftersales

Industries outside the automotive trade: Upon request, we will provide you with industry-specific reference lists (industry, retail, services, logistics, pharma, healthcare, …).

Support

If you have questions about preparation:

• Customer Success Team — via the usual helpdesk or directly through your contact person

• Sandbox registration — Register here

• Webinar dates — available at bilendo.de