When an overdue invoice gets lost in the inbox
You manage multiple clients. An invoice becomes overdue, nobody follows up, reminders are sent too late or not at all. Replies and payments get lost across different e‑mail accounts, priorities are not defined – consequence: extra effort, unclear responsibilities and disrupted cash flows for your clients. This is exactly where a structured multiclient workflow in an on‑prem solution like Debentra helps.
Why a central multiclient dashboard makes sense for agencies
For agencies and controlling service providers two benefits matter most: 1) centralization of all open items for multiple clients in one instance; 2) transparent access control and prioritization so dunning runs are triggered in a targeted and controlled way. Both reduce manual effort and create traceability – without relinquishing control.
Short version: The goal
- Represent multiple clients cleanly in a single on‑prem instance
- Assign tenant roles and permissions
- Filter dashboards so teams can prioritize quickly
- Set up prioritization rules for dunning runs and secure approvals
Step‑by‑step: Create clients, roles and data
Start with a clear structure – it pays off later for filtering, reporting and audits.
1. Create tenants (clients) as separate entries
Create a tenant unit for each client. This unit contains client data, invoice master data, open items and documentation. Advantage: clear separation while maintaining central administration.
2. Define roles and permissions
Assign clear tenant roles: for example Administrator (full access), Controller (can view receivables data, can prepare dunning notices), Contact Person (restricted view, only reports and status). Ensure that sending payment reminders always requires an approval level – this keeps control with the user.
3. Import master data consistently
Import debtors and invoices from your clients' systems or via standardized CSV exports. Use consistent field names (e.g. customer number, invoice date, due date) and tagging (e.g. "AgenturA", "ProjektX") for easy filterability.
Dashboards and filters: Create an overview
A dashboard is only as good as its filters. Set up several thematically clear dashboards:
Recommended dashboards
- Portfolio overview: All clients with reported open items, aggregated total amount and number of overdue invoices.
- Priority list: Filter by urgency, e.g. by due date, amount or SLA relevance.
- Client detail view: A detailed list for each customer including partial payments, installment plans and comments.
Practical filter combinations
- Age of due date (0–30 / 31–60 / 61+ days) + amount > X EUR
- Client + open items with partial payments or installment plan
- Unprocessed reminders + last responsible person
Use presets for recurring views so teams can quickly switch between clients.
Set up prioritization rules for dunning runs
Simple, traceable prioritization reduces wrong decisions. Rules should be transparent, reproducible and configurable by the user.
Rule components
- Amount-based: High claims first (e.g. > 5.000 EUR).
- Age-based: Older items before younger ones (61+ days increases priority).
- SLA/contract: Customers with an agreed escalation path receive higher priority.
- Communication status: Prefer items with pending responses or without recent activity.
Rule configuration in practice
Set rules as tiered criteria: first SLA, then age, then amount. Define thresholds and specify actions (e.g. prepare reminder, mark for e‑mail, set status "for approval"). Important: automatic preparation must not equal automatic sending. Keep an approval step mandatory.
Example: Dunning run process for an agency client
A standardized procedure could look like this:
- The system marks a client's open items that are older than 30 days and > 1.000 EUR.
- The controller reviews prepared payment reminders in the dashboard, adds individual text and selects the sending channel.
- The administrator approves the dunning run via release; the system sends the reminders and logs all steps.
- Payments or responses are automatically detected and assigned to the case; stored partial payments or installment plans are taken into account.
Security and operational aspects of an on‑prem solution
Self‑hosting means full data sovereignty – that is a central advantage for many agency clients. Take note of these points:
- Strictly configure role-based access to avoid data leaks.
- Establish a regular backup and update schedule for the instance.
- Implement encrypted connections and secure authentication (e.g., SSO or MFA).
Debentra as a self-hosted solution lets you determine the infrastructure and security policies yourself – ideal for agencies that want data sovereignty.
Useful configuration tips for daily use
- Naming scheme: Prefix tenants (e.g., AGT-KundeX) – simplifies filters and exports.
- Notification profiles: Define who is informed for which event type (e.g., prepared dunning, payment receipt).
- Audit trail: Enable comprehensive logging so every approval and every message remains traceable.
- Training: Short onboarding for controllers so approvals and prioritizations are used consistently.
Which edition suits your agency?
Debentra is available in three editions:
- BASIS: Central overview and process control for open items.
- PRO: Reduces manual allocation work, e.g., automatic matching aids for payments.
- PREMIUM: Enables integrated accounting and tighter process integration.
For agencies that manage multiple tenants and want to significantly reduce manual allocations, PRO is often a sensible next step. If you want to integrate accounting processes, PREMIUM offers additional value.
Conclusion: More control, less manual effort
A cleanly configured multiclient dashboard with clear roles and prioritized dunning rules makes receivables management for agencies plannable and auditable. Important: Automation should prepare and accelerate work — the final decision on dunning remains with the user. This way you combine efficiency with control and can securely manage multiple clients in an on-prem instance.
Next step
Try Debentra yourself
Central overview and process control for open items and payments with full data sovereignty; reduces manual allocation work (PRO) and enables integrated accounting (PREMIUM); selectable installation and licensing models.