Debt Collection in a Highly Regulated Environment
Client overview
Our client is a UK based professional services firm operating in a highly regulated environment, managing a large portfolio of active matters that require ongoing monitoring, communication and structured resolution processes.
The organisation manages a high volume of cases that require regular engagement with clients to ensure agreed arrangements remain active and compliant. This work requires consistent follow up, detailed case review and clear communication to ensure matters progress in line with regulatory and operational requirements.
As the number of active matters increased, maintaining consistent engagement with clients who had fallen behind on agreed arrangements became increasingly resource intensive. By early 2024 the firm required additional operational capacity to support this work without increasing internal overheads.
Client Testimonial
The Challenge
The firm faced a number of operational pressures linked to the management of a large and complex portfolio of client matters.
- A growing number of cases requiring proactive follow up and client engagement
- A backlog of matters requiring formal communication and compliance action
- Increasing pressure on internal teams responsible for monitoring and progressing cases
- Service level requirements that demanded cases be reviewed and progressed within defined time-frames
At its peak, more than a quarter of the firm’s active matters required intervention due to missed or delayed client contributions. A significant number of these cases had already progressed to a stage where formal notices were required but had not yet been issued.
The firm needed additional operational capacity to review cases, engage with clients and restore matters to a compliant position while ensuring regulatory obligations continued to be met.
The firm partnered with Alpha to build a dedicated case management and client engagement team based in Durban, South Africa.
Rather than a shared outsourcing model, Alpha created a team aligned specifically to the firm’s internal processes, systems and compliance requirements. The team was responsible for reviewing cases where client arrangements had fallen behind and working with clients to bring matters back into good standing.
The solution included:
- A dedicated team of fifteen case management professionals
- Rapid deployment of experienced client engagement specialists within two weeks
- Integration with the firm’s internal systems and workflow tools
- Automated reporting to monitor service levels, case progress and engagement outcomes
The team works across several operational workflows including early stage follow up, late stage case reviews, missed payment engagement and the issuing of formal notices where required.
By contacting clients directly, reviewing their circumstances and agreeing appropriate arrangements, the team helps restore matters to an active and compliant position while maintaining professional and regulated communication standards.
Over time the partnership delivered measurable improvements across operational performance and compliance.
The team now manages an average of more than four thousand client matters each month, contacting individuals and working to resolve outstanding issues where possible.
During this period:
- More than one thousand cases were successfully brought back into good standing through payments or revised arrangements
- Average weekly collections reached approximately £24,490
- Around 477 formal notices were issued each month in line with compliance requirements
- A backlog of cases requiring formal communication was significantly reduced through targeted outreach campaigns
A structured three month project was also introduced to address a backlog of cases requiring formal notices. Through bulk communications, targeted calls and detailed case reviews, the number of outstanding matters was reduced by more than 1,300, bringing the department back within service level expectations.
At the same time, the percentage of matters requiring intervention across the portfolio was reduced from 27 percent to 12.8 percent. The average time taken to complete formal processes also improved significantly, reducing from 75 days to 31 days.
The outsourcing model delivered cost savings of approximately 40 to 50 percent compared with equivalent UK based roles while providing the scale required to manage the workload effectively.
Why it worked
The partnership succeeded because the engagement combined structured processes with strong operational oversight.
Key factors included:
This approach ensured the offshore team operated as a direct extension of the firm’s internal operations rather than as a separate outsourced function.
