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Collections Module

The Collections Module provides OPS-COM administrators with a streamlined process for managing and recovering overdue violation funds. Its primary purpose is to identify unknown users through regional vehicle lookups and compile reports of accounts with outstanding balances to be sent to external collection agencies. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for financial enforcement and collections.

Setup and Configuration

Before fully utilizing the Collections Module, administrators should verify that the automated system processes are active.

  1. Verify that your system is configured to send overdue notices each night.

  2. If these automated emails are not being generated, contact Tomahawk Support to have the feature enabled on your system.

Using this Feature

The Collections Module is currently located within the Violations management area. It allows administrators to retrieve owner information from license plates and generate specific reports for collection agencies.

Accessing the Module

Hover over Violations and click Collections to access the module's drop-down menu of reporting and export tools.

Available Actions and Reports

  • Vehicle Lookup Export: Click this option to export vehicle data in an MTO-friendly format. This file can be imported into MTO terminals by staff or automated systems to perform an MTO Lookup Report.

  • Import from Lookup MTO: Click this option to import the registered owner details back into OPS-COM. This action automatically populates the address and contact fields for previously unknown users.

  • Known Report: Click this option to query and package specific user accounts into an Excel export intended for a collection service provider. Generating this report automatically sets an internal SentToCollections flag on the associated violations, ensuring future queries do not duplicate listings.

  • Sent To Known Report: Click this option to generate a report of known user accounts flagged as SentToCollections, filtered by date and user type. This report includes relevant payment details.

  • Sent To Unknown Report: Click this option to generate a report of unknown user accounts flagged as SentToCollections, filtered by date and user type.

Managing Unknown Users

For unknown vehicles, administrators can export license plate data to identify the registered owners.

  • Click Vehicle Lookup Export to download a formatted data file. This file is uploaded to your regional transportation authority (e.g., MTO terminals) to retrieve registered owner details.

  • Click Import from Lookup (MTO) to upload the results file back into OPS-COM. This# Collections Module

The Collections Module allows OPS-COM administrators to manage overdue violation funds, identify unknown users, and process accounts for external collection agencies. This module streamlines the collection workflow by automating overdue notices and facilitating data exchange with provincial transport ministries, such as the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO).

System Logic and Workflows

Understanding the background automation is critical for managing the collections process.

Known Report Inclusion Logic

The system uses specific parameters to determine which accounts are packaged into the Known Report. A user is included based on the user type and days overdue if they meet either of the following conditions:

  • The user has an email address AND an overdue notice was sent to them more than 30 days ago.

  • The user does not have an email address AND the violation is past its due date.

Automated Overdue Notices Workflow

Each night, the system searches for overdue violations and cross-references the associated vehicles and users.

  • If an email address is found, the system formulates a message and delivers the overdue notice to the user.

  • The violation's AutoNotice field is then flagged in the database.

  • If a user does not have an email address, or if the user is completely unknown to the system, a report is compiled with this information and emailed directly to the system administrator.

Best Practices and Considerations

  • Administrators must regularly review the nightly report of unknown users or users without email addresses. This ensures that physical letters or manual lookup processes are initiated for individuals who cannot receive automated digital notices.

  • Organizations should develop a business rule for managing student collections, such as tying unpaid account balances to graduation holds or registration blocks, before sending these accounts to third-party collection agencies.

For a visual representation of the preliminary steps and workflows leading up to a collection, please review the Technical Schematic - Step #1 documentation.

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