New Digital World Class^® Matrix reveals how AI-enabled platforms can unlock $44M in working capital and cut dispute cycle times by 8 days

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT), a leading Gen AI consultancy and enterprise digital transformation firm, has released its latest Digital World Class^® Matrix, focusing on the collections, dispute, and deduction management software marketplace. The report reveals leading software vendor capabilities and examines the critical relationship between AI-powered touchless collection activities, accelerated dispute resolution cycle times, and improved cash flow. Collections, dispute, and deduction management process software can unlock value across both cost-efficiency and working capital performance. In The Hackett Group's 2026 Finance Key Issues Study, three of finance leaders' top 10 priorities are directly enabled by the software platforms evaluated in this matrix report:

Implement artificial intelligence (AI) technology (Gen AI, machine learning, agentic AI)
Implement cost-optimization and cost-reduction actions
Optimize cash-flow performance/liquidity/working capital

For finance organizations still operating with highly manual collections and dispute/deduction management processes, automation can unlock significant operational and working capital benefits. The Hackett Group's analysis indicates that organizations can reallocate up to 57% of staff capacity and reduce average days delinquent by 8.5 days, delivering critical operating cash flow to the business. When dynamic, software-driven collection strategies are paired with integrated dispute resolution workflows, annual bad debt write-offs can be reduced by as much as $44M. The combined impact on productivity, cost, and cash creates a compelling business case for investing in modern collections, dispute, and deduction management platforms.

The Collections, Dispute, Deduction Software Digital World Class^® Matrix provides a guide to leading software vendors and how their solutions improve customer-to-cash (C2C) performance and accelerate cash conversion. The report assesses 19 vendors offering collections, dispute, and deduction management software, evaluating their capabilities and the value delivered to clients based on vendor-completed request-for-information submissions, vendor briefings, and customer input across 17 different criteria.

Capability ratings assess a vendor's capacity across six areas: integration of enterprise resource planning and all upstream C2C process data and systems (credit, orders, invoices, payments); automation of customized collection contact strategies; auto dispute and deduction case creation, workflow, and escalation; AI capabilities; user experience and interface design; and real-time performance dashboards. Value realization ratings measure software vendors' impact on key process metrics such as touchless automated collections, autonomous AI agent interactions with customers and dispute resolution cycle time. Results among assessed end users are impressive: implementations average six months, with business case targets typically achieved within another six months. Dispute resolution cycle time declined by an average of eight days – significantly improving cash flow – and overall software satisfaction is exceptionally high at 87%.

"With cost containment, service excellence and cash-flow optimization at the top of the chief financial officer (CFO) agenda, every process that touches customers and cash must be optimized," said Bryan DeGraw, associate principal at The Hackett Group^®. "Reaching 50% automation in collection contacts shows progress, but significant gains remain. Our benchmarks show the gap to Digital World Class^® performance persists – average days delinquent is 8.5 days higher, and bad debt is 1.1% greater, representing about $44M in lost cash for a typical large enterprise. As receivables platforms evolve from task automation to AI-orchestrated workflows executed by agents and human supervisors, the performance gap will continue to widen. Companies simply cannot afford to underperform in these processes that directly impact operating cash flow."

By using this comprehensive analysis, professionals and leaders in finance and global business services can make informed selection and purchasing decisions aligned with the strategic priorities and critical performance metrics they seek to improve through reduced process costs, enhanced cash flow, and improved customer experience.

Collections, Dispute, Deduction Software Digital World Class^® assessments are part of The Hackett Group's full 74-page report. The assessments should be read in the context of the entire report. A complimentary 34-page summary report is also available with registration. Contact us for inquiries about purchasing the full report.

The Hackett Group^® does not endorse any participant, vendor, product or service depicted in its research. This research should not be considered as advice that a buyer select only those participants based on their ranking or position on The Hackett Group's Digital World Class^® Matrix. You should not rely upon any material or information within this research as a basis for making any business, legal, financial or any other decisions. Any such reliance shall be solely at buyer's risk. The Hackett Group^® research publications consist of the opinions of its research organization and should not be interpreted as factual statements. To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Hackett Group^® disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability, suitability or fitness for a particular purpose. The information contained in this research is provided on an "as-is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. The Hackett Group^® assumes no responsibility or liability for damages of any kind arising from any information, data, content, materials, or references within its research, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, and punitive damages.

About The Hackett Group^®

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) is a Gen AI strategic consulting and digital transformation firm that enables Digital World Class^® performance. Using Hackett AI XPLR™, ZBrain™, XT™, AIXelerator™, AskHackett™, and Quantum Leap^® platforms, the company's experienced professionals and engineers help organizations realize the power of Gen AI from ideation through implementation to achieve quantifiable, breakthrough results with unprecedented speed, enabling The Hackett Group^® to serve as key architects of clients' Gen AI journeys – from assessment and prioritization through design, build, deployment and measurable impact. The company's expertise is grounded in unparalleled best practices insights from enterprise performance benchmarks from the world's leading businesses – including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 90% of the Fortune 100, 68% of the DAX 40 and 53% of the FTSE 100. Visit us at www.thehackettgroup.com.

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The Hackett Group^®, quadrant logo, and Digital World Class^® are the registered marks of The Hackett Group^®.

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This release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements including without limitation, words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," or other similar phrases or variations of such words or similar expressions indicating, present or future anticipated or expected occurrences or outcomes are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may impact such forward-looking statements include without limitation, the ability of The Hackett Group^® to effectively market its digital transformation, our ability to transition our capabilities to support generative artificial intelligence (AI)-related consulting services and solutions and other consulting services, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions into our operations, our ability to manage joint ventures and successfully cooperate with our joint venture partners, competition from other consulting and technology companies that may have or develop in the future, similar offerings, the commercial viability of The Hackett Group^® and its services as well as other risk detailed in The Hackett Group's reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hackett Group^®does not undertake any duty to update this release or any forward-looking statements contained herein.

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The Hackett Group® Identifies Top Collections, Dispute, Deduction Management Software Vendors