Keen Footwear of Portland, Oregon, is a family-run leader in the sustainable footwear market, designing shoes for adventurers, workers, outdoor enthusiasts and water-loving customers. Known for its iconic Newport sandal and a corporate philosophy rooted in ecological neutrality, Keen creates footwear that supports active lifestyles without putting chemicals back into the environment.

Why is automation critical for credit and collections operations?

By 2018, Keen was growing fast, adding dozens of new customers every month, but its credit and collections operations hadn't kept pace. The team relied heavily on Excel spreadsheets, paper statements and manual invoicing to manage a rapidly expanding customer portfolio. As volumes climbed, so did the strain on a 10-person U.S. credit team trying to maintain high service standards while chasing payments, resolving disputes and generating reports.

Keen needed an electronic solution that could automate front-end account management, streamline back-end dunning and statement delivery, and scale alongside the business. Without it, the company risked compromising customer service, accuracy and the operational efficiency required to support continued growth.

How can integrating AR software with an ERP system improve collections prioritization?

Keen selected FIS® GETPAID™ in 2018, deploying the collections and disputes modules from the start. The decision came down to three factors: best value for the implementation investment, the strongest efficiency gains among competing solutions and the strength of the relationships built with the FIS sales and implementation teams.

GETPAID integrates directly with Keen's SAP ERP system, continuously syncing credit and account data so the team can prioritize the accounts that need the most attention. The platform centralizes customer logs, disputes, conversations and contact history, capabilities Keen's previous setup couldn't deliver. It also automates dunning sequences, scheduling the right contact at the right time through the right channel as accounts move through aging buckets.

The implementation itself set the tone for the partnership. Keen's IT team described it as a minimal, smooth process, well below the disruption most enterprises brace for during a system rollout.

How does ongoing vendor support strengthen credit and collections operations?

Nearly eight years in, the relationship continues to deepen. Quarterly conversations with the FIS team keep both sides aligned with Keen's evolving business strategy and product roadmap. When technical issues arise, FIS handles them quickly and professionally with minimal downtime. As Keen prepares for an upcoming SAP HANA upgrade, FIS is already engaged to ensure GETPAID continues to support the business through the transition.

The depth of FIS team's AR expertise has shaped how Keen's team operates from day to day. GETPAID's reporting gives leadership visibility into the inputs that drive results. It tracks the number of calls, emails and reconciliations each credit rep is making across their portfolio. When outcomes slip, the data points directly to the cause, whether it's volume of touches or the content of customer conversations. That insight enables Keen to course-correct quickly and keep performance on track.

How does automating credit and collections improve cash forecasting accuracy?

With GETPAID, Keen has built a leaner, sharper credit operation that outperforms peers despite operating with half the staff it once had.

Cash forecasting accuracy has tightened dramatically, moving from a 15% variance window before GETPAID to roughly 5% today. Aging metrics have improved as the team prioritizes the right customers at the right moments, and bad debt has dropped because delinquent accounts don’t slip through the cracks. Once invoices cross 30 or 60 days past due, automated contact sequences kick in with the right cadence and messaging to drive resolution.

Disputes with large customers are monitored continuously and brought to resolution faster. The collections team uses GETPAID as its primary daily tool, while SAP remains the financial system of record – a clear, complementary division of labor.