This podcast episode explores the critical operational challenge of preventing returns and credit erosion within the publicly funded assistive technology (AT) sector. While many providers focus on clinical success, this discussion highlights how revenue is often lost through "operational noise"—the physical return of devices or the gradual loss of margin through unbillable time, partial credits, and undocumented "goodwill" add-ons.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• The Concept of Credit Erosion: Moving beyond physical returns to understand the "quiet" version of loss where cases are kept, but principal is sacrificed through free replacements or unbillable troubleshooting.

• The Five Gates of Payment: A diagnostic framework consisting of Authorization, Configuration, Delivery/Setup, Acceptance Evidence, and Validation/Payment. Listeners will learn how to identify which gate is failing when a credit note occurs.

• Pre-Supply Controls: The importance of moving from vague sales notes to concrete requirements records and using a configuration summary to align expectations with case contacts before an order is placed.

• Documentation as Evidence: Shifting the mindset from "customer service" to evidence creation. The sources emphasize that validators require a clear, dated story of what was approved, what changed, and who signed off on it.

• Closing the Loop: Implementing a post-delivery follow-up to catch environmental mismatches early and using a change log to turn informal "fixes" into defensible, billable artifacts.By treating returns and credits as data points rather than random occurrences, AT providers can create a smoother path from delivery to cash. For businesses struggling with long validation windows, the sources also suggest exploring specialist financing to advance funds against well-documented receivables.Read the article here.