Why A/R Is a GTM Function: The Next Frontier for Revenue Operations

Introduction: Rethinking the Role of Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable (A/R) has traditionally lived within the walls of finance—seen as a back-office function that kicks in after a sale is closed. It sends the invoice, tracks what’s due, and chases down late payments. But this framing is not just outdated; it’s actively harmful.

In modern B2B SaaS and services companies, the line between pre-sale and post-sale is increasingly blurred. Renewals, upsells, retention, and customer success all depend on healthy financial workflows. The customer experience doesn’t stop when the contract is signed—and neither should your go-to-market (GTM) strategy.

This post makes a contrarian case: A/R is a GTM function. It is a direct extension of sales, customer success, and RevOps. It influences customer trust, net revenue retention, and even brand perception. Ignoring it as a growth lever is a strategic mistake.

Part I: Why A/R Has Been Misunderstood

Most companies treat A/R as a cost center. It's something to be optimized for efficiency or outsourced entirely. It gets measured on DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) and aging reports, but rarely connected to revenue outcomes.

This mindset is a holdover from low-volume, high-certainty business models—enterprise software sold with rigid contracts, handled via legal, and paid via wire.

But today’s business environment looks different:

• More self-serve and PLG motions, even in midmarket

• Higher deal volume, smaller ticket sizes

• More flexible terms, usage-based pricing, and dynamic renewals

• Customer support and sales operations deeply intertwined

In this world, A/R is not just about money collection. It’s about trust continuity, friction elimination, and revenue realization.

Part II: A/R Is the Last Mile of Revenue Execution

Revenue doesn’t count until it’s collected.

Your GTM engine can:

• Close a $500K ACV contract

• Structure perfect usage-based pricing

• Land a 3-year expansion agreement

But if the invoice is wrong, the terms misaligned, or the customer confused about what they’re being charged for, that revenue gets delayed, disputed, or lost. The fastest way to destroy trust post-sale is a broken billing and collections experience.

A/R is where the promise of the deal becomes reality. That makes it a GTM concern, not just a financial one.

Consider:

• Aging invoices = NRR risk. If customers aren’t paying, they aren’t likely to expand or renew.

• Disputes = Sales friction. Every misalignment with A/R erodes the credibility of your account team.

• Collections = Customer experience. Aggressive follow-ups or unclear payment expectations damage relationships.

The fastest-growing companies don’t outsource A/R to finance. They align it tightly with RevOps.

Part III: How RevOps Can Own the A/R Motion

1. Integrate Billing Data with the CRM

Salesforce shouldn’t just show opportunity status. It should surface:

• Outstanding invoices

• Payment history

• Disputes and resolution status

• Promise-to-pay commitments

This gives account executives, CSMs, and revenue leaders real-time visibility into financial health and risk.

2. Create Shared KPIs

Start measuring:

• DSO by customer segment

• % of revenue collected within terms

• Time-to-resolution for disputes

• Revenue at risk due to payment delays

RevOps should own these jointly with finance—because they impact bookings, renewals, and revenue predictability.

3. Build GTM-Grade Collections Workflows

Stop thinking of collections as dunning. Instead:

• Use segmentation (high vs low risk)

• Personalize follow-ups based on account context

• Coordinate CSMs and AEs for high-risk accounts

• Treat dispute replies like sales objections

This turns A/R into a relationship-driven, data-backed GTM function.

4. Treat A/R as a Revenue Signal

Which accounts are delaying payment? Which dispute the most often? Which always pay on time?

These patterns are forward indicators of churn, NPS, and expansion likelihood. Use them to:

• Prioritize CS outreach

• Escalate at-risk accounts

• Influence product packaging or pricing

A/R data isn’t just about dollars. It’s a goldmine of revenue intelligence.

Part IV: Why Now? Timing and Strategic Imperative

The time to make this shift is now, because:

• Finance is getting leaner. Manual A/R teams don’t scale.

• Cashflow is king. Interest rates have made liquidity a strategic asset.

• Customers expect seamless billing. Invoices are part of the UX now.

• LLMs and automation allow for smarter collections without adding headcount.

RevOps is the only team positioned to sit between systems (CRM, billing, support) and teams (sales, CS, finance). If they don’t own A/R, no one will.

Part V: What World-Class Looks Like

In high-performing orgs, A/R becomes a cross-functional competency. The best teams:

• Build shared dashboards between GTM and finance

• Track recovery rate and dispute velocity like pipeline coverage

• Involve CSMs in collection workflows for key accounts

• Run A/B tests on follow-up sequences

• Forecast revenue-to-cash like they forecast pipeline-to-close

They know that the job isn’t done when the contract is signed. It’s done when the cash hits the bank.

Conclusion: Bring A/R to the GTM Table

Accounts receivable is not just a finance metric. It is a GTM lever. It touches sales, CS, product, and ops. It determines whether your revenue is real, repeatable, and defensible.

As companies look to grow more efficiently, RevOps leaders must go beyond pipeline and bookings. They must own the cashflow engine, too.

That means bringing A/R into the center of the revenue conversation. Not as an afterthought. But as a strategic differentiator.

The future of GTM includes cash.