Philadelphia, PA – March 23, 2011 – When national architecture firm Francis Cauffman looked for someone to solve a debt collection problem three years ago, they had already encountered the consultant across the conference table.
Andy Harmelin, president and principal of A. I. Consulting, met Stephen J. Hegeman, managing principal at Francis Cauffman, when A. I. Consulting worked on behalf of another client to resolve a business issue with the architecture and design company. So when Hegeman realized he had a similar situation with one of their clients, he called Harmelin.
A. I. Consulting, which Harmelin launched in 2000, provides engineering, architectural and environmental companies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region with cash flow improvement by offering recovery of past due accounts, cash flow solutions and credit evaluation. Harmelin brings over 20 years of experience in the industry to his role at A. I. Consulting.
“I’ve worked with Andy for three years, but originally met him when he was on the other side of the table dealing with me on an issue for one of our clients,” said Hegeman. “What impressed me about Andy is that he is completely proactive, not just diligent – he’s completely on top of things. Our initial conversations were not about dunning us for something but were about addressing the facts and circumstances. It was a very positive relationship.
“We started working with him on basic collections, because I liked his focus on facts and circumstances which I believe served all of us well,” Hegeman said. “Andy would advise us if we were wasting our time, or if we were on the right track, and he got to the bottom of things quickly, providing us with very sound advice.”
A. I. Consulting worked closely with Hegeman and his colleagues at Francis Cauffman to address some outstanding debt collection. Harmelin’s company then helped the architectural firm identify process issues, conducted a peer review and developed a new strategy for the firm.
“A challenge that faces many design firms, such as Francis Cauffman, is the credit and collection function and its impact on the property and financial well-being of their firms,” said Harmelin. “My work with Francis Cauffman included introducing them to new credit and collection procedures, identifying potentially difficult new clients, showing them how to deal with difficult clients, as well as in-house training and periodic progress audits.”
Harmelin did the job so well that Francis Cauffman has far fewer debt collection projects for the firm than he did when they started working together.
“The real value A. I. Consulting brought us was the consulting and training, bringing best practices in credit and collection controls to our firm,” Hegeman said. “We had worked with some larger national consulting firms in the past, but Andy brought best practices to us that were significantly different, and significantly better, than we had received before, best practices that ensure we get paid on time and eliminate possible future problems.
“We’re practicing architects, not practicing debt collectors,” said Hegeman. “What A. I. Consulting gave us was the ability to focus on doing great work. The happier our clients are the happier we are, and Andy’s work allowed us to succeed in our own practice. Ironically, he didn’t sell us something that would keep us chained to him; he trained us in best practices and eliminated his need as a debt collector.”
Before launching A. I. Consulting in 2000, Harmelin worked for several engineering and architecture firms in the Greater Philadelphia area for over 30 years. The company works to improve their client’s cash flow and bottom line by developing and customizing solutions that produce maximum results.
A 1970 graduate of Drexel University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Harmelin is qualified as an expert in the field of credit and collections by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and is on the roster of TASA, a nationally recognized firm providing experts to attorneys in support of litigation.
Additional information about A. I. Consulting is available at
http://www.ai-consultingllc.com.
Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations
215-266-5943
jim@jhdenterprises.com