How Careem Cut DSO by 24% and Streamlined AR with OCTA

Careem is a leading ride-hailing and super app in the MENA region, operating in over 100 cities across 14 countries. Founded in 2012, the company provides a wide range of services including ride-hailing, food delivery, and many more services. Careem, now a subsidiary of Uber, leverages advanced technology to create convenient and affordable mobility solutions for its customers. With a strong focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, Careem continues to expand its offerings, positioning itself as a key player in the regional tech ecosystem.

Manual follow-ups were slowing down Careem's productivity

The complexity of invoicing and follow-ups for its express business, especially for recurring and transactional services, created significant manual workload. With a growing number of customers and frequent interactions, the manual follow-up process became time-consuming and inefficient, leading to delayed payments and increasing operational costs.

• Managing invoice collections across UAE, KSA & Jordan posed logistical challenges.

• Fragmented communication between finance and customer team led to delayed follow-ups.

• Inability of the ERP system to customize follow-ups for individual customers.

• Limited bandwidth in the finance team hindered proactive follow-ups, resulting in missed collection opportunities.

Careem faced challenges with manual accounts receivable (AR) processes, leading to inefficient collection process and increased Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). The lack of customization and transparency in the process diverted focus from more strategic tasks, and as the business expanded, these inefficiencies became more pronounced, highlighting the need for a more automated and adaptable solution.

OCTA addresses the unique AR challenges of Careem

Following an in-depth evaluation, Careem quickly realized that OCTA was exactly what they needed to optimize their AR process.

• Multi-entity support: OCTA’s multi-entity support has streamlined Careem’s AR processes across the UAE, KSA, and Jordan. By consolidating and simplifying invoice management for these regions, Careem has eliminated the complexity of managing separate workflows for each country, driving efficiency and reducing operational friction.

• AI-Powered, Customizable Workflows for Efficient Follow-Ups: OCTA’s fully customizable automated workflows, enhanced with advanced AI features, have revolutionized Careem’s AR process. The platform’s AI-driven capabilities—like intent detection for auto-pauses, context-based auto-reply emails, and reminder calls—ensure seamless follow-ups across multiple channels, including email, WhatsApp, and AI calls. “We’ve saved substantial time by automating follow-ups and using AI to personalize communication based on customer intent,” says Warda from Careem. “This has not only speed up payment collections but also allowed us to focus on higher-priority tasks while maintaining an effective, tailored approach to each customer segment.” The ability to incorporate Arabic follow-ups has further enhanced the customer experience, making communication even more effective.

• Seamless Team Collaboration between CS and Finance Team: OCTA has enhanced collaboration between Careem’s Customer Success (CS) and Finance teams by centralizing customer data on a single platform, providing real-time access to crucial information. The ability to create customized rules and AI-driven task setups further optimizes coordination, ensuring proactive follow-ups and better management of critical tasks. Custom reminders and workflows allow both teams to focus on high-priority activities, improving efficiency and minimizing delays. This seamless integration has elevated team productivity and communication.

• Unlocking Strategic Insights with A/R Analytics, Custom Reports, and Forecasting: With OCTA’s powerful A/R analytics and customer scoring, Careem has gained deeper visibility into its receivables, enabling more informed decision-making. “OCTA’s ability to generate customized, real-time reports—including forecasting—has been a game-changer,” says Careem’s Finance Lead. “We can now prioritize collection efforts based on customer behavior, invoice amounts, and cash flow projections.” This data-driven approach, supported by tailored reporting and forecasting capabilities, has allowed Careem to optimize collections and focus on accounts that matter most.

Oracle Fusion x OCTA: Custom Integration and Seamless Auto-Sync

Integrating OCTA with Careem’s existing Oracle Fusion system was a smooth and efficient process. “Although direct integration wasn’t available, OCTA quickly built a custom solution tailored to our needs,” says Careem’s Finance Lead. This fast, customized integration allowed Careem’s finance team to immediately start leveraging OCTA’s advanced AR capabilities without disruption to their existing workflow.

A key benefit of the integration is the seamless auto-sync feature, which ensures that all accounts receivable data is automatically updated every day. “The auto-sync feature eliminates manual updates, ensuring that invoice information, payment statuses, and follow-up actions are always in sync between the systems,” says Careem’s Finance Lead. This automated synchronization significantly reduces the risk of errors and ensures the data is always accurate, driving efficiency across Careem’s finance team.

The Result: Faster payments and improved cash flow, all while streamlining AR processes and reducing the operational burden on the finance team.

• DSO Reduction: 24% reduction in Days Sales Outstanding, leading to improved cash flow.

• Manual Effort Decrease: Over 110+ hours saved monthly, allowing the finance team to focus on higher- priority tasks.

• Cost Savings: Monthly savings of approximately $48K+ by reducing manual hours and optimizing cash flow.