Welcome back to Collections Conversations, a new miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at C&R Software.

The series digs into how generative AI is reshaping debt collections; what it enables, what it complicates, and why it might finally force the industry to retire the word “collections” altogether.

In Episode 8, I sit down again with Ed Wallen, CEO of C&R Software, for a broader view of AI across the entire customer lifecycle.

Ed's diagnosis on large bank AI adoption: leadership has made the commitment, but impact is limited. Models aren’t yet embedded into the workflows that drive day-to-day decisions. It's like having Google Maps open but still taking the route you know from memory. He calls it intelligence without execution.

From there: why centralized AI teams keep falling short. (They’re not sitting with the collections agents or navigating the edge cases). Collections is exceptions at scale, and some of those exceptions will always require a human in the loop. We cover build vs. buy and how to vet AI-native vendors in a market where every company claims to be one. 

Ed's advice: build the moat, not the model.

This episode is brought to you by C&R Software. 

More than just debt collection, C&R sets the global standard for AI-native, humanized credit management. They simplify the complex with end-to-end credit-risk lifecycle support, powered by automated workflows, AI-native intelligence, and real-time, data-driven decisioning. Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0.

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Learn more about C&R Software here: https://hubs.ly/Q03Wl1DY0