Debt collection is no longer viewed simply as a back-office recovery function. As financial institutions contend with rising customer expectations, stricter regulatory oversight, and growing use of AI, collections are increasingly becoming a strategic capability that balances recovery performance with customer experience and compliance. This shift requires lenders to make better use of customer data, intervene earlier in the credit lifecycle, and apply AI within governance frameworks that ensure transparency and human oversight.
These issues were discussed at the EXUS Executive Forum in Jakarta, organised by Jicara Media and hosted by EXUS. As a global leader in debt collections technology, EXUS helps financial institutions modernise collections through intelligent, AI-powered, and customer-centric solutions.
The premier gathering brought together banking, fintech, and credit risk leaders to examine how organisations can modernise collections while responding to evolving customer behaviour and regulatory requirements.
Collections are becoming part of the customer lifecycle
Opening the forum, Christos Maranis, Deputy CEO at EXUS, said collections teams are increasingly expected to improve recoveries while controlling costs, complying with regulations, and preserving customer relationships.
Rather than viewing collections as a process that begins only after a missed payment, he argued that lenders should treat it as an integral part of the broader customer lifecycle.
Maranis noted that customers experiencing financial difficulties require different forms of engagement depending on their circumstances. While many customers are comfortable resolving issues through digital self-service channels, those facing genuine financial hardship often benefit from speaking with someone who can assess their situation and discuss available options.
He also pointed to operational challenges facing Indonesian lenders, including fragmented customer data, outdated contact information, and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements around customer engagement and data protection. Addressing these issues, he said, requires organisations to improve how collections are managed rather than simply increasing recovery activity.
Better customer insight enables earlier intervention
Marios Siappas, Chief Knowledge Officer at EXUS, described collections as one of the more complex functions within financial institutions because it combines regulatory requirements, customer behaviour, and data management.
He said many organisations are moving beyond managing individual accounts towards building a more complete view of each customer by integrating information across products and systems. This broader perspective supports behavioural segmentation, recognising that customers with similar balances or delinquency levels may respond differently to collection strategies.
According to Siappas, leading institutions are also shifting towards earlier intervention by identifying behavioural indicators before accounts become seriously delinquent. Encouraging customers to address emerging payment issues sooner can reduce operational costs while improving customer outcomes.
He added that digital transformation should complement, rather than replace, human engagement. Routine interactions can be handled through digital channels, while more complex or sensitive situations continue to require human judgement and empathy.
AI augments decision-making
Konstantinos Kentrotis, Senior AI Product Manager at EXUS, discussed how AI can support earlier and more informed decisions throughout the collections process.
He described a shift from reactive recovery towards earlier engagement, where AI analyses customer behaviour to recommend actions before payment problems escalate.
According to Kentrotis, through the EXUS Financial Suite (EFS), EXUS supports organisations in improving recoveries, streamlining operations, and creating better outcomes for both businesses and their customers. He said its AI can help identify appropriate communication channels, estimate the likelihood of customers meeting payment commitments, recommend next-best actions, and provide agents with real-time guidance during customer interactions.
He emphasised, however, that AI should operate within clearly defined governance frameworks. Human staff remain responsible for decisions, while business rules determine parameters such as contact windows, settlement limits, eligibility criteria, and escalation processes. This approach, he said, improves operational consistency while supporting transparency, auditability, and regulatory compliance.
Governance remains central
A recurring theme throughout the forum was that AI alone does not improve collections. Its effectiveness depends on high-quality data, robust governance, and the ability to explain and audit automated recommendations.
For financial institutions operating in Indonesia’s evolving regulatory environment, speakers said AI offers opportunities to support earlier intervention and more personalised engagement, provided that decisions remain transparent and subject to appropriate human oversight.
Adapting collections to changing lending models
The forum concluded with a panel discussion featuring Christos Maranis, Marios Siappas, Nucky Poedjiardjo, President Director of Easycash Indonesia, and Toho Pasaribu, a former Indonesian banking executive. The discussion focused on the practical challenges of implementing AI-driven collections across Indonesia’s diverse lending landscape.
Maranis said AI enables lenders to move beyond broad product or risk categories towards more individualised engagement strategies based on customer behaviour.
Pasaribu noted that collection strategies vary across lending segments, with corporate borrowers, credit card customers, personal loan recipients, and small and medium-sized enterprises each presenting different behavioural patterns and repayment motivations.
Drawing on Easycash’s experience, Poedjiardjo argued that lenders should examine underwriting practices and risk management alongside borrower behaviour when analysing loan defaults. He said the use of alternative data, proprietary risk models, and AI had helped strengthen credit assessment while supporting more targeted customer engagement.
The audience discussion centred on operational challenges specific to Indonesia, including maintaining accurate customer contact information, serving rural communities, and strengthening digital identity verification. Panelists discussed how behavioural insights, evolving regulation, and AI-assisted decision-making could help institutions improve collection outcomes while maintaining compliance and human oversight.
Closing the session, Siappas encouraged organisations to strengthen collections capabilities before economic conditions weaken, arguing that earlier investment gives lenders greater opportunities to engage customers before payment difficulties become more severe.
Contact EXUS
To learn more about the EXUS Financial Suite (EFS) and how EXUS helps financial institutions modernise collections through AI-powered, customer-centric solutions, contact:
Name: Dewi Anty
Title: Growth Executive
Email: d.anty@exus.co.uk
Phone: +6288211968939
Website: https://www.exus.co.uk
