If you're a telecoms or managed service provider (MSP), your billing system is one of your business's most critical and problematic parts.

It's not just about generating invoices. It's about managing cash flow, delivering a good and reliable customer experience, managing your OFCOM compliance, and having smooth operational efficiency. Yet, many telecoms businesses are stuck with outdated or inflexible billing systems that create more problems than they solve.

Here are the four biggest billing challenges MSPs face today and how anvil's modern telecoms billing platform is helping businesses overcome them.

1. Billing Delays Caused by Supplier Data

Most MSPs rely on upstream carriers to deliver Call Data Records (CDRs) and Line Data Records (LDRs) before they can begin their billing run. These files typically arrive between the 5th and 10th of each month after the billing period has closed.

The result? A delayed invoice cycle every single month.

Invoices go out late, cash flows more slowly, and finance teams are forced into reactive workflows. These recurring delays create predictable cashflow stress and reduce your ability to forecast or invest confidently.

2. Revenue-Based Fees That Erode Margins

Billing platforms should help you get paid, not take a cut of your revenue for the privilege, and yet, many providers pay both a fixed monthly fee and a percentage of their monthly billed revenue, even if the platform itself doesn't offer much in return. Over time, this eats into the margin and becomes a silent cost of doing business.

As your business grows, so do your billing costs, not because you're getting more value from your provider.

3. Disconnected Tools, Duplicated Work

Telecoms businesses don't just bill. They manage contracts, handle compliance, track installations, support customers, and more. The problem? These workflows are often spread across multiple systems.

Billing is done in one tool, CRM in another, contract management in spreadsheets, and compliance handled manually. This creates duplicate data entry, inconsistent records, and blind spots across the customer lifecycle. It slows down your teams, increases error risk, and limits visibility. Worse still, you end up relying on people, not processes, and that's hard to scale.

4. Long Billing Cycles That Strain Cashflow

When billing starts late, cash flow follows suit. In many cases, providers collect cash after their suppliers have invoiced them. With stricter supplier payment terms, you are betting on the customer to pay you after you've paid your suppliers.

The impact compounds quickly:

• Cash reserves shrink
• Working capital becomes tight
• Forecasting becomes guesswork
• Growth is delayed

Shortening the billing cycle by even a week can significantly impact liquidity and headroom, especially in smaller, fast-moving teams.

The Real Problem? You're Not in Control.

At the heart of all these issues is a simple truth: many MSPs don't control their billing; their platforms, suppliers, and processes do.

Whether it's waiting for files to arrive, paying platform fees that scale faster than your revenue, or juggling multiple tools to get a single customer billed, you're reacting to the system, not running it.

That's why so many providers are now reviewing their billing tech. Not because they want a slightly faster invoice run, but because they need to take control of cashflow, compliance, and customer visibility.

Why anvil Is the Best Telecoms Billing Platform

anvil was built specifically for telecoms and MSP businesses. Not retrofitted from generic SaaS tools. It removes the common blockers providers face and gives teams the tools they need to:

• Bill faster using pre-reconciled CDR/LDR data
• Avoid unnecessary fees with 12 months of no % platform charges
• Manage contracts, CRM, and compliance in one place
• Export to accounting and Direct Debit systems instantly
• Shorten billing cycles by up to 45% and improve cash collection

Most importantly, it gives you back control. You decide when to bill, how to structure your ops, and how to grow without being limited by your platform. Switching platforms is a big move and it takes time. But if you don't start now, you'll be stuck in the same cycle next quarter, year, and beyond.

Start your billing platform review with anvil today by calling 0800 048 4848 or contact us here.