A profitable business can still run short of cash. Receivables may take time to collect, inventory can tie up funds and bills may come due before customers pay. Effective working capital management can help your business maintain liquidity and remain prepared for growth opportunities or unexpected challenges.
What are the components of working capital?
Working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. The math is simple, but the result requires context. Start by identifying the specific components that drive the calculation.
Current assets generally include assets expected to be converted to cash, sold or consumed within one year (or the business’s normal operating cycle, if longer). Common examples are:
- Cash and cash equivalents,
- Accounts receivable,
- Inventory,
- Certain short-term investments, and
- Prepaid expenses.
Not every asset that could eventually be sold or converted to cash qualifies as current. Classification depends on the asset’s nature and when the business expects to realize or use it.
Current liabilities generally include obligations due within the same timeframe. Examples include:
- Accounts payable,
- Accrued expenses,
- Short-term loans, and
- The current portion of long-term debt.
An outstanding balance on a line of credit may also be classified as current, depending on the arrangement’s terms and the business’s ability to defer repayment.
How can you manage it more effectively?
Although many items affect working capital, the following three levers often provide the greatest opportunities for improvement:
1. Receivables. Strong collection practices are critical. Review accounts receivable aging reports regularly, address disputed or overdue invoices promptly, and establish credit limits and payment terms based on customer risk. Early payment discounts may accelerate collections, but weigh the cash flow benefit against the cost of the discount.
You also can improve the collection process by issuing invoices quickly, offering electronic payment options, automating payment reminders and requesting deposits or milestone payments when appropriate. A bank lockbox may speed processing for businesses that still receive a significant volume of paper checks. Monitor customer concentration and recurring late payments, because receivables contribute little to liquidity if they can’t be collected on time.
2. Inventory. Excess or obsolete inventory can consume cash and generate unnecessary storage, security, insurance and handling costs. But reducing inventory too aggressively can lead to stockouts, production delays and lost sales. The goal should be to maintain enough inventory to meet expected demand while limiting slow-moving and obsolete items.
Regularly review inventory turnover and demand forecasts. Modern inventory systems can help identify purchasing trends and automate reorder points. When appropriate, sharing forecasts and other data with key customers and suppliers may improve planning and reduce supply chain disruptions.
3. Payables. Businesses often try to preserve cash by delaying payments, but consistently paying late can damage vendor relationships and lead to less favorable terms. Use the full payment period available under your agreements without exceeding the due date. Also evaluate whether early payment discounts provide a worthwhile return.
Prepare short-term cash forecasts so upcoming obligations don’t come as a surprise. If existing terms create liquidity pressure, consider negotiating longer payment periods, installment arrangements or other terms with vendors before balances become past due.
Are your improvements sustainable?
To maximize the benefits of your improvement efforts, adjustments to these three levers must be sustainable over the long run. This requires management’s ongoing attention. Include working capital in strategic planning and review relevant measures at regular management meetings. Common metrics include:
- The current ratio, calculated as current assets divided by current liabilities,
- Days inventory outstanding (DIO), the average number of days inventory is held before being sold,
- Days sales outstanding (DSO), the average number of days it takes to collect payment from customers, and
- Days payables outstanding (DPO), the average number of days a business takes to pay its suppliers.
The cash conversion cycle (DIO + DSO − DPO) estimates how long cash is tied up in your operating cycle. Your accountant can help you calculate these metrics, determine what’s most relevant for your operations and evaluate your results over time or against industry benchmarks.
At smaller businesses, the owner may need to lead the effort. At midsize businesses, working capital management should involve finance, sales, purchasing, operations and other functions that influence customer terms, inventory levels and vendor payments. Assigning clear responsibility can help prevent one department’s decisions from creating cash flow problems elsewhere.
Reliable technology is also important. Rather than assuming every business needs a full enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, evaluate whether your existing accounting platform and integrated receivables, payables and inventory tools provide timely, accurate information. More complex businesses may benefit from an ERP system, but the appropriate solution should reflect your business’s size, operations and reporting needs.
In addition, technology — such as electronic invoicing, customer payment portals, automated reminders and integrated payment processing — may shorten collection times and reduce manual data entry. Appropriate user permissions, approval controls, data backups and cybersecurity protocols can help safeguard these processes.
Keep liquidity in view
It’s common for business owners to focus on growing the top and bottom lines of their income statements, but the balance sheet deserves attention, too. Regularly monitoring the components of working capital can help reveal operational issues, such as slow-paying customers, obsolete inventory and unfavorable payment terms, before they become larger cash-flow problems. Contact us for help evaluating your existing processes and identifying strategies to strengthen your working capital management.
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