Understanding working capital is crucial for managing cash flow effectively and helping ensure a healthy financial position. Working capital represents current assets less current liabilities and is an indicator of a business’s liquidity and its ability to meet its day-to-day operational needs.
Here are seven strategies that are key to understanding working capital:
- Cash flow management. It is imperative to monitor and manage your cash flow diligently on a weekly, and if circumstances require it, daily basis. Maintaining a cash flow forecast is a useful tool to anticipate shortfalls or surpluses in advance, as well as potential borrowing requirements. If there are cash flow constraints, consider implementing practices to accelerate cash inflows, such as offering discounts for early payments with customers or negotiating favorable payment terms with suppliers and vendors.
- Inventory management. Monitor and analyze inventory levels to ensure that you do not have too much working capital tied up in this asset. Consider just-in-time inventory practices to reduce carrying costs and improve cash flow. This requires a high level of discipline in order to prevent running out of inventory and being unable to meet customer demand. Analyze customer buying patterns and streamline procurement processes to improve efficiency, which can help improve inventory turnover.
- Accounts receivable management. Establish customer credit policies to ensure timely collection of receivables. Periodically review credit terms, credit limits, and creditworthiness of customers. Follow up on past due receivables consistently to improve collection from delinquent customers. Consider offering customers incentives for early payments, which can improve cash flow.
- Accounts payable management. Understand and optimize payment terms with suppliers to maximize cash flow. Take advantage of prompt payment discounts when available. Review and reconcile invoices to avoid payment errors or duplicate payments.
- Financing. Consider having lines of credit in place so you have access to funds to meet short-term obligations. Having a good forecast and cash flow model will assist in anticipating potential borrowing needs. Borrowing comes with a cost, and since rates over the past year have increased significantly, finding opportunities to improve working capital can reduce the need to borrow.
- Efficient cost management. Identify opportunities to reduce costs without sacrificing quality or operational efficiency. Analyze expenses and eliminate unnecessary or redundant costs. Identify opportunities to streamline processes, negotiate better pricing with suppliers, and implement cost control measures across the organization.
- Technology. Utilize technology to streamline processes and improve efficiencies. Consider upgrading your organization’s accounting and ERP systems to improve visibility into cash flow, inventory, and accounts receivable. Look for opportunities to streamline processes such as invoicing, payment reminders, inventory management, accounts payable, and other tasks.
Effective working capital management requires accurate financial information as well as continuously monitoring and analyzing financial data to make informed decisions. Utilize key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cash conversion cycle, days sales outstanding (DSO), inventory turnover ratio, and days payable outstanding (DPO) to assess the efficiency of your working capital management efforts. Review and update forecasts and cash flow models and make the necessary adjustments based on your results and market conditions.
If you would like to learn more about how you can effectively manage your company’s cash flow, please contact us.
Richard Snyder is a director with Kreischer Miller and a specialist for the Center for Private Company Excellence. Contact him at Email or 215.441.4600.