Midterm #2 Flashcards
cash conversion cycle
- time between when cash is received versus paid.
- The shorter the cash conversion period, the more efficient the firm’s working capital.
what is trade credit and what does it do?
def- spontaneously generated financing arising from the buyer’s daily operating activities
- provides liquidity
- avoid Payables Stretching: leads to nonpecuniary costs
what is
(1) Open Account
(2) Net Terms
(3) Cash discount
Open Account: without re-applying for credit each time, buyer purchases can be repeated and receive supplier financing
Net Terms: specifies the length of time the buyer has until payment
Cash discount: cash discount offered for earlier payment
Basic aspects of trade credit as a source of financing
Trade credit decouples
• Timing of acquisition of goods
• Associated payment
-Buyer’s earnings are immediately reduced by CGS value irrespective of PMT C/F
Balance fraction to monitor payment timing
- Shows the proportion of each month’s purchases that remain outstanding in the form of payables at month end
- Higher values of payables balance fractions indicate a longer delay in payment to suppliers
liquidity flow
-cash collections, the movement of cash within corporate demand deposit accounts and cash
disbursements
*ensure liquidity by optimizing amount and timing of liquidity flows
1) Cash collection
2) Concentration
3) Cash Disbursement
1) Cash collection- converting payments received from customers into collected balances as quickly as possible
2) Concentration- moving funds to a centralized depository account held at the lead bank
3) Cash Disbursement- settling financial obligations
Payment and collection systems
A firm’s perspective on float depends on
1) collections vs disbursements
2) A firm is motivated to expedite collections float and slow disbursement float
cash collections
- Shortening the time needed to collect on sales
- Shortens the days’ receivables of CCC
- Increasing operating C/Fs
- Improves firm liquidity
- no matter the terms of sales, cash collection efficiency improves firm liquidity
Optimal cash collection process depends on
1) industry affiliation (retail vs manufacturing)
2) customer type (business customer vs individual)
3) nature of the seller- customer relationship
When selecting a cash conversion system consider-
- Payment processing costs
- Speed of collection
- Security of collection
- Remittance information capability
check collections in cash conversion system
Checks provide the least efficient process of cash collection
• Declining checks usage
•Still used to transfer substantial sums of value
Collection float
the time interval between when the payor mails a check and the date on which the check is collected, and the payee has available funds
- payee seeks to min each component of the collection float
- eliminating float is impossible but managing is critical
company processing center
has staff members dedicated to depositing and processing checks
-Centralized and decentralized
- Depends on the volume and dollar amount of checks
processed
Which calculate the total cost of cash collection system
1) Opp. cost of collection float
2) Fixed Cost
3) Variable cost
1) Opp. cost of collection float: across centralized and decentralized
(as no collection system will eliminate the opp. Cost)
2) Fixed Cost: like clerical salaries, account maintenance fees, fees for transferring balances
2) Variable cost: per check, charges for processing, encoding, depositing, and paying employee wages
lockbox collection system
- Minimize each component of collection float by using specialized staff and state-of-the art equipment
- Combination of centralized and decentralized, where an external party handles processing
2 types of lockboxes
1) retail lockbox system- standardized remittance info (large value of checks and low dolla value)
2) wholesale lockbox system- B2B check PTMS ( lo value and large value) min opp cost of collection float
lockbox strategy
managers must determine the optimal
1) number of lockboxes
2) geographical placement of the lockboxes
3) allocation of customers among the chosen lockbox location
complete enumeration method
to determine the optimal number of lockbox banks and optimal allocation of customers among the boxes
optimizing the number of lockboxes
- development of a lockbox optimization model and the use of the complete enumeration method to optimize:
1) how many lockbox site locations
2) allocation of customer to lockbox site - determines the number of lockboxes and min total cost, and allocates customers to relative lockboxes
cash concentration system
internal transfer of funds from regional bank accounts to a centralized account controlled by the firm’s treasury department
how to concentrate funds?
1) physical pooling- funds are actually moved from the depositing accounts at regional banks to an account at the concentrating bank
2) notional pooling- balancing entries made on virtual bank account- allows for earning credit allowance or interest earned.