## **Learning Outcomes**

After reading this article, you will be able to explain the roles of receivables, payables, and inventory in business working capital management. You will understand the importance of the economic order quantity (EOQ) model, appraise working capital trade-offs, and assess how these decisions affect cash flow, liquidity, and profitability. You will also be able to analyse the cash conversion cycle and recommend strategies to optimise working capital.

## **ACCA Advanced Financial Management (AFM) Syllabus**

For ACCA Advanced Financial Management (AFM), you are required to understand the management of receivables, payables, and inventory, including working capital policies and their effect on financial performance. In particular, you should be able to:

- Analyse the components of working capital and their interrelationships
- Evaluate policies for managing receivables, payables, and inventory, including the use of EOQ
- Assess the impact of working capital decisions on cash flow, liquidity, and profitability
- Calculate and interpret the cash conversion cycle
- Formulate appropriate working capital strategies for given business scenarios

## **Test Your Knowledge**

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. Which of the following best describes the economic order quantity (EOQ) model?  
   a) It determines the reorder point for stock items.  
   b) It finds the optimal order size to minimise total inventory costs.  
   c) It maximises supplier discounts.  
   d) It estimates bad debts from receivables.

2. Which of the following does **not** directly reduce the cash conversion cycle?  
   a) Lengthening inventory holding periods  
   b) Reducing receivables collection periods  
   c) Negotiating longer payable days with suppliers  
   d) Accelerating inventory turnover

3. True or false? Increasing trade payables days always improves company profitability.

4. Briefly explain how a policy of strict credit control might impact both sales and bad debts.

5. List the main trade-offs involved in holding high levels of inventory.

## **Introduction**

Efficient management of receivables, payables, and inventory is central to successful working capital management. Working capital is often described as the “lifeblood” of a business, and decisions in this area have a significant effect on liquidity, profitability, and cash flow. Financial managers must balance the costs and risks associated with holding working capital against the dangers of running short, using models such as the EOQ to help optimise inventory levels. This article explains how each working capital component can be managed, examines EOQ and the cash conversion cycle, and highlights the key trade-offs financial managers face.

> **Key Term: working capital**  
> The capital invested in a company’s current assets (such as inventory and receivables) less its current liabilities (such as payables), representing funds available for day-to-day operations.

## **THE COMPONENTS OF WORKING CAPITAL**

Businesses require current assets to run smoothly. The main components are:

- **Receivables (debtors):** Amounts owed by customers for goods/services provided on credit.
- **Inventory (stocks):** Goods or materials held for resale or production.
- **Payables (creditors):** Amounts due to suppliers for goods/services bought on credit.

Each component must be carefully managed to avoid excessive holding costs or liquidity problems.

> **Key Term: cash conversion cycle**  
> The period between outlaying cash to pay suppliers and collecting cash from customers, measuring how long working capital is tied up in operations.

## **INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND THE EOQ MODEL**

Holding inventory is necessary to meet customer demand, but it incurs storage, insurance, and obsolescence costs. Ordering too little raises risks of stockouts and lost sales.

The **economic order quantity (EOQ)** model is a classic tool used to determine the optimal order size that minimises the total of order costs and holding costs.

> **Key Term: economic order quantity (EOQ)**  
> The order size that minimises the total costs of ordering and holding inventory over time.

The EOQ formula is:

$$
EOQ = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times D \times O}{H}}
$$

Where:

- $D$ = annual demand (units)
- $O$ = cost per order (fixed)
- $H$ = annual holding cost per unit

This formula assumes constant demand, fixed order costs, and steady holding costs.

### **Worked Example 1.1**

A company expects annual demand of 10,000 units for a component. Ordering costs are \$20 per order, and holding costs are \$2 per unit per year.

**Calculate the EOQ.**

> **Answer:**  
> EOQ = $\sqrt{(2 \times 10,000 \times 20)/2} = \sqrt{(400,000)/2} = \sqrt{200,000}$  
> EOQ ≈ 447 units per order (rounded to the nearest unit).  
> This means the company should order 447 units at a time to minimise inventory costs.

### **Trade-offs in Inventory Management**

High inventory reduces stockout risk but increases holding costs and can tie up cash. Low inventory cuts costs and improves liquidity but risks lost sales and disruption.

### **Revision Tip (EOQ)**

EOQ assumes certain conditions (steady demand, stable costs). In practice, review EOQ results regularly and adjust for changes in sales patterns or supply chain factors.

## **RECEIVABLES MANAGEMENT**

Granting credit increases sales but delays cash inflows and risks bad debt. Efficient receivables management seeks to balance increased revenue with the costs of credit.

> **Key Term: credit policy**  
> The guidelines a business uses to determine the terms and conditions for offering credit to customers.

Key control points include:

- Credit limits and vetting procedures
- Payment terms (e.g., 30 days)
- Active monitoring and chasing overdue debts
- Use of early settlement discounts

### **Worked Example 1.2**

A firm’s annual credit sales are \$2 million. Its average receivables collection period is 45 days.

**Calculate the value of receivables and comment on liquidity.**

> **Answer:**  
> Receivables = (\$2,000,000 × 45) / 365 ≈ \$246,575  
> The business has approximately \$246,575 tied up in receivables at any time, reducing the cash available for other uses. Improving collection speed would release cash for operations or investment.
>
> **Key Term: factoring**  
> A method of managing receivables where a business sells its receivables to a specialist company (“factor”) at a discount to accelerate cash collection.
>
> **Key Term: bad debt**  
> An amount owed by a customer that is unlikely to be collected and is written off as a loss.

### **Exam Warning**

Granting longer credit terms may boost sales but can increase overdue debts and impact liquidity. Always quantify the cash flow effect as well as profit impact when changing policies.

## **PAYABLES MANAGEMENT**

Payables provide a source of short-term finance. Careful management ensures good supplier relationships while maintaining liquidity.

> **Key Term: trade payables**  
> Amounts owed by a business to its suppliers for goods or services received on credit.

Extending payment terms can free up cash short-term, but excessive delays risk strained supplier relationships or missed early payment discounts.

### **Worked Example 1.3**

A company normally pays suppliers in 30 days, but is offered a 2% discount for payment within 10 days.

**Should the company take the discount?**

> **Answer:**  
> Calculate the annualised cost of not taking the discount:  
> Cost = [Discount % / (1 - Discount %)] × [365 / (Difference in days)]  
> Cost = [2% / (1 - 0.02)] × [365/(30-10)] = 0.0204 × 18.25 ≈ 37.3%  
> The implied annual cost of forgoing the discount is around 37.3%, far higher than normal borrowing costs. Unless short of cash, taking the discount is financially preferable.

### **Revision Tip (Payables)**

Regularly review whether early payment discounts are financially attractive compared to alternative sources of finance.

## **WORKING CAPITAL TRADE-OFFS**

Optimising working capital requires balancing liquidity and profitability:

- Holding too much inventory or receivables improves service and sales but locks up funds and increases risk.
- Holding too little can disrupt operations, lose sales, and strain relationships.
- Extending payment to suppliers too much can damage reputation and supplier credit terms.

The final decision should be based on the business's risk tolerance, market conditions, and cost of external finance.

## **THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE**

The cash conversion cycle (CCC) measures how long cash is tied up from paying suppliers until it is received from customers.

$$
\text{CCC} = \text{Inventory Days} + \text{Receivables Days} - \text{Payables Days}
$$

Shortening the CCC improves liquidity by reducing the time capital is locked in operations.

### **Worked Example 1.4**

A business has the following:

- Inventory days: 40
- Receivables days: 35
- Payables days: 30

**What is the cash conversion cycle?**

> **Answer:**  
> CCC = 40 + 35 - 30 = 45 days  
> This means cash is tied up for an average of 45 days per transaction cycle. Strategies to reduce the CCC (e.g., faster inventory turnover, quicker collections, or longer payables terms) can improve liquidity.

## **Summary**

Effective management of receivables, payables, and inventory is essential for a business’s liquidity, profitability, and risk profile. The EOQ model helps determine optimal order size. Each working capital choice involves trade-offs between cost, risk, and operational efficiency. Analysing the cash conversion cycle enables targeted improvements to working capital management.

## **Key Point Checklist**

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Describe the roles of receivables, payables, and inventory in working capital management
- Calculate and interpret the economic order quantity (EOQ)
- Identify common trade-offs in inventory, receivables, and payables decisions
- Assess the effect of working capital choices on cash flow, profitability, and liquidity
- Calculate and analyse the cash conversion cycle (CCC)
- Recommend practical strategies to optimise working capital

## **Key Terms and Concepts**

- working capital
- cash conversion cycle
- economic order quantity (EOQ)
- credit policy
- factoring
- bad debt
- trade payables

Receivables, payables, and inventory - EOQ and working capital trade-offs