Accounts Receivable

and Inventory
Management
10.1

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Accounts Receivable and

Inventory Management

10.2

Credit and Collection

Policies
Analyzing the Credit
Applicant
Inventory Management and
Control
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit and Collection

Policies of the Firm
Quality of
Trade Account

Length of
Credit Period
(1) Average
Collection Period
(2) Bad-debt
Losses

Possible Cash
Discount

10.3

Firm
Collection
Program

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit Standards
Credit Standards The minimum quality
of credit worthiness of a credit applicant
that is acceptable to the firm.
Why lower the firms credit standards?
The financial manager should continually
lower the firms credit standards as long as
profitability from the change exceeds the
extra costs generated by the additional
receivables.
10.4

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit Standards
Costs arising from relaxing
credit standards

10.5

A larger credit department

Additional clerical work

Servicing additional accounts

Bad-debt losses

Opportunity costs
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit and Collection

Policies of the Firm
Quality of
Trade Account

Length of
Credit Period
(1) Average
Collection Period
(2) Bad-debt
Losses

Possible Cash
Discount

10.6

Firm
Collection
Program

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit Terms
Credit Terms Specify the length of time
over which credit is extended to a customer
and the discount, if any, given for early
payment. For example, 2/10, net 30.
Credit Period The total length of time over
which credit is extended to a customer to
pay a bill. For example, net 30 requires full
payment to the firm within 30 days from the
invoice date.
10.7

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Relaxing
the Credit Period
Basket Wonders is considering changing its
credit period from net 30 (which has resulted
in 12 A/R Turns per year) to net 60 (which is
expected to result in 6 A/R Turns per year).

10.8

The firm is currently producing a single product

with variable costs of $20 and a selling price of
$25.

Additional annual credit sales of $250,000 from

new customers are forecasted, in addition to the
current $2 million in annual credit sales.
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Relaxing
the Credit Period

The before-tax opportunity cost for each dollar

of funds tied-up in additional receivables is
20%.

Ignoring any additional bad-debt losses

that may arise, should Basket Wonders
relax their credit period?

10.9

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Relaxing
the Credit Period
Profitability of
additional sales

($5 contribution)x(10,000 units) =

$50,000

Additional ($250,000 sales) / (6 Turns) =

receivables $41,667
Investment in add. ($20/$25) x ($41,667) =
receivables (new sales) $33,334
Previous
receivable level

10.10

($2,000,000 sales) / (12 Turns) =

$166,667

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Relaxing
the Credit Period
New
($2,000,000 sales) / (6 Turns) =
receivable level
$333,333
Investment in
add. receivables
(original sales)

$333,333 - $166,667 =
$166,666

Total investment in
$33,334 + $166,666 =
add. receivables $200,000
Req. pre-tax return
on add. investment

Yes!
10.11

(20% opp. cost) x $200,000 =

$40,000

Profits > Required pre-tax return

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit and Collection

Policies of the Firm
Quality of
Trade Account

Length of
Credit Period
(1) Average
Collection Period
(2) Bad-debt
Losses

Possible Cash
Discount
10.12

Firm
Collection
Program

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit Terms
Cash Discount Period The period of time
during which a cash discount can be taken for
early payment. For example, 2/10 allows a
cash discount in the first 10 days from the
invoice date.
Cash Discount A percent (%) reduction in
sales or purchase price allowed for early
payment of invoices. For example, 2/10 allows
the customer to take a 2% cash discount during
the cash discount period.
10.13

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Introducing
a Cash Discount
A competing firm of Basket Wonders is
considering changing the credit period from net
60 (which has resulted in 6 A/R Turns per
year) to 2/10, net 60.

10.14

Current annual credit sales of $5 million are expected

to be maintained.

The firm expects 30% of its credit customers (in

dollar volume) to take the cash discount and thus
increase A/R Turns to 8.

(30% x 10 days + 70% x 60 days = 3 + 42 days = 45 days

360 days per year / 45 days = 8 turns per year

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Introducing
a Cash Discount

The before-tax opportunity cost for each dollar

of funds tied-up in additional receivables is
20%.

Ignoring any additional bad-debt losses

that may arise, should the competing firm
introduce a cash discount?

10.15

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Using
the Cash Discount
Receivable level ($5,000,000 sales) / (6 Turns) =
(Original)
$833,333
Receivable level
(New) $625,000

($5,000,000 sales) / (8 Turns) =

Reduction of
$833,333 - $625,000 =
investment in A/R $208,333

10.16

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of Using the

Cash Discount
Pre-tax cost of
the cash discount

0.02 x 0.3 x $5,000,000 =

$30,000.

Pre-tax opp. savings

on reduction in A/R

(20% opp. cost) x $208,333 =

$41,667.

Yes!

Savings > Costs

The benefits derived from released accounts

receivable exceed the costs of providing the
discount to the firms customers.
10.17

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Seasonal Dating
Seasonal Dating Credit terms that
encourage the buyer of seasonal products
to take delivery before the peak sales period
and to defer payment until after the peak
sales period.

Avoids carrying excess inventory and the

associated carrying costs.

Accept dating if warehousing costs plus the

required return on investment in inventory exceeds
the required return on additional receivables.

10.18

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit and Collection

Policies of the Firm
Quality of
Trade Account

Length of
Credit Period
(1) Average
Collection Period
(2) Bad-debt
Losses

Possible Cash
Discount

10.19

Firm
Collection
Program

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Default Risk and

Bad-Debt Losses
Present
PolicyPolicy A

Policy B

Demand
$2,400,000 $3,000,000 $3,300,000
Incremental sales
$ 600,000 $ 300,000
Default losses
Original sales
2%
Incremental Sales
10%
18%
Avg. Collection Pd.
Original sales 1 month
Incremental Sales
2 months 3 months
10.20

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Default Risk and

Bad-Debt Losses
Policy A

Policy B

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Additional sales $600,000

$300,000
Profitability: (20% contribution) x (1)
120,000
Add. bad-debt losses: (1) x (bad-debt %)
60,000
Add. receivables: (1) / (New Rec. Turns) 100,000
Inv. in add. receivables: (.80) x (4)
80,000
Required before-tax return on
additional investment: (5) x (20%)
16,000
7. Additional bad-debt losses +
additional required return: (3) + (6)
76,000
8. Incremental profitability: (2) - (7)

44,000

60,000
54,000
75,000
60,000
12,000
66,000
(6,000)

Adopt Policy A but not Policy B.

10.21

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Collection Policy
and Procedures
Letters
Phone calls
Personal visits
Legal action

Bad-Debt Losses

Collection
Procedures

The firm should increase collection

expenditures until the marginal
reduction in bad-debt losses equals
the marginal outlay to collect.

Saturation
Point

Collection Expenditures
10.22

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Analyzing the
Credit Applicant

10.23

Obtaining information on the

credit applicant

Analyzing this information to

determine the applicants
creditworthiness

Making the credit decision

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Sources of Information
The company must weigh the amount
of information needed versus the time
and expense required.
required

10.24

Financial statements
Credit ratings and reports
Bank checking
Trade checking
Companys own experience
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Credit Analysis
A credit analyst is likely to utilize
information regarding:

10.25

the financial statements of the firm

(ratio analysis)
the character of the company
the character of management
the financial strength of the firm
other individual issues specific to
the firm
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Sequential
Investigation Process
The cost of investigation (determining
the type and amount of information
collected) is balanced against the
expected profit from an order.
An example is provided in the following
three slides 10-31 through 10-33.

10.26

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Sample Investigation
Process Flow Chart (Part A)
Pending Order
Stage 1
$5 Cost

No

Bad
past credit
experience

Yes

Reject

No prior experience whatsoever

Stage 2
$5 - $15
Cost

Dun & Bradstreet

report analysis*
* For previous customers only a Dun & Bradstreet reference book check.

10.27

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Sample Investigation
Process Flow Chart (Part B)
Credit rating
limited and/or other
damaging information
unearthed?

Yes

Reject

No

Accept

No

Credit rating
fair and/or other
close to maximum
line of credit?

Yes
10.28

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Sample Investigation
Process Flow Chart (Part C)
Stage 3
$30 Cost

Bank, creditor, and financial

statement analysis
Good

Fair

Accept
Accept, only upon
domestic irrevocable
letter of credit (L/C)**

Poor

Reject

** That is, the credit of a bank is substituted for customers credit.

10.29

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Other Credit
Decision Issues
Credit-scoring System A system used to
decide whether to grant credit by assigning
numerical scores to various characteristics
related to creditworthiness.
Line of Credit A limit to the amount of credit
extended to an account. Purchaser can buy on
credit up to that limit.

10.30

Streamlines the procedure for shipping

goods.
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Other Credit
Decision Issues
Outsourcing Credit and Collections
The entire credit and/or collection function(s)
are outsourced to a third-party company.

Credit decisions are made

Ledger accounts maintained
Payments processed
Collections initiated
Decision based on the core
competencies of the firm.

10.31

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Inventory
Management and Control
Inventories form a link between
production and sale of a product.
Inventory types:

10.32

Raw-materials inventory
Work-in-process inventory
In-transit inventory
Finished-goods inventory
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Inventory
Management and Control
Inventories provide flexibility
for the firm in:

10.33

Purchasing
Production scheduling
Efficient servicing of customer
demands
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Appropriate
Level of Inventories
How does a firm determine
the appropriate level of
inventories?
Employ a cost-benefit analysis
Compare the benefits of economies of
production, purchasing, and product
marketing against the cost of the
additional investment in inventories.
10.34

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

ABC Method of
Inventory Control

Method which controls

expensive inventory
items more closely than
less expensive items.

Review A items
most frequently

Review B and C
items less rigorously
and/or less frequently.

10.35

100
Cumulative Percentage
of Inventory Value

ABC method of
inventory control

90
70

B
A
0

15

45

100

Cumulative Percentage
of Items in Inventory

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

How Much to Order?

The optimal quantity to order
depends on:
Forecast usage
Ordering cost
Carrying cost
Ordering can mean either the purchase or
production of the item.
10.36

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Total Inventory Costs

INVENTORY
(in units)

Total inventory costs (T) =

C (Q / 2 ) + O (S / Q )
Average
Inventory

Q/2

TIME

C: Carrying costs per unit per period

O: Ordering costs per order
S: Total usage during the period
10.37

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Economic Order Quantity

The quantity of an inventory item to order
so that total inventory costs are minimized
over the firms planning period.

The EOQ or
optimal
quantity
(Q*) is:
10.38

Q* =

2 (O
( ) ( S)
C

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of the
Economic Order Quantity
Basket Wonders is attempting to determine the
economic order quantity for fabric used in the
production of baskets.

10,000 yards of fabric were used at a constant

rate last period.
Each order represents an ordering cost of $200.
Carrying costs are $1 per yard over the 100-day
planning period.

What is the economic order quantity?

10.39

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Economic Order Quantity

We will solve for the economic order quantity
given that ordering costs are $200 per order,
total usage over the period was 10,000 units,
and carrying costs are $1 per yard (unit).

Q* =

2 ($200
) (10,000)
(
$1

Q* = 2,000 Units
10.40

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Total Inventory Costs

EOQ (Q*) represents the minimum
point in total inventory costs.

Costs

Total Inventory Costs

Total Carrying Costs

Total Ordering Costs

Q*
10.41

Order Size (Q)

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

When to Order?
Issues to consider:
Lead Time The length of time between the
placement of an order for an inventory item and
when the item is received in inventory.
Order Point The quantity to which inventory
must fall in order to signal that an order must
be placed to replenish an item.
Order Point (OP)
OP = Lead time X Daily usage
10.42

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of When to Order

Julie Miller of Basket Wonders has determined
that it takes only 2 days to receive the order of
fabric after the placement of the order.

When should Julie order more fabric?

Lead time = 2 days
Daily usage
= 10,000 yards / 100 days = 100
yards per day
Order Point
= 2 days x 100 yards per day
= 200 yards
10.43

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Example of When to Order

Economic Order Quantity (Q*)

UNITS

2000

Order
Point
200

0
10.44

Lead
Time

18

20

38

40

DAYS

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Safety Stock
Safety Stock Inventory stock held in reserve
as a cushion against uncertain demand (or
usage) and replenishment lead time.
Our previous example assumed certain demand
and lead time. When demand and/or lead time are
uncertain, then the order point is:
Order Point =
(Avg. lead time x Avg. daily usage) + Safety stock
10.45

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Order Point
with Safety Stock
2200

UNITS

2000

Order
Point
400
200

Safety Stock
0

18 20

38

DAYS
10.46

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Order Point
with Safety Stock
2200

UNITS

2000
Actual lead
time is 3 days!
(at day 21)
The firm dips
into the safety stock

Order
Point
400
200

Safety Stock
0

18

21

DAYS
10.47

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

How Much Safety Stock?

What is the proper amount of
safety stock?
Depends on the:

Amount of uncertainty in inventory demand

Amount of uncertainty in the lead time

Cost of running out of inventory

Cost of carrying inventory

10.48

Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Just-in-Time
Just-in-Time An approach to inventory
management and control in which inventories
are acquired and inserted in production at the
exact times they are needed.
Requirements of applying this approach:

10.49

A very accurate production and

inventory information system
Highly efficient purchasing
Reliable suppliers
Efficient inventory-handling system
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.

Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management (SCM) Managing
the process of moving goods, services, and
information from suppliers to end customers.

10.50

JIT inventory control is one link in SCM.

The internet has enhanced SCM and
allows for many business-to-business
(B2B) transactions
Competition through B2B auctions helps
reduce firm costs especially
standardized items
Van Horne and Wachowicz, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 13th edition. Pearson Education Limited 2009. Created by Gregory Kuhlemeyer.