Definition of Cash Conversion Cycle
The Cash Conversion Cycle or CCC is the number of days a business entity takes to convert its input resources into liquid cash flow. This metric aims to measure how much time a company takes to sell its inventories, collect its receivables and pay off its bills without any delay penalty being charged. Every dollar that is tied up to the process of production till it is recovered as sales are scrutinized to calculate the cash cycle of an entity. A lower number of days are the most desirable when it comes to Cash Conversion Cycle. It is also known as the operating cycle or working capital cycle.
Interpretation
A company does not conduct the process of production in cash. The raw material is acquired on credit, also called Accounts Payable. On the other hand, sales on large scales to wholesalers or parties second in line of the chain are conducted on a credit basis as well, which is called “Accounts Receivable.” The time taken to receive cash from debtors and pay back the creditors is the element of the cash conversion cycle.
After understanding the meaning, let us look at the same calculation to gain a better understanding.
Calculation
The length of a cycle can be measured using the following formula:
CCC = DIO + DPO + DSO Days
Where,
DIO = Days Inventory Outstanding
DPO = Days Payables Outstanding (Denoted in Negative)
DSO = Days Sales Outstanding
Let us see an example of it to understand it further.
Example
Let’s assume a company, XYZ, runs its production cycle for making automobiles. The cars are stored in their warehouse for a period of 12 days. It takes XYZ 17 days to collect the receivables from the sale of each car and 10 days to pay back the credit to its vendors.
Cash Conversion Cycle of XYZ = 13 + (-10) + 17
CCC = 20 days
By the above example, we understand how cash conversion cycle takes into consideration the time taken to manufacture, sell and collect dues for an inventory.
Also Read: Operating and Cash Operating Cycle
Negative Cash Conversion Cycles
Negative cash cycles are another occurrence. It simply means that a company doesn’t pay for the material resources even after the sale of the product. The cash conversion cycle scrutinizes only the production-to-sale efficiency. However, net operating profit is a gauge to measure operational and managerial competency.
Conclusion
Cash Conversion Cycle analysis is an important metric because we understand the lock-in period of an investment for the purpose of production. A lot can be told by analyzing the CCC of a company. Delays in collecting dues and overproduction can result in long cash cycles. As a firm can only pay its bills through cash and not profits, a long cash cycle can lead to several problems, the most extreme being bankruptcy. The lower the number of days, the more efficient the company is at using its cash resources.
