ideas to numbers .. simple financial projections
The reorder quantity formula can be used to calculate the minimum level of inventory a business should maintain to be able to satisfy customer demand for its products. The calculation takes into account supplier lead times and customer demand and helps a business to operate at its optimum level of working capital.
This inventory carrying cost formula can be used to calculate the economic lot size (EOQ) which a business should use to place purchase orders with suppliers. The total inventory cost calculated can be used in the financial projections template by adjusting the inventory days assumption.
The working capital needs of a business reflect the amount of funding required to finance operating assets such as inventory and accounts receivable offset by credit obtained from suppliers and other liabilities. This calculator provides an estimate of the total working capital needs and the percentage it has to revenue.
A business needs to finance its working capital requirements using a combination of short term and long term funding sources. Permanent working capital is best financed with long term funding such a equity or long term loans, whereas temporary seasonal working capital is best funded by short term loans or overdraft facilities.
A business needs to understand that there is a difference between profit and cash. Eventually a business needs to be able to make a profit, however, providing it is properly financed and has adequate cash flow a business can survive for a considerable period of time without profits.
The cash conversion cycle calculator works out the number of days in the cash cycle of a business. It estimates the level of inventory, accounts receivable, and accounts payable needed for a given level of trading operations and determines the funding required to finance working capital.
The fundamentals of a businesses trading activity are that it buys from a supplier, holds inventory, and sells to the customer. The amount of finance a business needs to carry out this day to day trading activity is known as the working capital requirement, and varies from industry to industry depending on the amount of time the business takes to pay suppliers, the amount of inventory held, and the time it takes to collect cash from customers.
