As evidenced by the decrease in accounts receivable. Methods for reducing accounts receivable, writing off accounts receivable, accounts receivable ratio. accounts receivable analysis

Accounts receivable are considered one of the assets of an enterprise. At the same time, in order to increase the efficiency of the company’s functioning, it is recommended to minimize the indicators of this debt. Before considering measures to reduce receivables, it is worth defining and considering the very meaning of such an asset.

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This financial indicator refers to the hidden current assets of the enterprise.

Accounts receivable is the sum of debts owed by companies and private clients to the organization in question. It occurs when goods are received (services are provided) to the client, but only if payment is partial or completely absent from the buyer.

The repayment terms and the size of this indicator can be quite different. In this case, the guarantee of payment is the debtor’s signature on the documents confirming receipt of the goods or services. Despite the fact that accounts receivable is a collection of debts owed to the company, it is classified as an asset because it is considered as an expected receipt of financial resources.

Scope of application

Among the main areas of application of accounts receivable are:

1. Economic, which consists of calculating the total amount of customer debts accumulated in the process of conducting business activities of the enterprise.
2. Accounting, which consists of accounting for the financial assets of an enterprise.
3. Legal, which consists of the rights to property owned by the enterprise as a result of violations in the fulfillment of financial obligations by clients.
4. Financial, which is to obtain a positive financial flow as a result of completing financial relationships with clients.

Factors influencing the level of accounts receivable

The level and size of the accounts receivable indicator are influenced by internal and external factors, while the latter can only be predicted and cannot be completely eliminated.

Among external factors, special attention should be paid to:

1. The general economic condition of the country, which will influence the conduct of financial relationships between different companies.
2. The effectiveness of the central bank's monetary policy and the state of the market. It is worth noting that with a lack of working capital in the market, the level of receivables will steadily increase.
3. Inflation indicators of the country. When inflation rises, there is often a decline in debt repayments, since over time inflation will reduce the amount of debt.
4. Type of product and state of the market. When selling seasonal goods and services, as well as when working in a narrow and saturated sales market, the debt ratio increases.

Internal factors include:

1. The thoughtfulness, validity and quality of the enterprise's credit policy. This item includes the correct provision of credit by the enterprise, the establishment of the procedure for obtaining and terms of the loan.
2. Availability of a system for checking and monitoring accounts receivable.
3. Personal and professional qualities of managers and financial specialists of the company.

Ways and measures to reduce debt

There are four main ways to reduce the level of accounts receivable:

1. Effective telephone conversations with debtors, in order to establish the shortest terms for debt repayment and create payment conditions convenient for both parties.
2. Sending a written notice with requests for the debtor to fulfill his financial obligations.
3. Termination of customer service and limiting supplies until debt obligations are repaid.
4. Going to court to receive the amount owed.

Managing accounts receivable becomes the key to successful financial activity of an enterprise. One of the most important measures to reduce the accounts receivable ratio is control of financial settlements with partners.

In addition, it is worth highlighting such activities and operations, the implementation of which will have a positive impact on the level of the considered financial indicator of the enterprise:

1. Constant control of the level of accounts receivable.
2. Methodological assessment of the risks of concluding a particular transaction.
3. Calculation of possible periods for which it is permissible to provide credit to partners.
4. Development of a system of discounts and sanctions for lenders depending on the current situation.
5. Formation of clear rules and standards for conducting credit activities.
6. Introduction of a system for assessing the reliability and stability of an enterprise before providing it with a loan.
7. Development of detailed individual repayment schedules for receivables for each of the debtor partners.

Sample

Let's consider the work of measures to reduce accounts receivable using the example of enterprise 1. For example, this enterprise sells products worth 990 thousand rubles, while payment is received in the amount of 770 thousand rubles. In the course of simple calculations, we receive accounts receivable in the amount of 220 thousand rubles.

Let's consider the activities of enterprise 1 when implementing optimization of financial transactions and applying debt reduction methods. With the introduction of mandatory prepayment by buyers and a system of installment payments to suppliers, the shortage of working capital will decrease. The company can redistribute the profit received in this way for its own needs and payments to repay loans.

When implementing a flexible system of working with clients, it is possible to initially reduce the amount of accounts receivable by half. Thus, if advance payment is required and payments are made in installments, the amount of debt will be 110 thousand rubles.

Stages of decline

Work to reduce the level of debts to the enterprise (both expected to be paid and bad) can be divided into the following stages:

1. Monitoring and analysis of the current financial situation of the enterprise and identifying the amount of debts.
2. Carrying out pre-trial activities aimed at reducing the amount of debt.
3. Formation and filing of a lawsuit and other legal work.
4. Verification of execution of a court decision.

To complete all the above stages of work, it is necessary to draw up a clear strategy for financial monitoring within the company. To do this, you need to conduct a full and qualified analysis of the situation to identify sources of debt, assess possible risks and solutions. Based on the results of the analysis, a further decision is made on working with the debtor. To make a correct decision, it is necessary to weigh all the circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the debt and the dynamics of its development.

After evaluating the results of the analysis, there are two ways to resolve the loan repayment. It is possible, as part of pre-trial measures, to find a compromise with the debtor and formulate conditions for timely repayment of the debt with the provision of guarantees. Otherwise, the company has every right to apply to the judicial authorities in order to forcefully collect the amount of debt or property rights in the required amount.

In the event of litigation, it is important to have qualified lawyers who, after a court decision is made, will monitor its timely and complete execution.

Accounts receivable are formed as a result of the summation of all debts of third parties to the enterprise in question. It implies the subsequent receipt of funds, therefore, an increase in the company’s profits.

To reduce the size of this financial indicator, it is necessary to obtain repayment of debts from clients. To do this, you can use compromise solutions or go to court. In any case, only well-coordinated work of employees, timely analysis and correct reaction depending on its results will help achieve efficiency in the financial work of the company.

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Graduate work

Topic: Accounts receivable of an enterprise and ways to reduce it

Introduction

1.2 Approaches to accounts receivable management and analysis of its turnover

1.3 Foreign experience in accounts receivable management2

Chapter 2. Analysis of accounts receivable management of Unilever Rus LLC

2.2 Analysis of the financial condition of Unilever Rus LLC

2.3 Analysis of accounts receivable management of Unilever Rus LLC

Chapter 3. Improving the receivables management mechanism of Unilever Rus LLC

3.1 Implementation of an automated accounts receivable management system

3.2 Measure to reduce accounts receivable

Conclusion

List of used literature

Applications

Introduction

Recently, little attention has been paid to the problem of accounts receivable management in our country, because the rules that prevailed in the Russian market made it possible to obtain large profits by Western standards due to factors that had nothing to do with optimizing the limited resources involved in production. However, the times of making easy profits are over and therefore enterprises are forced to manage accounts receivable in such a way as to minimize all possible costs associated with purchase and storage without disrupting the production program.

According to the observations of specialists from the Higher School of Economics, overdue accounts receivable at the end of 2011 amounted to about 1/3 of the total amount of debt in the country, which indicates the unsatisfactory state of mutual settlements between Russian enterprises. At the same time, enterprises and organizations cannot refuse commercial lending to their customers in order to maintain sales volumes.

All this determines the relevance of searching for effective forms and methods of replenishing working capital to reduce losses associated with non-payments of enterprises, and shows that the problem of improving the efficiency of managing the settlement system is one of the highest priorities. Effective management of an enterprise's receivables today is one of the primary and urgent tasks, the solution of which requires research in this area.

The object of the study is Unilever Rus LLC.

The subject of the study is accounts receivable.

The purpose of this work is to analyze the accounts receivable of Unilever Rus LLC and develop recommendations for its effective management.

To achieve the goal of the study, the following tasks were solved:

The essence of accounts receivable and the need for its existence in the enterprise are revealed;

The financial condition of the enterprise was analyzed and the problem was identified;

The system for managing the use of working capital is disclosed;

Methods for managing receivables of an enterprise are considered;

Methods for effective management of enterprise receivables are considered;

A methodology for designing a receivables management system is presented;

The process of managing receivables of Unilever Rus LLC is analyzed.

The following analysis methods are used in this work:

* Horizontal analysis;

* Vertical analysis;

* Method of financial ratios;

* Factor analysis;

* Method of technical and economic calculations, etc.

The methodological basis for managing receivables is set out in the works of the following scientists: Gadzhinsky A.M., Zaitsev N.L., Stoyanova E.S., Blanca I.A. and others.

The methodological basis of VKR consists of methods for managing the use of working capital advanced to inventories, rationing and managing inventories, and minimizing accounts receivable.

The information base of the study consists of: research by domestic and foreign experts in the field of financial management and enterprise economics, practical recommendations of specialists in managing receivables, periodical materials, data from the accounting and financial statements of the enterprise.

Structure of the work: the thesis includes an introduction, three chapters, 8 paragraphs, a conclusion, a list of references and applications.

The introduction defines the relevance, goals and objectives, object and subject of research, characteristics of the degree of development of the topic, methodological and information base.

The first section examines the theoretical aspects of accounts receivable management. It sets out the essence, purpose, functions and role of accounts receivable management in a market economy. Foreign experience in accounts receivable management is considered.

In the second section, the financial condition of the enterprise is analyzed and the methodology for managing receivables is considered: managing the use of working capital advanced to inventories, designing a logistics system for managing receivables.

The third section develops practical proposals for minimizing accounts receivable of Unilever Rus LLC and calculates the reduction in the need for working capital from the proposed measures.

In conclusion, the main conclusions of the work are discussed.

Chapter 1. Theoretical aspects of enterprise accounts receivable management

1.1 Concept, essence and types of receivables

Accounts receivable is the amount of debt owed to an enterprise from other legal entities or citizens. The emergence of accounts receivable under the non-cash payment system is an objective process of the economic activity of the enterprise. Debtor, debtor (from the Latin word debitum - debt, obligation) is one of the parties to a civil obligation of a property connection between two or more persons. In accounting, accounts receivable usually mean property rights, which are one of the objects of civil rights. In accordance with Article 128 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation: “Objects of civil rights include things, including money and securities, other property, including property rights; works and services; information; results of intellectual activity, including exclusive rights to them (intellectual property); intangible benefits." Consequently, the right to receive receivables is a property right, and the receivables themselves are part of the organization’s property.

It is worth noting that today practically no business entity exists without accounts receivable, since its formation and existence is explained by simple objective reasons:

For the debtor organization, this is the opportunity to use additional, and free, working capital;

For the creditor organization, this is an expansion of the market for goods, works, and services.

The reason for the formation of receivables is the existence of contractual relations between counterparties, when the moment of transfer of ownership of goods (work, services) and their payment do not coincide in time. The funds that make up the organization's receivables are diverted from participation in economic turnover, which, of course, is not a plus for the financial condition of the organization. An increase in accounts receivable can lead to the financial collapse of a business entity, therefore the accounting service of the organization must organize proper control over the state of accounts receivable, which will ensure timely collection of funds constituting accounts receivable.

To ensure the financial stability of an organization, a necessary condition is that the amount of accounts receivable exceeds the amount of accounts payable. Accounts receivable are the property claims of an organization to legal entities and individuals who are its debtors. Accounts receivable can be considered in three senses: firstly, as a means of repaying accounts payable, secondly, as part of the products sold to customers but not yet paid for and, thirdly, as one of the elements of current assets financed from own or borrowed funds.

The company's working capital consists of the following components:

· Money;

· accounts receivable;

· inventories;

· work in progress;

· deferred expenses.

Therefore, accounts receivable are part of the organization's working capital. And as we have already noted, accounts receivable can arise as a result of failure to fulfill contractual obligations, overpaid taxes, collected fees, penalties, issued sums of money.

Based on the nature of their formation, accounts receivable are divided into normal and unjustified. The normal debt of an enterprise includes that which is due to the progress of the enterprise’s production program, as well as current forms of payment (debt for claims made, debt owed to accountable persons, for goods shipped for which the payment period has not yet arrived). For example, debt for shipped goods, works, services, the payment period for which has not yet arrived, but ownership has already transferred to the buyer; or an advance payment is transferred to the supplier (contractor, performer) for the supply of goods (performance of work, provision of services) - this is a normal receivable. Unjustified receivables are those that arose as a result of violation of settlement and financial discipline, existing shortcomings in accounting, weakening of control over the supply of material assets, the occurrence of shortages and thefts (goods shipped but not paid on time, debt for shortages and thefts, etc. ). For example, debt for goods, work, services that are not paid within the period established by the contract will be considered an unjustified receivable.

Unjustified receivables, in turn, may be doubtful and hopeless. According to paragraph 1 of Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Tax Code of the Russian Federation): “a doubtful debt is any debt to the taxpayer arising in connection with the sale of goods, performance of work, provision of services, if this debt is not repaid within the time period established by the agreement , and is not secured by collateral, surety, or bank guarantee.” After the expiration of the statute of limitations, doubtful receivables move into the category of bad debt (not real for collection). According to paragraph 2 of Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation: “bad debts (debts that are unrealistic for collection) are those debts to the taxpayer for which the established limitation period has expired, as well as those debts for which, in accordance with civil law, the obligation has been terminated due to the impossibility of its fulfillment , on the basis of an act of a state body or liquidation of an organization.”

Accounts receivable that are unrealistic for collection may arise as a result of:

liquidation of the debtor;

bankruptcy of the debtor;

· expiration of the limitation period without confirmation of the debt on the part of the debtor;

· availability of funds in accounts in a “problem” bank. There are two options here:

Firstly, if, after the arbitration court makes a decision to liquidate the bank, there are not enough funds to pay off the receivables, then such receivables are recognized as unrecoverable and, accordingly, must be written off as financial results;

Secondly, if instead of liquidating a bank, its restructuring is envisaged, then the organization can create a reserve for doubtful debts and wait for the bank to restore solvency;

· impossibility for a bailiff to collect the amount of debt by a court decision (for example, the property of an organization is under the right of operational management).

Depending on the expected repayment period, accounts receivable are divided into:

* short-term (repayment of which is expected within a year after the reporting date);

* long-term (repayment of which is expected no earlier than one year after the reporting date).

It should be noted that in relation to overdue receivables, it is advisable to use deferred (installment) payment, make payments in shares, bills, and use barter. When granting a deferred (installment) payment, it is necessary to take into account the solvency and business reputation of the counterparty.

Accounts receivable are an important component of working capital. When one enterprise sells goods to another enterprise, it does not mean at all that the cost of the goods sold will be paid immediately.

Currently, in connection with the transition to a new chart of accounts and a new system for accounting for accounts receivable, the following types are distinguished: accounts receivable from buyers and customers, subsidiaries, dependent partnerships, jointly controlled legal entities, other accounts receivable, deferred expenses, accounts receivable advances issued.

Accounts receivable are funds owed to a company but not yet received by it. Current assets include accounts receivable, the maturity of which does not exceed one year.

Accounts receivable can be represented by the following items: accounts receivable for core activities and accounts receivable for other operations.

Accounts receivable from core activities are reflected in the items “Accounts receivable” and “Bills received”. Accounts receivable arise when a transaction is completed by simply recording the value of goods and services sold on credit on what is called an “open account” without a written obligation for payment by the borrower. A bill received is a written obligation to pay money on a certain date, consisting of face value and interest.

Accounts receivable from other transactions include such items as advances to employees, advances to branches, deposits as a guarantee of debt, receivables from financial transactions (dividends and interest receivables), etc.

In countries with developed market economies, accounts receivable are accounted for in the balance sheet at net realizable value, i.e., based on the amount of cash that is expected to be received when repaying this debt.

Net realizable value means that when recording accounts receivable, uncollectible receipts and various types of discounts are taken into account.

Uncollectible receipts on accounts receivable are losses or expenses due to the fact that part of the accounts receivable is not paid by customers. At the time of product sales, the company does not have information about what part of the invoices will not be paid. Therefore, when valuing accounts receivable, a certain discount is applied to these receipts. In the financial statements, it is reflected in the additional item “Discount for uncollectible income.”

The allowance for uncollectible receipts is calculated based on the amount of outstanding accounts receivable for previous years, taking into account changes in economic conditions. Two methods are used to estimate uncollectible revenues:

Based on the percentage of outstanding accounts receivable to net sales;

Based on their percentage of unpaid bills or

bills in their total volume.

Accounts receivable management involves, first of all, control over the turnover of funds in settlements. Acceleration of turnover is a positive trend in the economic activity of an enterprise.

Acceleration of turnover can be achieved by selecting potential buyers, determining payment terms, monitoring the timing of repayment of receivables and influencing debtors. The selection of buyers is carried out through analysis of their compliance with payment discipline in the past, analysis of their current solvency, analysis of the level of their financial stability and analysis of other financial indicators characterizing the financial condition of the purchasing enterprise.

Determining the terms of payment for goods by buyers is that the buyer is given limits on the terms of payment for goods: paid earlier - received a discount on payment for goods, paid on time - lost the discount provided, paid late - pay a fine.

Control over the timing of repayment of receivables includes ranking receivables according to the timing of their occurrence. The most common classification provides for the following grouping of accounts receivable in days: up to 30 days, from 30 to 60 days, from 60 to 90 days, from 90 to 120 days, more than 120 days.

Accounts receivable management implies a mandatory comparative analysis of the amount of receivables with the amount of accounts payable. It is very important for the financial position of the company that accounts receivable do not exceed accounts payable.

Accounts receivable management also involves creating reserves for doubtful debts and analyzing actual losses associated with non-payment of receivables.

accounts receivable turnover

1.2 Approaches to accounts receivable management and analysis of its turnover

Accounts receivable management directly affects the profitability of the company and determines discount and credit policies for low-performing buyers, ways to accelerate the collection of debts and reduce bad debts, as well as the choice of sales terms that ensure a guaranteed flow of cash.

Accounts receivable management techniques include: recording orders, issuing invoices and establishing the nature of receivables. Among the points to be considered, there are some that require special attention, such as the need to find ways to reduce the average period of time between the completion of a sale of goods and the issuance of an invoice to the buyer. The possible costs associated with receivables must be assessed, i.e., lost profits from not using funds instead of investing them.

Accounts receivable management is associated with two types of time reserves - for issuing an invoice and sending by mail. The time for issuing an invoice is the number of days from sending the goods to the buyer until the invoice is sent. Obviously, the company should send invoices at the same time as the goods. Postal delivery time is between the preparation of the invoice and its receipt by the buyer. Postal transit times can be reduced by decentralizing invoicing and mailing (using a rush mail service for large invoices and delivering within the stipulated time frame, or offering discounts for advance payments).

A key point in accounts receivable management is determining the timing of credit (provided to customers) which affects sales volumes and cash collection. For example, providing longer credit terms is likely to increase sales. Credit terms have a direct bearing on the costs and income associated with accounts receivable. If credit terms are tight, the company will have less cash invested in accounts receivable and losses from bad debts, but this may result in lower sales, lower profits and negative customer reactions. On the other hand, if the terms of the loan are vague, the company may achieve higher sales volumes and more revenue, but also risks higher bad debts and greater costs associated with ineffective customers delaying payment. Accounts receivable terms should be liberalized to help eliminate excess inventory or obsolete products, or if you are in an industry where products are sold seasonally. If the goods are perishable, then you need to use short-term accounts receivable and, if possible, practice payment on delivery.

When assessing the solvency of a potential buyer, the buyer's integrity, financial stability and property security should be taken into account. The buyer's credit reliability can be assessed by quantitative methods - regression analysis, which considers the change in the dependent variable that occurs when the independent (informative) variable changes. This method is especially useful when you need to evaluate a large number of small buyers. You should carefully evaluate potential bad debt losses if your company sells products to many customers and has not changed its credit policy for a long time.

Extending a loan entails additional costs: administrative costs of the credit department, computer service, as well as commissions paid to special agencies that determine the creditworthiness of borrowers or the quality of securities.

Information obtained from retail credit bureaus and professional credit reference services is quite useful. There are many ways to maximize accounts receivable returns and minimize potential losses: billing, reselling debt collection rights, and assessing the financial situation of customers.

Invoicing. In cyclical billing, customers are billed at different periods of time. Under this system, customers with last names starting with "A" might be the first to be billed on the first day of the month, those with last names starting with "B" would be billed on the second day, and so on. Invoices must be sent to customers within twenty-four hours from the time they are issued.

To speed up collections, you can send invoices to customers while their order is still being processed in the warehouse. You can also bill for services at intervals if the work is completed over a specific period, or charge fees up front, which is preferable to making payments upon completion of the job. In any case, you need to prepare invoices for large amounts immediately.

When a business is growing passively, seasonal billing dates may be used: suggesting an extension of payment terms to stimulate demand among customers unable to make payments earlier than the end of the zone.

Buyer evaluation process. Before extending credit, you should carefully review the buyer's financial statements and obtain rating information from financial advisory firms. Highly risky receivables, such as those from customers operating in a financially fragile industry or region, should be avoided. Businesses also need to be careful with clients who have been in business for less than one year (about 50 percent of businesses fail within the first two years). Typically, consumer receivables carry a greater risk of default than corporate receivables. Credit limits should be modified and payment collections expedited based on changes in the buyer's financial situation. This can be accomplished by withholding products or withholding services until payments are made and requiring a collateral to support the doubtful accounts (the value of the collateral must be equal to or greater than the account balance). If necessary, you should use a collection agency to recover funds from recalcitrant buyers.

It is necessary to classify accounts receivable by due date (arrange them according to the time elapsed from the date of invoice) to identify customers who violate payment deadlines, and charge interest to late payments. Once current aging accounts receivables have been compared with historical accounts receivables, industry standards, and competitors, a bad debt loss report can be prepared showing accumulated losses by customer, terms of sale, and amount, organized by business unit. , product line and type of buyer (eg industry). Bad debt losses tend to be higher for smaller companies.

Protection by insurance. You can resort to credit insurance, this measure against unexpected losses of bad debt. When deciding whether to purchase such protection, it is necessary to evaluate the expected average bad debt losses, the company's financial ability to withstand those losses, and the cost of insurance.

Factoring. It is possible to resell the rights to collect receivables if doing so results in net savings. However, in a factoring transaction, confidential information may be disclosed.

When providing a commercial loan, you should evaluate the competitiveness of the enterprise and current economic conditions. During a recession, credit policy should be loosened to stimulate business. For example, a company may not rebill customers who receive a cash discount even after the discount has expired. But it is possible to tighten the credit policy in conditions of shortage of goods, since during such periods the company, as a seller, has the opportunity to dictate terms.

In general, accounts receivable management includes:

1) analysis of debtors;

2) analysis of the real value of existing receivables;

3) control over the ratio of receivables and payables;

4) development of a policy for advance payments and provision of commercial loans;

5) assessment and implementation of factoring.

Analysis of debtors involves, first of all, an analysis of their solvency in order to develop individual conditions for the provision of commercial loans and the terms of factoring agreements. The level and dynamics of liquidity ratios can lead a manager to the conclusion that it is advisable to sell products only with prepayment, or vice versa - about the possibility of reducing interest on commercial loans, etc.

Analysis of accounts receivable and assessment of its real value consists of analyzing the debt according to the timing of its occurrence, identifying bad debts and forming a reserve for doubtful debts for this amount.

Of particular interest is the analysis of the dynamics of accounts receivable by the timing of its occurrence and/or by turnover period. A detailed analysis allows you to make a forecast of funds received, identify debtors for whom additional efforts are needed to recover debts, and evaluate the effectiveness of accounts receivable management.

The ratio of accounts receivable and accounts payable is a characteristic of the financial stability of the company and the effectiveness of financial management. In the practice of financial activities of Russian companies, a situation often arises that makes it unprofitable to reduce accounts receivable without changing accounts payable (liabilities). A decrease in accounts receivable reduces the coverage ratio (liquidity), the company acquires signs of insolvency and becomes vulnerable to government agencies and creditors. Recall that the balance sheet of an enterprise is considered insolvent if:

volume of working capital at the end of the period / short-term debt at the end of period 2

volume of sources volume of non-current own income - assets at the end of the period / volume of working capital at the end of the period 0.1

Accounts receivable are an element of working capital; reducing them reduces the coverage ratio. Therefore, financial managers solve not only the problem of reducing accounts receivable, but also balancing it with accounts payable.

When analyzing the relationship between accounts receivable and accounts payable, it is necessary to analyze the terms of the commercial loan provided to the company by suppliers of raw materials.

4. Payment terms for shipped products are one of the factors affecting sales volume. Payment terms mean:

a) providing individual buyers with a commercial loan (deferred payment);

b) loan term;

c) discount for timely payment. The listed three conditions can be expressed by a common scheme: For example, “3/10 net 30” the company presents a 3 percent discount if the bill is paid within 10 days, the maximum period (without discount)

30 days. Deadline - the term of the commercial loan; further - penalties for late payment. Discounts are more preferable than surcharges, since discounts reduce the tax base, and surcharges increase it. Reward always works better than punishment.

The following main factors influence the level of accounts receivable:

Assessment and classification of customers depending on the type of product, volume of purchases, solvency of customers, history of credit relations and expected payment terms;

Control of settlements with debtors, assessment of the real state of receivables;

Analysis and planning of cash flows taking into account collection ratios.

To determine the investment in accounts receivable, a calculation is used that takes into account annual credit sales and the period of nonpayment of accounts receivable.

Making a generalization, we can conclude that accounts receivable management is based on two approaches:

1) comparison of the additional profit associated with a particular spontaneous financing scheme with the costs and losses that arise when changing the product sales policy;

2) comparison and optimization of the amount and timing of receivables and payables. These comparisons are made based on the level of creditworthiness, payment deferment time, discount strategy, income and collection costs.

Assessing the real state of accounts receivable, i.e. assessing the probability of bad debts, is one of the most important issues in working capital management. This assessment is carried out separately for groups of receivables with different maturities. The financial manager can use the statistics accumulated at the enterprise, as well as resort to the services of expert consultants.

Depending on the size of accounts receivable, the number of settlement documents and debtors, the analysis of its level can be carried out using both a continuous and selective method. The general scheme of control and analysis, as a rule, includes several stages.

Stage 1. The critical level of accounts receivable is set; all settlement documents related to debt exceeding a critical level are subject to mandatory verification.

Stage 2. A control sample is made from the remaining settlement documents. Various methods are used for this. One of the simplest is the n-percentage test (for example, with n = 10%, every tenth document selected by some criterion, for example, by the time the obligation arose, is checked).

There are also more complex statistical selection methods based on setting critical values ​​for the level of significance, sampling error, permissible deviation between the amount of receivables reflected in the reporting and the amount of receivables calculated from sample data, etc. In this case, the sampling interval is determined by the monetary meter, and each settlement document on which the boundary of the next interval falls is selected for control and analysis.

Stage 3. The reality of the amounts of receivables in the selected settlement documents is checked. In particular, letters may be sent to counterparties with a request to confirm the reality of the information entered in the document or registered

Stage 4. The significance of the identified errors is assessed. In this case, various criteria can be used. Summarizing the above research, we can draw the following conclusions.

One of the tasks of a financial manager for managing accounts receivable is to determine the degree of risk of customer insolvency, calculate the forecast value of the reserve for doubtful debts, and provide recommendations for working with actually or potentially insolvent customers.

An increase in accounts receivable initiates additional costs for the enterprise for: increasing the volume of work with debtors (communications, business trips, etc.); increasing the receivables turnover period (increasing the collection period); increase in losses from bad accounts receivable.

Depending on the size of accounts receivable, the number of settlement documents and debtors, the analysis of its level can be carried out using both a continuous and selective method.

Accounts receivable are an element of working capital; reducing them reduces the coverage ratio. Therefore, financial managers solve not only the problem of reducing accounts receivable, but also balancing it with accounts payable. When analyzing the relationship between accounts receivable and accounts payable, it is necessary to analyze the terms of the commercial loan provided to the company by suppliers of raw materials.

In order to maximize cash flow, an enterprise should develop a wide variety of contract models with flexible payment terms and flexible pricing. Various options are possible: from prepayment or partial prepayment to transfer for sale and bank guarantee.

The discount system helps protect the enterprise from inflationary losses and relatively cheap replenishment of working capital in cash or in kind. To determine whether a buyer should be given a discount for advance payments of account balances, the financial manager should compare the cash income generated by accelerated payments with the amount of the discount.

1.3 Foreign experience in accounts receivable management

Studying the experience of developed countries of Western Europe, countries with successfully developing economies, its analysis and adaptation to Russian reality makes it possible to use approaches and ways to solve the problem of enterprise insolvency. In different countries, this problem was solved taking into account the specifics of the functioning of the economy.

For example, bankruptcy legislation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is distinguished by its progressiveness. However, as a result of studies of economic practices in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Slovakia, low efficiency was revealed in an insufficiently formed market environment. The reasons for this were the low level of development of the stock market and the unproven practice of ensuring a rapid change of property owners. During the period of change of ownership of property, part of the fixed assets becomes physically and morally obsolete, which significantly reduces their value. In addition to bankruptcy procedures, Hungary has developed other financial mechanisms for settling the debts of promising enterprises, the liquidity of which can be restored. An example of this is the liquidation bonds that appeared in 1993, issued by investment companies under guarantees from the State Property Agency of Hungary in an amount sufficient to cover losses and modernize individual promising enterprises. A special financial assistance program was adopted for the twelve largest Hungarian industrial enterprises with a significant amount of debt (Ikarus, Raba, Taurus, Ganz, etc.). The essence of this program is to provide preferential government loans to settle debts and modernize production, as well as deferment in the repayment of previously taken loans.

The adjustment of the economic policy of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe took place by shifting the emphasis from the accelerated liquidation of insolvent enterprises to a balanced anti-crisis policy associated with increasing the regulatory role of the state in pursuing bankruptcy policy. There has come an understanding that in conditions of narrowing opportunities for selling manufactured products abroad, the absence of complete demonopolization of domestic markets and the persistence of price imbalances, a debtor enterprise is by no means always unpromising and doomed to liquidation.

World experience shows that most often the main buyers of insolvent enterprises are strategic investors, which are both companies producing similar or similar types of commercial products, and those operating in other areas of production, with a stable financial condition. In the first case, the acquired enterprises are fully integrated into the system of production and technological connections of the purchasing company. In the second case, the activities of the buyer’s company are diversified, using its own funds to restore the solvency of the acquired enterprises. All this in one way or another contributes to the implementation of structural restructuring of the economy using market methods.

The foreign practice of regulating the resulting receivables is characterized by:

* to control accounts receivable and prevent the occurrence of bad debts, companies often use the classification of debts according to the timing of their occurrence and the indicator of accounts receivable turnover in days - DSO. The disadvantage of this approach is that these tools do not accurately track changes in the quality of the total amount of debt. The best way to control accounts receivable is assessment and analysis from the perspective of payment discipline; the main tool of this approach is the statement of outstanding balances;

The credit policy of any company consists of four elements:

1) the term of the loan;

2) the amount of the discount provided in case of payment for the goods at an earlier date;

3) creditworthiness standards;

4) policies regarding unruly clients.

The first two indicators are reflected in the lending terms.

The main sources of information about payment discipline are credit associations - these are local groups that periodically hold meetings at which information about clients is exchanged, and specialized information agencies that collect and provide information on the creditworthiness of firms.

Additional factors influencing the company's credit policy are:

1) potential profit from expanding sales on credit;

2) legal regulation;

3) credit instruments used.

The main goal of the credit manager is to increase sales volume by expanding sales on credit. Credit provided to reliable customers brings additional income, as a result of which the company's equity capital increases, and if the company softens its credit policy, sales volume usually increases. Establishing more favorable credit policies can occur by extending the loan period, lowering credit standards, moving to a less stringent collection policy for overdue receivables, and providing discounts. Each of these actions results in additional costs. The company should soften the terms of lending to its customers until the increase in costs does not exceed the increase in income.

* analysis of the consequences of changes in credit policy can be carried out in two ways. First, a comparative analysis of the projected income statements prepared on the basis of the conditions of the current and expected credit policies can be performed. Secondly, using appropriate formulas, the amount of profit growth as a result of changes in credit policy can be determined.

An analysis of the experience of countries with transition economies made it possible to compile a list of possible measures for restructuring the accumulated

debt Kuligin P.I. Non-payments of enterprises to commercial banks in Eastern European countries. // ECO, No. 2, 1994. Exchange (redemption) of debts of enterprises and credit assets of commercial banks for long-term government bonds. Depending on the degree of liquidity of debt obligations and the prospects for privatization of the debtor, the price of the debt is differentiated. In Hungary, the differentiation was 50, 80 and 100% of the nominal amount of debt. Old bad debts were exchanged for bonds at 50% of par value, and debts of enterprises scheduled for privatization were exchanged for par value. The maturity of the bonds (from 8 to 20 years) depends on the availability of available funds in the state budget, where specially created banks and other financial institutions engaged in the resale of debts make contributions. Free sale of part of the debts of enterprises or state financial institutions, commercial banks, foreign and other buyers at market prices. Exchange of debts for shares of privatized debtor enterprises. IN

In Poland, if the debt to the bank amounts to 30% or more of the company's accounts payable, it can apply to the Ministry of Property Transformation with a request to replace the obligations with shares of the debtor.

Liquidation (or self-liquidation) of long-term insolvent enterprises according to the legally established bankruptcy procedure. Increasing the authorized capital through additional issue of shares.

One of the tools for a comprehensive solution to problems relating, on the one hand, to overdue debts on bank loans, on the other, to mutual debt between enterprises in Hungary, was the “bank reconciliation procedure” established by the Law on the Reconstruction of Banks and Enterprises. Its essence was that leading banks were empowered to carry out financial rehabilitation of firms that were their debtors, provided that the initiators of the procedure were the debtor firms themselves.

The leading role in the financing and lending of the investment process in France after 1945 was played not by the exchange market (although it has not disappeared and, as is known, is traditional for this country), but by the activities of the state and its agents - national commercial banks and development banks. The current need of enterprises for financial resources was also met through loans from the banking sector. To allow depository banks to lend to enterprises, the technique of medium-term bank credit, refinanced through bill discounting, was developed. Thus, banks could constantly turn to the Central Bank for refinancing as a lender of last resort.

Some practical solutions and proposals for improving working capital management, improving the payment and settlement sector, and increasing the solvency of enterprises, expressed earlier, may be useful in developing debt management policy measures at the present time.

An analysis of foreign experience in managing accounts receivable in the United States is characterized by the following. Accounts receivable can be: current, repayable within 1 year or during the operating cycle. The focus is on current debt. Accounts receivable management is carried out by the financial manager with the participation of the chief accountant. On average, the share of accounts receivable in a company's current assets is:

Accounts receivable in world practice is a fairly reliable security for a loan as collateral. The creditor has every right to secure the issued bill of exchange with all the ensuing consequences with the receivables.

Accounting standards rules in the US regarding accounts receivable:

1. Identification of different types of receivables, if significant.

2. Ensuring the correct location of estimated (corrective) items next to the corresponding accounts receivable items.

3. Accounts receivable recorded in the current assets section must be converted into cash within one year or operating cycle.

4. Disclosure of any unexpected losses associated with accounts receivable.

5. Disclosure of any receivables the title to which has been transferred or pledged as security.

6. Disclosure of all significant risks associated with accounts receivable.

In the balance sheet of the enterprise, accounts receivable are reflected in the following types:

accounts receivable;

bills receivable;

not related to sales activities. “Accounts Receivable” debt arises during settlements on an “open account”, which means issuing an invoice signed by the buyer for payment. The debt “Bills Receivable” arises when payment is deferred and the buyer issues the bill, i.e. written promissory note. All receivables are divided into two types:

related to the sale of products, goods, works, services;

related to non-operating activities; These are advances issued to employees or branches, various deposits, dividends and interest receivable, claims for the refund of overpaid taxes.

A significant impact on accounts receivable is exerted by applied discounts on the price of goods, which are of two types: trade and for payment on time.

Trade discounts are used in the following cases:

regular customers;

for a certain quantity of goods;

due to seasonal and other fluctuations in consumer demand;

if the product loses quality or other consumer properties;

when the expiration date or sale date of the product approaches;

when promoting new products that have no analogues or products into new markets;

when selling experimental models and samples of goods in order to familiarize consumers with them.

Thus, with the help of trade discounts, all sorts of situations that arise for the seller are taken into account.

Discounts for paying on time are an incentive for the buyer. For example, the contract condition “5/10-50” means a deferred payment of 50 days, but if the buyer pays for the goods in the first 10 days after delivery, he will receive a 5% discount. If the terms of the contract are as follows: “5/10 GGDM-50”, and “5/10 EOM-50”, this means that a discount is provided: payment will be made within the first 10 days of the next month, since all shipments (deliveries ) in a given month are counted on the last day of the month.

In accounting, accounts receivable in some cases are taken into account at prices without discounts (gross method), in others - with discounts (net method). In the second case, they proceed from the fact that a discount is the main payment option compared to deferred payment. Therefore, if the buyer does not use the discount, the supplier company receives additional income, which is reflected in the income statement.

Bad debts are written off either directly through the creation of a “bad debt reserve.”

As a rule, insignificant amounts are written off directly because:

It is not always possible to accurately determine when a bad debt appears;

Writing off significant amounts leads to uneven income and expenses of the enterprise and their inconsistency with each other;

The amount of accounts receivable and its uncollectible portion is influenced by several factors, such as discounts, return of unpaid products, etc.

Therefore, the main method of writing off bad debts is to write them off through the “Reserve for Bad Debts” (“Provision for Doubtful Debts” - in Russia).

The size of the “reserve for bad debts” is determined based on the experience of past years based on the share (percentage) of bad debts; or to total sales (sales to individual customers); or to the total volume of receivables according to the line “Accounts receivable” (to the total amount or amount depending on the timing of occurrence) (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1 Calculation of the provision for bad debts

The reserve is approved in this amount. Deductions to it are made taking into account the positive or negative balance of the reserve at the beginning of the period. The account “Provision for bad debts” is shown in the balance sheet as a separate line after the line “accounts receivable”, is an estimated counter-account for this period and is paid from it when calculating the balance amount.

So, based on the analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. In foreign practice, there is no such concept as “accounts receivable”; instead, the concept of “accounts receivable” is used. It is worth noting that the concept used abroad has an economic nature similar to accounts receivable, which is characteristic of the Russian economy.

2. The practice of regulation is widespread abroad, which consists of managing the activities of insolvent enterprises on the basis of a well-thought-out anti-crisis policy associated with increasing the role of the state in the bankruptcy process.

3. A special place in regulating the reduction of insolvent enterprises is given to the state, which regulates overdue debts on bank loans, on the one hand, and, on the other, regulates mutual debt between enterprises by applying the “bank reconciliation procedure”.

4. A clearly defined list of measures to restructure accumulated debt, which include:

Exchange (redemption) of enterprise debts and credit assets of commercial banks for long-term banking operations;

Free sale of part of enterprise debts;

Exchange of debts for shares of privatized debtor enterprises;

Liquidation (or self-liquidation) of long-term insolvent enterprises;

Increase the authorized capital.

5. There are no uniform models and approaches for the impact of enterprises on accounts receivable. The global practice of financial management of receivables is significantly differentiated depending on the characteristics and development of the national economy and the development of financial law.

Chapter 2 . Analysis of financial and economic activities and deb corporate debt of Unilever Rus LLC »

2.1 General characteristics of Unilever Rus LLC

Every day, more than 2 billion people around the world use Unilever products to help them look more attractive, feel better and get more out of life. Unilever is one of the world leaders in the production of consumer goods. The company's products are represented in 170 countries. Unilever's product range includes 400 brands. In many market segments where our products are presented, the company ranks first at the global level.

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The main task of each market participant is to ensure the turnover of funds in the shortest possible time, which will allow you to quickly receive the long-awaited profit. But business conditions are such that in order to survive in a fiercely competitive environment, you have to make some concessions, offering partners conditions for deferred payments, as well as various discounts and bonuses. Thus, the concept of accounts receivable arises.

There are such types of accounts receivable as normal and overdue. The first arises as a result of standard relations between partners when providing some relaxations on the payment period. Overdue debt of debtors, in turn, means the expiration of the statute of limitations for its claim. As a result, this leads to a situation where debts are written off at a loss to the organization.

Ways to minimize accounts receivable

In order to minimize the risk of such debt moving from the status of ordinary and normal in business circles to the status of impossible to recover, there are a number of actions aimed at managing it. This set of measures usually includes the following methods of reducing accounts receivable:

development of an individual credit policy for each buyer and focused on certain types of products;

offering certain working conditions to customers depending on their purchasing and payment history;

careful control of calculations;

developing ways to collect debts in the shortest possible time;

development of special conditions of sale, which will contribute to the initial rapid turnover of funds at the agreement stage, and more.

As a rule, company economists do a lot of work to analyze this parameter, because accounts receivable represent a diversion of funds from the company’s turnover. If it is not controlled, the enterprise may face the problem of a lack of funds not only to cover its costs, but also, importantly, the inability to cover credit lines, which are important for the smooth functioning of the enterprise and increasing capacity.

Accounts receivable management methods

The main methods of managing accounts receivable are the following measures. The first thing you should pay attention to is the establishment of strict control over customer payments. As a rule, the terms of contracts provide for deferred payments for up to 30 days. In practice, these requirements are often violated, which is why it is so important to conduct monthly reconciliations with partners to identify the size of the debt and violation of deadlines for it.

Accounts receivable valuation

When evaluating receivables and payables separately, you should not forget to conduct a comparative analysis of these two indicators. If the level of debt of debtors exceeds the debt on loans of the enterprise, a situation of extreme financial instability may arise, to resolve which it will be necessary to attract new financial flows, the use of which will also have to be paid.

If the agreement provides for long-term payment of material assets, it will be relevant and in demand to provide discounts to buyers if certain conditions are met. So, for example, if the contract contains terms for an installment payment of a couple of weeks, providing a discount, say 5%, for payment at the time of shipment of the goods to the buyer will mean crediting him at this rate for the agreed installment period. After performing some simple arithmetic operations, it is not difficult to understand that the annual assessment of this loan will be equal to 120%. Thus, by providing such a kind of loan, the manufacturer is able to reduce its risks due to high interest rates.

Thus, accounts receivable management allows you to ensure the efficient operation of organizations, reduce the risk of unplanned losses and build profitable partnerships.

Measures to reduce accounts receivable

Debt of debtors and the reasons for its occurrence

Accounts receivable is the total amount of debt to an individual or legal entity from other counterparties and business partners (various companies, organizations, individuals, etc.), that is, the amount that must be returned to a specific organization. According to international accounting standards, I call debtors debtors, hence the concept of “accounts receivable”.

Accordingly, the debt of debtors leads to the immobilization of the company's working capital and leads to significant financial losses.

According to the terms of repayment, the debt of debtors is divided into:

• Normal (the final date for repayment of the debt, which was previously specified in the agreement, has not yet arrived).
• Overdue (the debt was not repaid on time). Overdue debts of debtors can be divided into the following categories: doubtful (the organization still expects to return the money, but this will require certain measures) and bad debts of debtors (bankruptcy of the debtor, liquidation of the activities of counterparties, the statute of limitations has passed and has not been confirmed by the debtor).

The reasons for the occurrence of debtors' debts can be:

• External (economic, political, various force majeure) - the buyer cannot repay debts on time due to the impact of unforeseen external situations that do not depend on its functional activities.
• Internal - reasons for the increase in debtors' debt related directly to ineffective work within the company; lack of appropriate control and verification of the reliability of counterparties and buyers; poor organization of debt repayment work.

Effective debt collection procedures

What are the mandatory actions of the organization?

There are two effective ways for an organization to repay debts:

• Filing a claim against the debtor (voluntary procedure). On a voluntary basis, the company makes a corresponding request to the debtor, demanding to return the amount of debts under certain conditions, without going to court.
• According to the filing of an application with the court (judicial procedure). If the debtor ignores the voluntary appeal, many companies have to file lawsuits to get the debtor to return the amount of debt.

Often, a voluntary procedure is ineffective and you have to turn to an arbitration court for help. Before filing a statement of claim, the company must carefully read the terms of the agreement that was previously signed with the debtor organization.

It is best when the contract stipulates in advance a clause on the possible settlement of the dispute (in case of non-repayment of debt obligations) in court. Otherwise, your claim will be considered in order of priority and importance.

Based on the assessment of the debtor company, make a decision about going to court: if these are your regular partners and a company with a good amount of assets, then it is better to file a claim; if the debtor company is a small company that can quickly liquidate or merge its assets, then immediately go to court and, when concluding an agreement, indicate the appropriate clauses on the terms of repayment of debts (especially for new partners, little-known companies, firms that are difficult to verify and etc.).

Extra vigilance will not hurt to avoid the occurrence of overdue debt in the future and its negative impact on the overall functioning of the organization.

When preparing a claim to court, please indicate the following:

• Grounds for the previously concluded agreement.
• Brief description of the main terms of the agreement.
• The actual situation of cooperation with a partner.
• Requirements of the country's legislative framework according to the terms of the agreement, possibly references to articles.
• Request for repayment of debt by the debtor.
• The consequences that will happen if the debtor ignores the requirements for debt repayment.

If the debtor agrees with the claims, but still repays the debt, it will be much easier to repeatedly achieve a positive decision from the arbitration court.

Recognition of the relevant claim is equivalent to the restoration of the statute of limitations.

Measures and their plan to reduce receivables

To avoid the accumulation of bad receivables, an organization must develop a clear plan and strategy to reduce debtor debt ratios.