Title: What is the right cash conversion cycle for your supply chain?

Authors: Pan Theo Grosse-Ruyken, Stephan M. Wagner, Ruben Jonke

Addresses: Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Scheuchzerstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Scheuchzerstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Scheuchzerstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: Supply chain finance is undergoing a transformation. Supply chains are often so tightly coupled that the domino effect of suboptimal working capital management can lead to financial glitches at a single supplier and even bankruptcy. Thus, each working capital management decision should consider every upstream and downstream partner within the supply chain. The cash conversion cycle (CCC) is therefore an excellent measure of a firm|s performance. Results indicate a significant negative relationship between the CCC and return on capital employed (ROCE). We argue that the optimal level of CCC for responsive supply chains must be assessed holistically, and conclude that the right working capital management depends on the business model, its specific supply chain design configurations, and risk aspects within the supply chain.

Keywords: supply chain management; SCM; working capital management; supply chain finance; cash conversion cycle; CCC; firm performance; return on capital employed; ROCE; business modelling; supply chain design; supply chain risk.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2011.041987

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2011 Vol.10 No.1, pp.13 - 29

Published online: 11 Mar 2015 *

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