THE CONCEPT OF CASH FLOW

There are several definitions of the concept of “cash flow” in the current financial literature. The article begins by reviewing the most recent definitions of cash flow. An arrow diagram, showing the flows in and out of the pool of corporate cash, has also been developed. The article then proceeds to examine techniques for accelerating the cash flow cycle, in particular the problem of accounts receivable collection. Indeed, the usual transfer time of payments in Europe varies from four to eighteen days, depending on the country of origin and the method of payment. This means that funds are permanently lost in “float” somewhere in the banking system. The amount of “float” results in an actual loss of working capital for the company. This illustrates the importance of techniques to increase the cash turnover. We limit ourselves to the more important techniques. Finally, we define and examine in detail the phenomenon “float”, a crucial concept in cash management.