Open Access

Lea Ross

• The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and optimize accounts receivable management for the locations of the automotive supplier IMS Gear in the United States consisting of IMS Gear Holding Inc. and four subsidiaries. The tangible asset accounts receivable has a significant impact on profit and liquidity of a company and influences cash flow, working capital and customer relationships. An effective, transparent and comprehensive accounts receivable management is therefore crucial for the successful continuation of a company. In the course of this thesis the reader will be provided with definitions of all relevant terms and concepts, followed by theoretical knowledge about process management, including process analysis, problem diagnosis and process optimization. The differences in accounts receivable management between the United States and Germany as well as possibilities of measuring the effectiveness of accounts receivable management and goals of accounts receivable management are treated both practically and theoretically. On the basis of internal benchmarking and a detailed process analysis, five fields for improvement were defined: creditworthiness, contract management, cash discount, dunning, and avoidance of bad debt. When optimizing a process, it is important to additionally consider all processes influencing the outcome of the concerned process. The optimization suggestions therefore do not only concern the finance and accounting area but rather affect a number of other departments in the company including sales, logistics and the business units. The reader will furthermore be provided with a discussion of suggestions to improve problems detected in the process analysis and internal benchmarking. A summary of the suggested improvements together with their probability of implementation is presented. Discussed suggestions include, among others, the consideration of country specific payment habits, the offer of cash discount for payment in advance and the introduction of the payment term “cash in advance”. This thesis has proven that even if a process is functioning, optimization is still necessary in order to provide a more effective, reliable, and transparent process. Moreover, process optimization secures the future success and growth of a company and is therefore crucial in today’s fast changing business environment.