Cash Management - Meaning, Objectives and Strategies


          Cash generally refers to coins, currency notes, cheques and draft. In broad sense cash will include cash assets such as time deposits maintained by business concern in bank and marketable securities. Thus in broad sense we can say that Cash refers to cash in hand, cash at bank and other marketable securities which can be exchanged while transaction.

Meaning of Cash Management

          It is the process of planning and controlling of cash inflow and outflow in a business or firm in such a manner that all the business requirements are meet and achieved.

Objectives of Cash Management

§  To maintain adequate Cash Balance in business or firm.
§  To overcome unnecessary expenditures in business or firm.
§  To know the future cash requirements.
§  To reduce the cash crunches and cash risks in business.
§  To maximize the profit and wealth.
§  To maintain the stability in cash inflow and outflow of the business.
§  To make timely payments to the suppliers

Reasons for having adequate cash balance

§  Transaction Motive:

A business or a firm needs to maintain cash for running for their day to day operations smoothly. Thus a business has to maintain adequate cash so that business functions and operates smoothly without any problem or difficulty.

§  Precautionary Motives:

A business or firm is required to maintain adequate cash for purchases, payments, meetings and unexpected and unplanned delay in receivables so that no problem arises while carrying out the operations. For instances a manufacturing firm has to purchase raw material to produce the goods but the debtor failed to make the payment now that the firm has to stop or find the alternative purchase the raw material. Thus in order to avoid such a situation cash management is to be done.

§  Compensation Motive:

To overcome or recover from any unexpected damage or loss.

§  Speculative Motive:

Speculative Motive refers to holding of cash for a profitable opportunity and using the cash in the right time so as to maximize the profit and wealth of the business.

Strategies Used in Cash Management

          Various strategies used in cash management are

§  Cash Planning:

It is a technique where cash inflow and cash outflow is being planned and controlled. It helps in effective utilization of available cash and avoids cash crunches in business.

§  Cash Forecasting:

It is the estimation of cash that would come into and go out of a firm over a specific period of future from its future expected operations. It helps in anticipation of cash requirements in future.

§  Cash Budgeting:

It is the estimation of the cash required by a business for a specific period. It will helping in cash planning to facilitate cash requirements in future.

Comments