1. Basic concepts
During the wake of the financial crisis, Ben Bernanke, chairman
of the Federal Reserve, said that “shortening the cash cycle and
better use of working capital” are the most important factors as
private-sector businesses struggle to overcome the current economic
volatility and difficulty in accessing capital markets (IBM Global
Business Services, “Managing Working Capital in the New Economic
Environment,
http://www-935.ibm.com/services/uk/bcs/pdf/working_capital_paper.pdf).
Given the importance of working capital management, consider the
case of Purple Dandelion Flower Inc. and both...