Under this method, approximation is made of payments and cash receipts in the ensuring period. The dissimilarity of these payments and receipts indicates deficiency or surplus of cash. The management formulates plans to procure the amount of deficit. This method, in a way, is a form of cash budget.

Illustration: Compute the operating cycle and the working capital requirements from the subsequent figures:

(i)  The Company acquires a credit for 60 days from its suppliers.

(ii)  All goods were sold for credit.

Solution:

Computation of Operating Cycle

(i)                 Material Storage Period:

=   Average Stock of Raw Materials/Daily Average Consumption

= ((Rs.80,000 + 1,20,000) / 2)/(Rs.3,60,000 / 365)

= Rs.1,00,000/ Rs.986.3

= 101.38 days

Material Consumed = Opening Stock + Purchases - Closing Stock

= Rs. 80,000 + 4,00,000-1,20,000

= Rs. 3,60,000

(ii) Conversion or Processing Period

= Average Stock of Work - in - progress/Daily Average Factory Cost

=  ((Rs.20,000 + 60,000) / 2)/( Rs.5,20,000 / 365)

=  (Rs.40,000) / (Rs.1,424.65)

= 28.07days

Factory Cost:                                                    Rs.

Opening Work-Progress                                20,000

Material Consumed (as above)                    3,60,000

Wages and Mfg. Expenses                            2,00,000

          5,80,000

Less: Closing Work-in-Progress                   60,000

5,20,000

(iii) Finished Goods Storage Period

= Average Stock of Finished Good/Daily Average Cost of Goods Sold

=   ((Rs.60,000 +20,000) / 2)/(Rs.5,60,000 / 365)

=  (Rs.40,000)/ Rs.1,534.25

= 26.07days

Cost of Goods sold                                                          Rs.

(iii)    Debtors Collection period

=   Average Debtors/Daily Average Sales

=   ((Rs.40,000 + 40,000) / 2)/(Rs.10,00,000 / 365)

=   (Rs.40,000) / Rs. 2,739.7

 = 14.6 days