Mastering Working Capital Management (Course Id 2617)

• Who is this course for?
  The course is designed for CFOs, financial managers, business advisors, and anyone seeking to enhance financial management skills, such as managing working capital across organizations.

• What is this course about or what problem does it solve?
  It teaches how to balance risk and reward across key working capital accounts (cash, receivables, inventory, payables, short‑term debt) and optimize the cash conversion cycle to accelerate cash flow and drive growth.

• How can the knowledge from this course be used?
  Participants can apply forecasting techniques, monitor working capital, improve collections and inventory policies, manage payables, deploy excess cash wisely, and optimize short‑term financing to improve liquidity and profitability.

• Why is this course important to a CPA, Accountant, or IRS Enrolled Agent?
  Effective working capital management is essential to maintain liquidity, reduce costs, support profitability, and ensure informed financial decision-making — all critical competencies for finance professionals and advisors.

• When is this course relevant or timely?
  Released in 2025 with a revision date of August 11, 2025, it's highly current — making it timely for professionals needing up-to-date strategies in today's economic environment.

• How is a course like this consumed or used?
  Delivered as a NASBA QAS self‑study text format, it includes a final exam (15 questions, 70% passing score) and awards 3.0 CPE credits upon successful completion within one year of purchase.

Learn how to balance risk and reward across key working capital accounts, including cash, accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable, and short-term debt.  Gain insights into forecasting, monitoring, and assessing working capital balances to make informed financial decisions.

Explore the critical cash conversion cycle—the engine driving your business—and learn how optimizing Days Inventory Outstanding, Days Sales Outstanding, and Days Payable Outstanding accelerates cash flow and fuel growth.

This course equips you with the tools to strategically manage every facet of working capital:

• Cash: Minimize idle funds while ensuring readiness for operations and opportunities.
• Accounts Receivable: Accelerate collections, optimize credit policies, and mitigate losses with effective strategies and detailed aging analysis.
• Inventory: Balance stock levels to avoid costly excesses and devastating stockouts using Economic Order Quantity and Reorder Point models.
• Accounts Payable: Master timely payments and leverage discounts to preserve cash.
• Short-Term Investments: Learn to wisely deploy excess cash for higher yields while meticulously managing interest rate and liquidity risks.
• Short-Term Debt: Explore the use of business lines of credit and other short-term funding options to maintain liquidity and reduce costs. 

Packed with practical examples, formulas, and actionable strategies, this course is ideal for CFOs, financial managers, business advisors, and anyone looking to enhance their financial management skills. Whether you're managing a startup or an established company, this course will equip you with the tools that can improve cash flow, reduce costs, and increase profitability. ​

NASBA QAS - Text - NASBA Registry - 2617

Course Learning Objectives

• Recall working capital metrics
• Identify ways to improve working capital
• Recognize risks in working capital management
• Recall goals of working capital management

Section 1: Working Capital Management

Course Learning Objectives

What is Working Capital?

Working Capital Management

The Cash Conversion Cycle

Projecting Working Capital Balances

Assessing and Monitoring Working Capital

Review Questions #1

Section 2: Working Capital Accounts

Cash

Short-Term Investments

Accounts Receivable

Inventory

Accounts Payable

Short-Term Debt

Permanent Working Capital

Key Takeaways

Review Questions #2

Glossary