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Working Capital Management in a Post-Recession Environment: The View from Europe
A report prepared by CFO Research Services in collaboration with The Royal Bank of Scotland

TM

Working Capital Management in a Post-Recession Environment: The View from Europe
A report prepared by CFO Research Services in collaboration with The Royal Bank of Scotland

TM

Working Capital Management in a Post-Recession Environment: The View from Europe

Contents
Executive summary Cash, liquidity and credit during an uncertain recovery Pursuing improvements in working capital An opportunity to expand the toolkit Investing in working capital improvements Conclusion Sponsor’s perspective 2 3 5 7 11 12 13

© 2010 CFO PUBLISHING LLC

SEPTEMBER 2010

1

Working Capital Management in a Post-Recession Environment: The View from Europe

Executive summary
In June and July of 2010, CFO Research Services (a unit of CFO Publishing LLC) conducted an electronic survey among senior finance executives representing mid-size to large companies in Europe. Our goal was to understand finance executives’ concerns with working capital management in the wake of global recession, as well as their plans for improving working capital performance. We asked finance executives a series of questions about the impact that the recession had on their working capital management, which areas of working capital their companies would focus on during the course of economic recovery and whom their companies worked with to improve working capital management. We also asked about current and planned levels of usage for specific, automated cash-management and tradefinancing techniques. Overall, our research reveals the following main points: • In Europe, effective management of working capital has assumed greater urgency as market demand is slow to return and short-term credit remains both difficult to access

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