SKI’s DSO is 45.63 days as compared with 32 days for the average firm in its industry. This suggests that SKI’s customers are paying less promptly than those of its competitors. Because the firm’s DSO is higher than the industry average, the firm should tighten its credit policy in an attempt to lower its DSO.
The four variables that make up a firm’s credit policy are (1) discount amount and period, (2) credit period, (3) credit standards, and (4) collection policy. Cash discounts generally produce two benefits: (1) they attract new customers who view discounts as a price reduction, thus sales would increase, and (2) they cause a reduction in the days sales outstanding (DSO) since some established customers will pay more promptly to take advantage of the discount, thus the level of receivables held would decline. Discounts might encourage customers now paying late to pay more promptly. Of course, these benefits are offset to some degree by the dollar cost of the discounts. The effect on bad debt expense is indeterminate. If the firm tightened its credit policy it is unclear what the firm would do with its cash discount policy. The firm could decrease the discount period and keep discounts unchanged.
Credit period is the length of time allowed all “qualified” customers to pay for their purchases. The shorter a firm’s credit period, the shorter the firm’s days sales outstanding, and the lower the level of receivables held. A shorter credit period might also tend to decrease sales, especially when a competitor’s credit period is longer than the firm’s own credit period. The effect of the credit period on bad debt expense is indeterminate.