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What is Operating Working Capital?

Jim B.
Jim B.

Operating working capital (OWC) is a financial metric designed to accurately determine a company's liquidity and solvency. It is similar to the basic concept of working capital in that it is calculated by subtracting a company's liabilities from its assets, but it more narrowly defines what constitutes those assets and liabilities. In terms of OWC assets are limited to inventory and accounts receivable, while liabilities are limited to accounts payable. By narrowing the scope to these basic elements, it prevents anything but the company's operational success or lack thereof from clouding the financial picture.

When using the simple concept of working capital, the assets portion of the equation includes cash and securities, while the liabilities may include any debt a company has accrued. Yet these numbers are more a reflection of a company's financing structure rather than a true measure of its operational efficiency or day-to-day business strength. As a result, financial experts may rely on the concept of operating working capital as being more indicative of how well a company is doing business or how it stacks up against another in terms of investment opportunities.

The concept of operating working capital is a beneficial measuring stick for newer businesses.
The concept of operating working capital is a beneficial measuring stick for newer businesses.

To achieve this more accurate financial picture when calculating OWC, the assets and liabilities have to be separated from the excess numbers that are included in the working capital equation. When figuring out a company's operating assets, all cash amounts must be subtracted from the total assets a company has, leaving just accounts receivable and inventory on that side of the ledger. In a similar fashion, a company's operating liabilities are calculated by subtracting from the total liabilities any short-term debt the company may have.

Cash on hand is considered working capital.
Cash on hand is considered working capital.

Once these adjustments are made, then it is relatively simple to determine the operating working capital of the business at hand. For example, company A has $10,000 US Dollars (USD) in operating assets and $8,000 USD in operating liabilities. Subtracting the $8,000 USD from the $10,000 USD leaves a total of $2,000 USD in OWC. That means that the company would have an excess amount of $2,000 USD even if it had to pay all of its bills immediately.

The concept of operating working capital is a beneficial measuring stick for newer businesses, which often accrue large amounts of short-term debt in an attempt to get the business off the ground. Short-term debt actually works in a company's favor when calculating the OWC. This is because a large amount of debt actually reduces the amount of operating liabilities that a company has, thus decreasing the amount that is subtracted from the operating assets.

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Discussion Comments

anon337305

You mean liabilities are limited to accounts payable?

wavy58

The financial aspect of owning a business is what kept me from striking out on my own. I had always dreamed of managing my own store, but I couldn't even define working capital and various other terms, so I knew I was not up for the task.

There are so many business terms you have to fully understand in order to work for yourself. Maybe if I had a partner with a strong grasp of things like OWC, I could have managed the other aspects of the business, but alas, I did not.

feasting

@orangey03 – I know that businesses need to publicize their operating working capital in order to attract investors. There must be some sort of setup that allows people to see the working capital of businesses before making an investment, because I know that people are less likely to invest in a business with a lot of liabilities.

My cousin is all about investing, and I've heard him refer to this term before. I didn't really know what it meant until I read this article, but I did know that he somehow was able to see the numbers before investing.

orangey03

In order to do an operating working capital analysis of more than one business and to show how they stack up against one another, wouldn't an accountant or financial expert have to have access to the information of both? Do business make this information public or let certain people in on it? How else could anyone compare the two?

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    • The concept of operating working capital is a beneficial measuring stick for newer businesses.
      By: endostock
      The concept of operating working capital is a beneficial measuring stick for newer businesses.
    • Cash on hand is considered working capital.
      By: fotoatelie
      Cash on hand is considered working capital.