Business

Supply Chain Finance – A Guide for Non-Expert Audiences

By Christy Bella | January 5, 2022

Table of Contents

Supply chain finance is a supply chain financing technique that allows companies to purchase goods and services from suppliers before the supply of those goods or services has been finalized. This technique can be used for any type of supply chain, but it is most commonly utilized in the automotive industry. In this post, we will discuss supply chain finance as well as some ways that supply chain finance companies improve the efficiency of your supply chains.

What is supply chain finance?

Supply chain finance is a financial management tool that helps companies better manage their cash flow and improve their working capital. It does this by unlocking liquidity trapped in the supply chain, providing financing to suppliers so they can continue to do business with a company. There are a few different types of supply chain finance products available, but all of them work by freeing up money that’s locked up in the supply chain. For example, accounts receivable factoring allows a supplier to receive payment from a company almost immediately after shipping goods, while payables discounting allows a company to get paid earlier for its purchases.

Why use supply chain finance?

Supply chain finance can help companies improve their working capital management and cash flow position. It can do this by providing short-term financing to suppliers, who then extend terms to the company. This allows the company to pay for goods and services before they are actually delivered, improving their cash flow position. Additionally, supply chain finance can also help companies manage their supplier credit risk and get better prices from suppliers.

How does supply chain finance work?

Supply chain finance is a solution backed by supply chain finance companies that provides working capital financing for equipment purchases. The way supply chain finance works are on a case-by-case basis. Payments are made on a monthly or quarterly schedule until the funds have been reimbursed – however, payments do not stop after reimbursement as they would with regular debt financing. Essentially you would borrow from one company to pay another company without any interest on the business loan if paid in full within 9 months or 12 months depending on your preference, and vendors remain eager because of this quick turnaround of funds upfront – it helps them grow their businesses.

Who should consider using supply chain finance?

Businesses that are looking to grow, pay down debt, expand their business operations, invest in new products or services. It might also be worthwhile to explore the opportunity for companies who are just starting out as well because they could have a rather small amount of working capital on hand which will limit their current capacity to generate revenue. Supply chain financing can help these businesses increase productivity and profits by allowing them to offer better prices due to shorter repayment periods.

What are the benefits of using supply chain financing?

Supply chain financing can provide a company with the cash needed to finance its inventory and operations. In addition, supply chain financing can help a company improve its cash flow, which can, in turn, improve its credit score and make it easier to borrow money in the future. Another benefit of supply chain financing is that it can help a company manage its costs. By paying suppliers for goods upfront, a company can avoid incurring late payment penalties. And by taking out a loan to finance its inventory, a company can save on the interest rates it would otherwise have to pay on such a loan.

What are the drawbacks of using supply chain financing?

The drawbacks to supply chain financing is mainly that it’s generally not available in large quantities like typical bank loans, and it really only works for smaller companies. That means that if you’re interested in getting bigger funding, this type of finance might not be what you’re looking for. It also has high levels of risk because there’s no collateral backing up the loan – so if the company doesn’t have enough cash flow to pay its debts, it runs a higher risk of becoming insolvent or bankrupt.