Suggestions for Improvement of Cash Flow in Commercial Testing Laboratories!

实验室中的现金流管理是一个关键领域，需要参与高级管理层以及无论其立场和角色如何，所有员工都是无关紧要的。

商业检测实验室在维护国家产品质量标准和全球贸易方面发挥着重要作用，并通过维持授权质量标准和产品特征的提高。但是，为了维持他们的活动，他们严重依赖持续的现金流量。

Why is cash flow important?

Cash inputs play a significant role in any organization and more so in commercial testing laboratories for the following reasons:

• 招聘和保留专家和熟练的人力
• Support of marketing and promotional activities
• Purchase of sophisticated instruments, reagents, chemicals and consumables
• 复杂分析设施的维护费用
• Expenses on maintenance of recommended environmental controls in test areas
• Up-gradation of existing testing facilities
• 技术人员升级的培训和技能
• 年度维护和服务合同的费用和购买备件
• Fees for regular audits and inspections by regulatory bodies and prospective clients

Sources of Cash Flow

接下来，调查现金流源是合乎逻辑的。来源主要取决于活动的范围，但通常属于以下内容：

• Testing charges receivable from customers
• Consultancy services covering setting up of green field testing laboratories, conducting business potential surveys for clients, etc
• 第三方研发活动，如方法开发和验证，产品开发，稳定和保质期研究等
• Organizing training and development programs for both local as well as overseas trainees

恢复待处理付款

Almost every laboratory has a staggering list of recoverables due to lack of formulated policies on cash collection. It is true that there can be loss of business clients if rigid options on cash collection are adopted but a balanced approach can help sustain uninterrupted cash flow without sacrificing on potential clients. The goal can be achieved through the following suggestions:

Advance Payments

This is an ideal option which does away with the need to put efforts on payment collection after forwarding of analysis reports. However, before this approach can be implemented internal systems need to be streamlined so that reports are communicated to customers within promised time frames without sacrificing quality of services

Dedicated Payment Collection Manpower

这是一种替代选项，在该替代选项，专用团队被采用，其关键函数是与客户保持常量联系，以便跟进和集合。需要清楚地定义这支球队的作用，并不应该与营销努力混合。预计营销团队将集中精力开发新的业务联系，并与现有客户建立良好的业务关系，并且经常会发现持续努力支付收款。

Report Generation Linked to Payment Receipt

This is another viable option to achieve the desired objectives. The samples on receipt are booked with or without advance payment. Keeping the samples without testing over extended periods is not recommended as they can lose their original characteristics or even degrade under storage conditions. Analysis should be performed in routine and online access to results of certain parameters can be made available to customers but printing of final reports should be authorized by the software only after confirmation on payment receipt is communicated to the system. This streamlined process will help eliminate need for payment follow-up and recovery after analysis report is communicated to the customer.

Any or all the three suggested approaches will help in reducing or eliminating the ever increasing out-standings. Adoption of one or all the approaches will depend on individual circumstances and quality of business relations that a laboratory enjoys with its customers.