"Many are familiar with the phrase 'cash is king', but often don't fully appreciate why that is so. It's not really a great surprise because the modern corporate organization is largely built around profit and loss. Managers are held accountable for increasing sales and improving efficiency of output. There is almost always an out-sized focus on driving costs down. And, it's quite popular to describe a business as sales-driven or one where the customer comes first. There is nothing at all wrong with focusing on sales growth, cost reduction and improved customer service. But, it takes liquidity to keep the lights on, invest in R&D and new equipment. Without enough liquidity, organizations may have to suspend dividend payments or stretch to service debt obligations. As the economy shifts and markets become more global, it takes cash to seize opportunities. Cash is the fuel in the engine. The problem is almost no one in an organization fully understands the impact they have on cash. Small decisions here andthere have ripple effects that go unnoticed until they start to add up. This book will examine what it takes to put cash on an equal footing with sales, cost and service, finding the right equilibrium. It will look at attributes of a cash culture and explore ways that leaders can transform their organizations. This is not a finance textbook. While it will explain some of the most important, and often most misunderstood metrics, the aim is to keep the reader fully awake. It'll use case study examples and will offer concrete suggestions for improvements."-- Provided by publisher.