ANSR Hackett Grp., Inc.(The) (MM)

Maybe it's globalization. As U.S. companies source more goods from the far corners of the world, it makes sense that they would stock more inventory as a guard against potential breakdowns in their supply chains. Or maybe it's economic priorities. With corporate coffers bulging like overloaded transpacific freighters, finance executives could be taking their eye off second-tier metrics like inventory, payables, and receivables. Whatever the explanation, 2006 marked the first time in five years that the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies in the United States (excluding automakers) failed to decrease the amount of cash they had tied up in working capital relative to sales. In fact, by year-end 2006, working-capital days were actually up a smidgen: 38.8 days versus 38.7 at year-end 2005. This article provides in-depth coverage of findings from REL's annual Total Working Capital Survey of the top 1000 companies in the U.S. Click Here to Link to Full Text of Article or visit the following URL: http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/9393690/c_9394789?f=magazine_alsoinside A detailed REL analysis of the survey findings is also available online (with registration) at: www.relconsultancy.com/twcEU. About REL REL (NASDAQ: ANSR) is a world leading consulting firm dedicated to delivering sustainable cash flow improvement across business operations. REL�s tailored solutions balance client trade-offs between working capital, operating costs and service performance. REL�s expertise has helped clients free up billions of dollars in cash, creating the financial freedom to fund acquisitions, pension liabilities, product development, debt reduction and share buy-back programs. In-depth process expertise, analytical rigour, and collaborative client relationships enable REL to deliver an exceptional return on investment in a short timeframe. REL has delivered work in over 60 countries for the Fortune 500. REL is a sister company of The Hackett Group, a global strategic advisory firm is a leader in best practice research and advisory programs, benchmarking and transformation consulting services including shared services, offshoring and outsourcing advice. More information on�REL is available: by phone at (770) 225-7300; by e-mail at info@relconsultancy.com; or on the Web at www.relconsultancy.com.