The Garcia Industries balance sheet and income statement for the year ended 2010 are as follows: Balance Sheet ( in Millions of Dollars) Assets Liabilities and Stockholders? Equity Cash $ 6.0 Accounts payable $ 10.0 Accounts receivable 14.0 Salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes payable 2.0 Inventories* 12.0 Other current liabilities 10.0 Fixed assets, net 40.0 Long- term debt 12.0 $ 72.0 Stockholders? equity 38.0 $ 72.0 * The average inventory over the past two years also equals $ 12.0 million. Income Statement ( in Millions of Dollars) Net sales $ 100.0 Cost of sales 60.0 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 20.0 Other expenses 15.0 Earnings after tax $ 5.0
a. Determine the length of the inventory conversion period.
b. Determine the length of the receivables conversion period.
c. Determine the length of the operating cycle.
d. Determine the length of the payables deferral period.
e. Determine the length of the cash conversion cycle.
f. What is the meaning of the number you calculated in part e?