A machine can be delivered and paid for before its output is approved for a customer programme. The company still needs money for trials, input stock, utilities and staff. The first assessment should therefore distinguish mechanical installation, technical validation and the point at which accepted production begins to generate cash.
Locate the cash peak, test delayed validation and separate temporary running needs from permanent investment. Review the effect on existing facilities and debt service before considering additional borrowing.
Commissioning and production are different milestones
The machinery payment schedule may end before the plant can generate saleable output. A production line may need customer validation after the equipment vendor has completed delivery and installation. Separate civil work, equipment delivery, installation, trials and customer approval. Include initial stock, staff and utilities in the cash plan. Funding tied only to the machine price can leave an otherwise credible project short of money during the first operating cycle.
Contract value is not free cash
An order book should be converted into milestones rather than shown as a single headline. A supply programme may reimburse development work only after samples, trials or production milestones are accepted. Identify advances already spent, certification conditions, retention, performance obligations and any liquidated-damages exposure. The relevant funding amount comes from the remaining cost to execute and the timing of collectible receipts, after allowing for bank guarantees and existing borrowing against the same contract.
Refinancing needs an executable release route
Replacing a loan requires more than comparing the proposed interest cost. Several equipment loans can have repayment dates that arrive before the expanded line reaches a normal collection cycle. Reconcile the outstanding balance, charges, prepayment conditions, security releases and any linked facilities. Consider whether working capital will remain available during the transfer.