The Order-to-Cash Process and Its Finance Controls
Written by Harry Prabandham
Curated by Rubric Financial
Last updated
1 / 5
Order-to-Cash in Context
- Order-to-Cash, or OTC, is the finance-facing portion of the revenue cycle that begins once an order is accepted.
- It sits inside the broader Quote-to-Cash flow but starts later, after quoting and contracting are done.
- The goal is to convert a confirmed order into invoiced revenue and collected cash with minimal leakage.
- Because it touches the ledger directly, OTC is where most auditability and control requirements concentrate.
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About the author
Harry PrabandhamFounder & CEO
Founder and CEO of StartupCFO. MBA from Wharton, MS in Computer Science, and decades of experience building and advising venture-backed startups.
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