Revenue Recognition

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Revenue Recognition [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Nature of Goods and Services

The principal activities from which we generate sales from our contracts with customers, separated between our regional industrial gases businesses and industrial gases equipment businesses, are described below with their respective revenue recognition policies. For an overall summary of these policies and discussion on payment terms and presentation, refer to Note 1, Major Accounting Policies.

Industrial Gases – Regional

Our regional industrial gases businesses produce and sell atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon (primarily recovered by the cryogenic distillation of air) and process gases such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, syngas, and specialty gases. We distribute gases to our sale of gas customers through different supply modes depending on various factors including the customer's volume requirements and location. Our supply modes are as follows:

•On-site Gases—Supply mode associated with customers who require large volumes of gases and have relatively constant demand. Gases are produced and supplied by large facilities we construct on or near the customers’ facilities or by pipeline systems from centrally located production facilities. These sale of gas contracts generally have 15- to 20- year terms. We also deliver smaller quantities of product through small on-site plants (cryogenic or non-cryogenic generators), typically via 10- to 15- year sale of gas contracts. The contracts within this supply mode generally contain fixed monthly charges and/or minimum purchase requirements with price escalation provisions that are generally based on external indices. Revenue associated with this supply mode is generally recognized over time during the period in which we deliver or make available the agreed upon quantity of goods.

•Merchant Gases—Supply mode associated with liquid bulk and packaged gases customers. Liquid bulk customers receive delivery of product in liquid or gaseous form by tanker or tube trailer. The product is stored, usually in its liquid state, in equipment we typically design and install at the customer’s site for vaporizing into a gaseous state as needed. Packaged gases customers receive small quantities of product delivered in either cylinders or dewars. Both liquid bulk and packaged gases sales do not contain minimum purchase requirements as they are governed by contracts and/or purchase orders based on the customer's requirements. These contracts contain stated terms that are generally 5 years or less. Performance obligations associated with this supply mode are satisfied at a point in time when the customer receives and obtains control of the product, which generally occurs upon delivery.

The timing of revenue recognition for our regional industrial gases businesses is generally consistent with our right to invoice the customer. Variable components of consideration that may not be resolved within the month, such as the ability to earn an annual bonus or incur a penalty, are more relevant to on-site contracts and are considered constrained as they can be impacted by a single significant event such as a plant outage, which could occur at the end of a contract period. We consider contract modifications on an individual basis to determine appropriate accounting treatment. However, contract modifications are generally accounted for prospectively as they relate to distinct goods or services associated with future periods of performance.

We mitigate energy and natural gas price risk contractually through pricing formulas, surcharges, and cost pass-through arrangements.

Industrial Gases – Equipment

We design and manufacture equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and liquid helium and liquid hydrogen transport and storage. The Industrial Gases – Global and the Corporate and other segments serve our sale of equipment customers.

Our sale of equipment contracts are generally comprised of a single performance obligation as the individual promised goods or services contained within the contracts are integrated with or dependent upon other goods or services in the contract for a single output to the customer.

Revenue from our sale of equipment contracts is generally recognized over time as we have an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date and our performance under the contract terms does not create an asset with alternative use. Otherwise, sale of equipment contracts are satisfied at the point in time the customer obtains control of the equipment, which is generally determined based on the shipping terms of the contract. For contracts recognized over time, we primarily recognize revenue using a cost incurred input method by which costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion are used to measure progress toward satisfying performance obligations. Costs incurred include material, labor, and overhead costs and represent work contributing and proportionate to the transfer of control to the customer.

Since our contracts are generally comprised of a single performance obligation, contract modifications are typically accounted for as part of the existing contract and are recognized as a cumulative adjustment for the inception-to-date effect of such change. In addition, changes in estimates on projects accounted for under the cost incurred input method are recognized as a cumulative adjustment for the inception-to-date effect of such change. Changes in estimates favorably impacted operating income by approximately $7, $37, and $38 in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Our changes in estimates would not have significantly impacted amounts recorded in prior years.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The table below presents our consolidated sales for fiscal years 2020 and 2019 disaggregated by supply mode for each of our reporting segments. We believe this presentation best depicts the nature, timing, type of customer, and contract terms for our sales.

	Industrial Gases– Americas	Industrial Gases– EMEA	Industrial Gases– Asia	Industrial Gases– Global	Corporate and other	Total	%
2020
On-site	$2,040.2	$629.3	$1,652.8	$—	$—	$4,322.3	49	%
Merchant	1,590.5	1,297.0	1,063.7	—	—	3,951.2	45	%
Sale of Equipment	—	—	—	364.9	217.9	582.8	6	%
Total	$3,630.7	$1,926.3	$2,716.5	$364.9	$217.9	$8,856.3	100	%
2019
On-site	$2,230.6	$728.4	$1,622.6	$—	$—	$4,581.6	52	%
Merchant	1,642.9	1,274.1	1,041.0	—	—	3,958.0	44	%
Sale of Equipment	—	—	—	261.0	118.3	379.3	4	%
Total	$3,873.5	$2,002.5	$2,663.6	$261.0	$118.3	$8,918.9	100	%

Remaining Performance Obligations

As of 30 September 2020, the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is estimated to be approximately $22 billion. This amount includes fixed-charge contract provisions associated with our on-site and sale of equipment supply modes. We estimate that approximately half of this revenue will be recognized over approximately the next five years and the balance thereafter.

Expected revenue associated with new on-site plants that are not yet onstream is excluded from this amount. In addition, this amount excludes consideration associated with contracts having an expected duration of less than one year, and variable consideration for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice, including pass-through costs related to energy and natural gas.

In the future, actual amounts will differ due to events outside of our control, including but not limited to inflationary price escalations, currency exchange rates, and terminated or renewed contracts.

Contract Balances

The table below details balances arising from contracts with customers:

30 September	Balance Sheet Location	2020	2019
Assets
Contract assets – current	Other receivables and current assets	$55.9	$64.3
Contract fulfillment costs – current	Other receivables and current assets	109.9	64.5
Liabilities
Contract liabilities – current	Payables and accrued liabilities	313.8	247.4
Contract liabilities – noncurrent	Other noncurrent liabilities	57.9	49.2

Contract assets and liabilities result from differences in timing of revenue recognition and customer invoicing. These balances are reported on the consolidated balance sheets on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period.

Contract assets primarily relate to our sale of equipment contracts for which revenue is recognized over time. These balances represent unbilled revenue, which occurs when revenue recognized under the measure of progress exceeds the amount invoiced to our customers. Our ability to invoice the customer for contract asset balances is not only based on the passage of time, but also the achievement of certain contractual milestones.

Contract fulfillment costs primarily include deferred costs related to sale of equipment projects that cannot be inventoried and for which we expect to recognize revenue upon transfer of control at project completion or costs related to fulfilling a specific anticipated contract.

Costs to obtain a contract, or contract acquisition costs, are capitalized only after we have established a contract with the customer. We elected to apply the practical expedient to expense these costs as they are incurred if the amortization period of the asset that would have otherwise been recognized is one year or less. Our contract acquisition costs capitalized as of 30 September 2020 and 2019 were not material.

Contract liabilities include advance payments or right to consideration prior to performance under the contract. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue when or as we perform under the contract. The increase in our contract liabilities – current balance primarily relates to new sale of equipment projects as balances associated with our sale of gas contracts are generally related to fixed charges and are relatively consistent period over period. During the fiscal year ended 30 September 2020, we recognized approximately $145 in revenue associated with sale of equipment contracts that was included within our contract liabilities as of 30 September 2019. Advanced payments from our customers do not represent a significant financing component as these payments are intended for purposes other than financing, such as to meet working capital demands or to protect us from our customer failing to meet its obligations under the terms of the contract.

Changes in contract asset and liability balances during the fiscal year ended 30 September 2020 were not materially impacted by any other factors.