Term Receivables and Trade Accounts Receivable

We have long-term installment receivables that are attributable to multi-year, multi-element term license sales agreements. Balances for term agreements that are due within one year of the balance sheet date are included in trade accounts receivable, net and balances that are due more than one year from the balance sheet date are included in term receivables, long-term. We discount the total product portion of the agreements to reflect the interest component of the transaction. We amortize the interest component of the transaction to system and software revenues over the period in which payments are made and balances are outstanding, using the effective interest method. We determine the discount rate at the outset of the arrangement based upon the current credit rating of the customer. We reset the discount rate periodically considering changes in prevailing interest rates but do not adjust previously discounted balances.

Trade accounts receivable and term receivable balances were as follows:



As of January 31,	2016		2015
Trade accounts receivable	$	176,021	$	208,996
Term receivables, short-term	$	317,188	$	337,626
Term receivables, long-term	$	268,657	$	301,862

Trade accounts receivable include billed amounts whereas term receivables, short-term are comprised of unbilled amounts. Term receivables, short term represent the portion of long-term installment agreements that are due within one year of the balance sheet date. Billings for term agreements typically occur thirty days prior to the contractual due date, in accordance with individual contract installment terms. Term receivables, long-term represent unbilled amounts which are scheduled to be billed beyond one year from the balance sheet date.

We perform a credit risk assessment of all customers using the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) credit rating as our primary credit-quality indicator. The S&P credit ratings are based on the most recent S&P score available at the time of assessment. For customers that do not have an S&P credit rating, we base our credit risk assessment on results provided in the customer's most recent financial statements at the time of assessment. We determine whether or not to extend credit to these customers based on the results of our internal credit assessment, thus mitigating our risk of loss.

The credit risk assessment for our long-term receivables was as follows:



As of January 31,	2016		2015
S&P credit rating:
AAA+ through BBB-	$	195,764	$	192,430
BB+ and lower	22,520		31,939
	218,284		224,369
Internal credit assessment	50,373		77,493
Total long-term term receivables	$	268,657	$	301,862

We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts on trade accounts receivable and term receivables, long-term for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. We regularly evaluate the collectibility of our trade accounts receivable based on a combination of factors. When we become aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, such as in the case of bankruptcy or deterioration in the customer’s operating results, financial position, or credit rating, we record a specific reserve for bad debt to reduce the related receivable to the amount believed to be collectible. We also record unspecified reserves for bad debt for all other customers based on a variety of factors including length of time the receivables are past due, the financial health of customers, the current business environment, and historical experience. If these factors change or circumstances related to specific customers change, we adjust the recoverability estimates of the receivables, resulting in either additional selling expense or a reduction in selling expense in the period the determination is made.

We reduced our allowance for doubtful accounts during the year ended January 31, 2015 by $1,691, to reflect a change in estimate of our unspecified reserves resulting from sustained low write-off experience and strong collections. The adjustment was recorded in marketing and selling expense in our statement of income.

The following shows the change in allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended January 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014:



Allowance for doubtful accounts	Beginning balance		Expense adjustment			Other deductions⁽¹⁾			Ending balance
Year ended January 31, 2016	$	4,217	$	(349	)	$	(42	)	$	3,826
Year ended January 31, 2015	$	5,469	$	(988	)	$	(264	)	$	4,217
Year ended January 31, 2014	$	5,331	$	517		$	(379	)	$	5,469


⁽¹⁾	Specific account write-offs and foreign exchange.

We enter into agreements to sell qualifying accounts receivable from time to time to certain financing institutions on a non-recourse basis. Amounts collected from customers on accounts receivable previously sold on a non-recourse basis to financial institutions are included in short-term borrowings on the balance sheet. These amounts are remitted to the financial institutions in the month following quarter-end.

We sold the following receivables to financing institutions on a non-recourse basis and recognized the following gain on the sale of those receivables:



Year ended January 31,	2016			2015			2014
Net proceeds	$	42,661		$	22,572		$	22,943

Trade receivables, short-term	16,344			12,715			11,705
Term receivables, long-term	27,770			10,461			11,912
Total receivables sold	44,114			23,176			23,617

Discount on sold receivables	(1,453		)	(604		)	(674		)
Unaccreted interest on sold receivables	2,723			922			890
Gain on sale of receivables	$	1,270		$	318		$	216