Recently Issued Accounting Standards (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2019

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Autodesk, Inc. (“Autodesk,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”) as of October 31, 2019, and for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2019 and 2018, have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information along with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. In management’s opinion, Autodesk made all adjustments (consisting of normal, recurring and non-recurring adjustments) during the quarter that were considered necessary for the fair statement of the financial position and operating results of the Company. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In addition, the results of operations for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2019, are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year ending January 31, 2020, or for any other period. Further, the balance sheet as of January 31, 2019, has been derived from the audited Consolidated Balance Sheet as of this date. There have been no material changes, other than what is discussed herein, to Autodesk's significant accounting policies as compared to the significant accounting policies disclosed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2019. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes, together with management’s discussion and analysis of financial position and results of operations, contained in Autodesk’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2019, filed on March 25, 2019.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Accounting standards adopted

Autodesk adopted ASU No. 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" on February 1, 2019. The amendment helps simplify certain aspects of hedge accounting and results in a more accurate portrayal of the economics of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements. For cash flow and net investment hedges as of the adoption date, the guidance required a modified retrospective approach. The amended presentation and disclosure guidance is required only prospectively. The transition impact was immaterial and no substantive changes were made to Autodesk’s current processes, accounting, or disclosures for cash flow hedges.

Autodesk adopted ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” on February 1, 2019. The amendment allows entities the option to reclassify tax effects stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income as a result of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") to retained earnings. Upon adoption, the amount reclassified from other comprehensive loss to stockholders' deficit was not material.

Leases

FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (ASC Topic 842) to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing transactions. The new standard requires entities to reflect the net present value of all future fixed lease payments for both operating and finance leases on the balance sheet. It also requires entities to disclose fixed and variable lease payments separately and by lease type (operating vs. finance leases). In addition, FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10 and 2018-11 and ASU No. 2018-20 to help provide accommodations and interpretive clarifications on various issues raised by stakeholders. ASU No. 2018-10 clarifies ambiguous or potentially conflicting guidance in ASU No. 2016-02. ASU No. 2018-11 provides an additional transition option to apply ASU No. 2016-02 upon adoption of the new standard.

Adoption and policy elections

Autodesk adopted ASU No. 2016-02 as of February 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective method permitted under ASU No. 2018-11 for all existing leases which does not include retrospectively adjusting prior periods presented in the financial statements. Under ASU No. 2016-02, as the lessee, Autodesk recognized a right-of-use ("ROU") asset and offsetting lease liability for leases that existed on adoption. The asset and liability were measured at present value of all future fixed lease payments, discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. Autodesk has elected to opt for the practical expedients: to not reassess whether any existing contracts are leases or contain a lease; to not reassess the lease classification of existing leases; and to not reassess initial direct costs for existing leases. Autodesk has elected to combine lease and non-lease components for new leases post adoption for all lease assets.

Autodesk determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in “Operating lease right-of-use assets”, “Operating lease liabilities”, and “Long-term operating lease liabilities” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Operating lease ROU assets represent Autodesk’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, Autodesk uses its incremental borrowing rate, adjusted for local country-specific borrowing rates as applicable, based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU assets include any adjustments for prepayments and any lease incentives. Options to extend or terminate the lease are considered in determining the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Autodesk has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. Autodesk accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component.

Quantitative effect of ASC Topic 842 adoption

Under the modified retrospective method, Autodesk recorded $(0.7) million to the opening balance of "Accumulated deficit" as of February 1, 2019. The comparative information has not been adjusted and continues to be reported as under previous accounting guidance. The adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 did not have a material impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations or net cash provided by operating activities as of February 1, 2019.

The following table shows line items that were materially impacted by the adoption of ASC Topic 842 on February 1, 2019, on Autodesk’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet:



	As reported January 31, 2019			Impact from the adoption (1)			As adjusted
ASSETS
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	192.1		$	(5.9	)	$	186.2
Total current assets	1,620.0			(5.9		)	1,614.1
Operating lease right-of-use assets	—			283.4			283.4
Total assets	4,729.2			277.5			5,006.7
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
Other accrued liabilities	142.3			(4.9		)	137.4
Operating lease liabilities	—			54.1			54.1
Long-term operating lease liabilities	—			245.9			245.9
Other liabilities	121.8			(16.9		)	104.9
Accumulated deficit	$	(2,147.4	)	$	(0.7	)	$	(2,148.1	)

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(1)	Adoption of ASC Topic 842 did not have any other material impacts on Autodesk's condensed consolidated financial statements.

See Note 13, "Leases" for disclosures under ASC Topic 842.

Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted

In June 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13 regarding ASC Topic 326, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses," which modifies the measurement of expected credit losses of certain financial instruments. Autodesk plans to adopt ASU 2016-13 as of the effective date which represents Autodesk’s fiscal year beginning February 1, 2020. Autodesk does not believe the ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Autodesk’s revenue is divided into three categories: subscription revenue, maintenance revenue, and other revenue. Revenue is recognized when control for these offerings is transferred to our customers and in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for products and services.

Our contracts with customers may include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. Determining whether the products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately or as one combined performance obligation may require significant judgment. Judgment is required to determine the level of integration and interdependency between individual components of software and cloud functionality. This determination influences whether the software is considered distinct and accounted for separately as a license performance obligation, or not distinct and accounted for together with the cloud functionality as a single subscription performance obligation recognized over time.

For product subscriptions and enterprise business agreement ("EBA") subscriptions in which the desktop software and related cloud functionality are highly interrelated, the combined performance obligation is recognized ratably over the contract term as the obligation is delivered. For contracts involving distinct software licenses, the license performance obligation is satisfied at a point in time when control is transferred to the customer. For standalone maintenance subscriptions, cloud subscriptions, and technical support services, the performance obligation is satisfied ratably over the contract term as those services are delivered. For consulting services, the performance obligation is satisfied over a period of time as those services are delivered.

When an arrangement includes multiple performance obligations, which are concurrently delivered and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer (the services transfer to the customer over the contract period), we account for those performance obligations as a single performance obligation.

For contracts with more than one performance obligation, the transaction price is allocated among the performance obligations in an amount that depicts the relative standalone selling price ("SSP") of each obligation. Judgment is required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. We use a range of amounts to estimate SSP when we sell each of the products and services separately and need to determine whether there is a discount that should be allocated based on the relative SSP of the various products and services.

In instances where SSP is not directly observable, such as when we do not sell the product or service separately, we determine the SSP using information that includes market conditions and other observable inputs. We typically have more than one SSP for individual products and services due to the stratification of those products and services by customer and circumstance. In these instances, we use relevant information such as the sales channel and geographic region to determine the SSP.

Our indirect channel model includes both a two-tiered distribution structure, where Autodesk sells to distributors that subsequently sell to resellers, and a one-tiered structure where Autodesk sells directly to resellers. For these arrangements, transfer of control begins at the time access to our subscriptions is made available electronically to our customer, provided all other criteria for revenue recognition are met. Judgment is required to determine whether our distributors and resellers have the ability to honor their commitment to pay, regardless of whether they collect payment from their customers. If we were to change this assessment, it could cause a material increase or decrease in the amount of revenue that we report in a particular period.

As part of the indirect channel model, we have a partner incentive program that uses quarterly attainment of monetary rewards to motivate distributors and resellers to achieve mutually agreed upon business goals in a specified time period. Incentives related to our subscription program are recorded as a reduction to deferred revenue in the period the subscription transaction is billed, and are subsequently recognized as a reduction to subscription revenue over the contract period. A small portion of partner incentives reduce maintenance revenue in the current period. These incentive balances do not require significant assumptions or judgments. Depending on how the payments are made, the reserves associated with the partner incentive program are recorded on the balance sheet as either contra accounts receivable or accounts payable.

Revenue Disaggregation

Autodesk recognizes revenue from the sale of (1) product subscriptions, cloud service offerings, and EBAs, (2) renewal fees for existing maintenance plan agreements that were initially purchased with a perpetual software license, and (3) consulting, training and other goods and services. The three categories are presented as line items on Autodesk's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Fair Value Measurement

Autodesk classifies its marketable securities as either short-term or long-term based on each instrument’s underlying contractual maturity date. Generally, marketable securities with remaining maturities of up to 12 months are classified as short-term and marketable securities with remaining maturities greater than 12 months are classified as long-term. Autodesk may sell certain of its marketable securities prior to their stated maturities for strategic purposes or in anticipation of credit deterioration.

Autodesk applies fair value accounting for certain financial assets and liabilities, which consist of cash equivalents, marketable securities and other financial instruments, on a recurring basis. The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement: (Level 1) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; (Level 2) inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and (Level 3) unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require Autodesk to develop its own assumptions. When determining fair value, Autodesk uses observable market data and relies on unobservable inputs only when observable market data is not available. Key inputs for currency derivatives are spot rates, forward rates, interest rates, volatility, and credit default rates. The spot rate for each currency is the same spot rate used for all balance sheet translations at the measurement date. Autodesk reviews for any potential changes on a quarterly basis, in conjunction with our fiscal quarter-end close. It is Autodesk's assessment that the leveling best reflects current market activity when observing the pricing information for these assets.