Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Tech Data Corporation (“Tech Data” or the “Company”) is one of the world’s largest wholesale distributors of technology products. Tech Data serves as a vital link in the evolving technology ecosystem by bringing products from the world’s leading technology vendors to market, as well as helping customers create solutions best suited to maximize business outcomes for their end-user customers. Tech Data’s customers include value-added resellers, direct marketers, retailers and corporate resellers who support the diverse technology needs of end users. On February 27, 2017, the Company purchased all of the outstanding shares of Avnet, Inc.'s ("Avnet") Technology Solutions ("TS") business (see Note 5 - Acquisitions for further discussion). Prior to the acquisition of TS, the Company managed its operations in two geographic segments: the Americas and Europe. As a result of the acquisition of TS, the Company now manages its operations in three geographic segments: the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. There were no Tech Data operations in the Asia-Pacific region prior to the acquisition of TS.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tech Data and its subsidiaries, including the results of TS from the date of acquisition of February 27, 2017. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company operates on a fiscal year that ends on January 31.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States ("U.S.") Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company prepares its financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”). These principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized once four criteria are met: (1) the Company must have persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists; (2) delivery must occur, which generally happens at the point of shipment (this includes the transfer of both title and risk of loss, provided that no significant obligations remain); (3) the price must be fixed or determinable; and (4) collectability must be reasonably assured. Shipping revenue is included in net sales while the related costs, including shipping and handling costs, are included in the cost of products sold. The Company allows its customers to return product for exchange or credit subject to certain limitations. A provision for such returns is recorded at the time of sale based upon historical experience. The Company also has certain fulfillment, extended warranty and service contracts with certain customers and suppliers whereby the Company assumes an agency relationship in the transaction. In such arrangements where the Company is not the primary obligor, revenues are recognized as the net fee associated with serving as an agent. Taxes imposed by governmental authorities on the Company’s revenue-producing activities with customers, such as sales taxes and value added taxes, are excluded from net sales.

Service revenue associated with configuration, training, fulfillment and other services is recognized when the work is complete and the four criteria discussed above have been met. Service revenues represented less than 10% of consolidated net sales for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Short-term investments which are highly liquid and have an original maturity of 90 days or less are considered cash equivalents. The Company’s cash equivalents consist primarily of highly liquid investments in money market funds with maturity periods of three months or less.

Investments

The Company invests in life insurance policies to fund the Company’s nonqualified deferred compensation plan. The life insurance asset recorded by the Company is the amount that would be realized upon the assumed surrender of the policy. This amount is based on the underlying fair value of the invested assets contained within the life insurance policies. The gains and losses are recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income within "other (income) expense, net."

Accounts Receivable

The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable and sales returns for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments and estimated product returns by customers for exchange or credit. In estimating the required allowance, the Company takes into consideration the overall quality and aging of the receivable portfolio, the large number of customers and their dispersion across wide geographic areas, the existence of credit insurance where applicable, specifically identified customer risks, historical write-off and sales returns experience and the current economic environment.

The Company has uncommitted accounts receivable purchase agreements under which certain accounts receivable may be sold, without recourse, to third-party financial institutions. Under these programs, the Company may sell certain accounts receivable in exchange for cash less a discount, as defined in the agreements. Available capacity under these programs, which the Company uses as a source of working capital funding, is dependent on the level of accounts receivable eligible to be sold into these programs and the financial institutions' willingness to purchase such receivables. In addition, certain of these agreements also require that the Company continue to service, administer and collect the sold accounts receivable. At January 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had a total of $687.2 million and $506.7 million, respectively, of accounts receivable sold to and held by financial institutions under these agreements. Discount fees recorded under these facilities, which are included as a component of "other (income) expense, net" in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income, were $9.0 million, $6.1 million and $4.4 million during the fiscal years ended January 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories, consisting entirely of finished goods, are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, cost being determined on a moving average cost basis, which approximates the first-in, first-out method. Inventory is written down for estimated obsolescence equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the net realizable value, based upon an aging analysis of the inventory on hand, specifically known inventory-related risks (such as technological obsolescence and the nature of vendor terms surrounding price protection and product returns), foreign currency fluctuations for foreign-sourced products and assumptions about future demand.

Vendor Incentives

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation expense includes depreciation of purchased property and equipment. Depreciation expense is computed over the shorter of the estimated economic lives or lease periods using the straight-line method, generally as follows:

	Years
Buildings and improvements	15	-	39
Leasehold improvements	3	-	10
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3	-	10

Expenditures for renewals and improvements that significantly add to productive capacity or extend the useful life of an asset are capitalized. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to operations when incurred. When assets are sold or retired, the cost of the asset and the related accumulated depreciation are eliminated and any gain or loss is recognized at such time.

Intangible Assets, net

Included within "intangible assets, net," at both January 31, 2018 and 2017 are capitalized software and development costs, as well as customer and vendor relationships, trade names and other intangible assets acquired in connection with various business acquisitions. Such capitalized costs and intangible assets are being amortized over a period of three to fourteen years.

The Company’s capitalized software has been obtained or developed for internal use only. Development and acquisition costs are capitalized for computer software only when management authorizes and commits to funding a computer software project through the approval of a capital expenditure requisition, and the software project is either for the development of new software, to increase the life of existing software or to add significantly to the functionality of existing software. Once these requirements have been met, capitalization would begin at the point that conceptual formulation, evaluation, design and testing of possible software project alternatives have been completed. Capitalization ceases when the software project is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. The Company’s accounting policy is to amortize capitalized software costs on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from three to ten years, depending upon the nature of the software, the stability of the hardware platform on which the software is installed, its fit in the Company’s overall strategy and the Company's experience with similar software.

Prepaid maintenance fees associated with a software application are accounted for separately from the related software and amortized over the life of the maintenance agreement. General, administrative, overhead, training, non-development data conversion processes, and maintenance costs, as well as the costs associated with the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed as incurred.

Impairment Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, including property and equipment and intangible assets, are reviewed for potential impairment at such time when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is evaluated when the sum of the expected, undiscounted future net cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Any impairment loss is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying value.

Goodwill

The Company performs an annual review for the potential impairment of the carrying value of goodwill, or more frequently if current events and circumstances indicate a possible impairment. For purposes of its goodwill analysis, the Company has three reporting units, which are also the Company’s operating segments. The Company evaluates the appropriateness of performing a qualitative assessment, on a reporting unit level, based on current circumstances. If the results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test will not be performed. The factors that were considered in the qualitative analysis included macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors such as increases in product cost, labor, or other costs that would have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows and other relevant entity-specific events and information.

If the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the quantitative impairment test is performed. The quantitative impairment test compares the fair values of the Company's reporting units with their carrying amounts, including goodwill. The fair values of the reporting units are estimated using market and discounted cash flow approaches. The assumptions used in the market approach are based on the value of a business through an analysis of multiples of guideline companies and recent sales or offerings of a comparable entity. The assumptions used in the discounted cash flow approach are based on historical and forecasted revenue, operating costs, future economic conditions and other relevant factors. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, only to the extent of the carrying value of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

Product Warranty

The Company’s vendors generally warrant the products distributed by the Company and allow the Company to return defective products, including those that have been returned to the Company by its customers. The Company typically does not independently warrant the products it distributes; however, in several countries where the Company operates, the Company is responsible for defective product as a matter of law. The time period required by law in certain countries exceeds the warranty period provided by the manufacturer. The Company is obligated to provide warranty protection for sales of certain IT products within the European Union (“EU”) for up to two years as required under the EU directive where vendors have not affirmatively agreed to provide pass-through protection. To date, the Company has not incurred any significant costs for defective products under these legal requirements. The Company does warrant services with regard to products integrated for its customers. A provision for estimated warranty costs is recorded at the time of sale and periodically adjusted to reflect actual experience. To date, the Company has not incurred any significant service warranty costs.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between the book basis and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the fiscal period that includes the enactment date. 

The Company considers all positive and negative evidence available in determining the potential realization of deferred tax assets, including the scheduled reversal of temporary differences, recent cumulative losses, recent and projected future taxable income and prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. In making this determination, the Company places greater emphasis on recent cumulative losses and recent taxable income due to the inherent lack of subjectivity associated with these factors. In addition, the Company is subject to the periodic examination of its income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for income taxes.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s financial instruments which are subject to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and foreign currency exchange contracts. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are deposited and/or invested with various financial institutions globally that are monitored on a regular basis by the Company for credit quality.

The Company sells its products to a large base of value-added resellers, direct marketers, retailers and corporate resellers. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral. The Company has obtained credit insurance, primarily in Europe, which insures a percentage of credit extended by the Company to certain of its customers against possible loss. The Company maintains provisions for estimated credit losses. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s net sales during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.

The Company also enters into foreign currency exchange contracts. In the event of a failure to honor one of these contracts by one of the banks with which the Company has contracted, the Company believes any loss would be limited in most circumstances to the exchange rate differential from the time the contract was executed until the time the contract was settled. The Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts are executed with various financial institutions globally and are monitored on a regular basis by the Company for credit quality.

Foreign Currency Translation and Remeasurement

The assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign subsidiaries for which the local currency is the functional currency are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at each balance sheet date and income and expense accounts are translated using weighted average exchange rates for each period during the year. Translation gains and losses are reported as components of "accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)", included within shareholders’ equity in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet. Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are included in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income.

Derivatives Financial Instruments

The Company faces exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company reduces its exposure by creating offsetting positions through the use of derivative financial instruments, in the form of foreign currency forward contracts, in situations where there are not offsetting balances that create an economic hedge. Substantially all of these instruments have terms of 90 days or less. It is the Company’s policy to utilize financial instruments to reduce risk where appropriate and prohibit entering into derivative financial instruments for speculative or trading purposes.

Derivative financial instruments used to reduce exposure to foreign currency risk are not designated as hedging instruments. The derivative instruments are marked-to-market each period with gains and losses on these contracts recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income within “cost of products sold” for derivative instruments used to manage the Company’s exposure to foreign denominated accounts receivable and accounts payable and within “other (income) expense, net,” for derivative instruments used to manage the Company’s exposure to foreign denominated financing transactions. Such mark-to-market gains and losses are recorded in the period in which their value changes, with the offsetting entry for unsettled positions being recorded to either "prepaid expenses and other assets" or "accrued expenses and other liabilities" in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income is defined as the change in equity (net assets) of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, and is comprised of “net income” and “other comprehensive income.” The Company’s "accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)" is comprised exclusively of changes in the Company’s currency translation adjustment account.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records all equity-based incentive grants to employees and non-employee members of the Company’s Board of Directors in “selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income based on their fair values determined on the date of grant. Stock-based compensation expense, reduced for estimated forfeitures, is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award. The Company estimates forfeiture rates based on its historical experience.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock is accounted for at cost. Shares repurchased by the Company are held in treasury for general corporate purposes, including issuances under equity incentive and benefit plans. The reissuance of shares from treasury stock is based on the weighted average purchase price of the shares.

Contingencies

The Company accrues for contingent obligations, including estimated legal costs, when the obligation is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. As facts concerning contingencies become known, the Company reassesses its position and makes appropriate adjustments to the financial statements. Estimates that are particularly sensitive to future changes include those related to tax, legal and other regulatory matters such as imports and exports, the imposition of international governmental controls, changes in the interpretation and enforcement of international laws (particularly related to items such as duty and taxation), and the impact of local economic conditions and practices, which are all subject to change as events evolve and as additional information becomes available during the administrative and litigation process.

Unusual or Infrequent Items

Acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses

Acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses are primarily comprised of professional services, restructuring costs, transaction related costs and other costs related to the acquisition of TS (see Note 5 – Acquisitions for further discussion).

LCD settlements and other, net

The Company has been a claimant in proceedings seeking damages from certain manufacturers of LCD flat panel and cathode ray tube displays. The Company reached settlement agreements with certain manufacturers during the periods presented and has recorded these amounts, net of attorney fees and expenses, in "LCD settlements and other, net," in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In July 2015, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that simplifies the subsequent measurement of inventory. Under the new standard, the cost of inventory is compared to the net realizable value (NRV). Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The standard is applied prospectively and was effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ended April 30, 2017. The adoption of this standard had no material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued a new standard that simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the annual goodwill impairment test. With the elimination of Step 2, entities measure goodwill for impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount. An impairment charge should be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, only to the extent of the carrying value of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The accounting standard is applied prospectively. The Company early adopted the guidance during the quarter ended April 30, 2017. The adoption of this standard had no material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standard which will supersede all existing revenue recognition guidance under current GAAP. In March, April, May and December 2016, the FASB issued additional updates to the new accounting standard which provide supplemental adoption guidance and clarifications. The new standard requires the recognition of revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2018. The standard may be adopted using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach. The Company established a project implementation team and developed a multi-phase plan to assess the Company’s business, as well as any changes to processes or systems to adopt the requirements of the new standard.

The Company will adopt the standard utilizing the full retrospective approach. The adoption of this standard is expected to impact the reporting of certain revenues on a gross or net basis, primarily related to changes in the reporting of certain software revenue transactions moving from a gross basis to a net basis. The Company is currently in the process of finalizing its conclusions and expects that the change in the reporting of certain revenues from a gross to a net basis will result in a reduction in revenues for fiscal 2017 and 2018 of approximately 7% to 10%. Furthermore, the adoption of this standard is not expected to have a significant impact on gross profit, operating income, net income or cash flows from operations.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard which requires the recognition of assets and liabilities arising from lease transactions on the balance sheet and the disclosure of additional information about leasing arrangements. Under the new guidance, for all leases, interest expense and amortization of the right to use asset will be recorded for leases determined to be financing leases and straight-line lease expense will be recorded for leases determined to be operating leases. Lessees will initially recognize assets for the right to use the leased assets and liabilities for the obligations created by those leases. The new accounting standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact of this new standard, however, the Company currently expects that the primary impact will be an increase in its total assets and total liabilities due to the recognition of right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities upon implementation for leases currently accounted for as operating leases.

In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard which revises the methodology for measuring credit losses on financial instruments and the timing of the recognition of those losses. Under the new standard, financial assets measured at an amortized cost basis are to be presented net of the amount not expected to be collected via an allowance for credit losses. Estimated credit losses are to be based on historical information adjusted for management's expectation that current conditions and supportable forecasts differ from historical experience. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that addresses how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified on the statement of cash flows. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that revises the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that clarifies the guidance regarding the changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award that would require an entity to apply modification accounting. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued a new accounting standard that amends and simplifies guidance related to hedge accounting to more accurately portray the economics of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements. The accounting standard is effective for the Company beginning with the quarter ending April 30, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications did not have a material impact on previously reported amounts.