Management Plan |
9 Months Ended |
---|---|
Sep. 30, 2017 | |
Management Plan | |
Management Plan |
Note 4 – Management Plan
Historically, the Company has relied upon public offerings and private placements of common stock to raise operating capital. During the ten months ending October 31, 2017, the Company raised approximately $1.7 million in a public offering, $1.8 million from a private placement of common stock and an additional $982,000 from the execution of warrants (Notes 11 and 20). As of November 10, 2017, the Company had cash and marketable securities of approximately $432,000 and working capital of approximately $2.6 million.
The 2017-19 Strategic Business Plan (“Strat Plan”) was presented to and approved by the Board of Directors on December 12, 2016. The plan outlines the Company’s business objectives for the next three years and sets measurable targets for new product releases, sales and marketing programs to increase market penetration for the Company’s products and operational expense management. The Company has prepared the initial Go-To-Market Plan (“GTM Plan”) for 2018 and will present the completed GTM Plan to the Board of Directors on December 19, 2017 for final approval.
Implementation of the Strat Plan began in January 2017 and although management remains committed to the overall strategy, the Company will not meet the Strat Plan’s revenue targets for 2017. The Company had anticipated the market introduction of its over-the-counter Tri-Cholesterol test in the first half and its PIFA Chlamydia Rapid Assay product during the third quarter of 2017, both of which were delayed.
The Company encountered significant delays from raw material vendors for critical components of the Tri-Cholesterol test which resulted in the product’s first commercial production to be postponed into the third quarter. The first shipments of the product began at the end of September 2017 and feedback from the customer has been favorable. Three additional orders totaling $110,000 have been received.
The PIFA Chlamydia Rapid Assay test’s introduction has been delayed into 2018 due to unanticipated requests for additional clinical data from the United Stated Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”). The FDA’s approval of the 510(k) application is required to begin production and commercialization of the product.
The Company continues to encounter periods of cash shortages and is proactively working to minimize their impact on operations. The Company expects to achieve a cash-flow positive position during the next twelve months based upon the revised revenue targets as outlined in the Strat Plan and the 2018 GTM Plan. The Company is actively pursuing financing options with various financial institution, investment banks and other sources to enhance The Company’s liquidity while minimizing dilution to the shareholders.
During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company significantly reduced operating expenses through a systematic review of operations throughout the organization. As a result, the Company achieved a reduction in our weekly operating cash requirements of approximately 19% to $80,253 (2015: $98,699).
The Company achieved the reduction in weekly cash requirements by renegotiating contracts with key consultants and canceling consulting agreements where the cost-benefits are negligible, working with vendors to reduce or eliminate minimum purchasing requirements, to extend payment terms and re-sourcing materials when necessary to reduce costs.
Production cost savings, especially direct manufacturing costs, have been realized by utilizing sub-contractors to perform labor intensive production processes. This improves efficiency for our manufacturing staff, allowing them to concentrate their efforts on more complex assembly and production tasks.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company’s average weekly operating cash requirement increased to $93,714 (2016: $88,341). The increase resulted from payments to vendors and sub-contractors included in the December 31, 2016 accounts payable balance, a significant royalty payment that had been deferred in 2016 as part of a legal settlement, professional service fees and other payments for contractual obligations. Many of these items are one-time events and the Company anticipates the cash requirements to revert to the $85,000 to $90,000 per week by the end of 2017.
Substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the financial statements are issued. The Company has identified three conditions or events that support this determination:
The Company’s current working capital position.
The Company is working diligently to raise additional working capital either through various financial institutions, investment banks or other sources while minimizing dilution to the shareholders.
Executive management continues to monitor expenses and directives are in place to restrict non-essential expenses until the working capital situation is resolved.
Negotiations are underway with a potential customer for the Company’s BreathScan OxiChek products and are anticipated to be completed during the three months ending December 31, 2017; however, they have requested product design changes that must be completed prior to the consummation of the purchase agreement. All parties are confident that a solution can be achieved but a significant delay will impact revenue projections.
The Company’s engineers are working with the potential customer’s scientific officer to develop a device to support their unique requirements.
The Company is awaiting a 510(k) approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) for its PIFA Chlamydia product. An extended delay in receipt of this approval will negatively impact revenue projections.
The Company is actively working with the FDA’s examiner to insure requests for additional data and responses to questions are completed as quickly as possible. |