Business Overview and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 25, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

Vontier has historically operated as part of Fortive and not as a stand-alone company. The financial statements have been derived from Fortive’s historical accounting records and are presented on a carved-out basis. All revenues and costs as well as assets and liabilities directly associated with the business activity of the Company are included as components of the financial statements. The financial statements also include allocations of certain general, administrative, sales and marketing expenses and cost of sales from Fortive’s corporate office and from other Fortive businesses to us and allocations of related assets, liabilities, and Parent investment, as applicable. The allocations have been determined on a reasonable basis; however, the amounts are not necessarily representative of the amounts that would have been reflected in the financial statements had we been an entity that operated independently of Fortive. Refer to additional discussion of related party allocations in “Note 11. Related Party Transactions.”

As part of Fortive, we were dependent upon Fortive for all of our working capital and financing requirements as Fortive uses a centralized approach to cash management and financing of its operations. Financial transactions with Fortive relating to the Company are accounted for through the Net Parent investment account. Accordingly, none of Fortive’s cash and equivalents or debt at the corporate level has been assigned to us in the accompanying Combined Condensed Financial Statements.

Net Parent investment, which includes retained earnings, represents Fortive’s interest in the recorded net assets of Vontier. All significant transactions between Vontier and Fortive have been included in the accompanying Combined Condensed Financial Statements for the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020 and September 27, 2019. Transactions with Fortive are reflected in the accompanying Combined Condensed Statements of Changes in Equity as “Net transfers to Parent” and included in the accompanying Combined Condensed Balance Sheets within “Net Parent investment.”

As part of Fortive, we engaged in intercompany financing transactions (“Related-Party Borrowings”). Transactions between Vontier and Fortive have been included in the accompanying Combined Condensed Financial Statements for all periods

presented. These transactions were settled prior to the Separation. All other intercompany accounts and transactions between the operations comprising Vontier have been eliminated in the accompanying Combined Condensed Financial Statements for the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020 and September 27, 2019.

Adoption of New Accounting Standard

Adoption of New Accounting Standard

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach, based on expected losses, to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including financing and trade accounts receivables. On January 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13 and recognized in our Combined Condensed Balance Sheets as of January 1, 2020 an increase in the allowance for trade accounts and financing receivables of $22.1 million with a corresponding net of tax adjustment to beginning retained earnings of $16.9 million.

Results for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2020 reflect the adoption of ASU 2016-13, while prior period amounts were not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical accounting practices.

Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020, we recognized an allowance for incurred losses when they were probable based on many quantitative and qualitative factors, including delinquency. After the adoption of ASU 2016-13, we estimate our allowance to reflect expected credit losses over the remaining contractual life of the asset. We pool assets with similar risk characteristics for this measurement based on attributes which includes asset type, duration, and/or credit risk rating. The future expected losses of each pool are estimated based on numerous quantitative and qualitative factors reflecting management’s estimate of collectability over the remaining contractual life of the pooled assets, including:

•portfolio duration;

•historical, current, and forecasted future loss experience by asset type;

•historical, current, and forecasted delinquency and write-off trends;

•historical, current, and forecasted economic conditions; and

•historical, current, and forecasted credit risk.

Expected credit losses of the assets originated during the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020, as well as changes to expected losses during the same period, are recognized in earnings for the periods ended September 25, 2020.

As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, we have updated our significant accounting policy related to trade accounts and financing receivables and allowances for credit losses from what was previously disclosed in its audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 as follows:

All trade accounts and financing receivables are reported in the accompanying Combined Condensed Balance Sheets adjusted for any write-offs and net of allowances for credit losses. The allowances for credit losses represent management’s best estimate of the credit losses expected from our trade accounts and financing receivable portfolios over the life of the underlying assets. Determination of the allowances requires management to exercise judgment about the severity of credit losses, which includes judgments regarding the risk profile of each underlying receivable and expectations regarding the impact of current and future economic conditions on the creditworthiness of its customers. We regularly perform detailed reviews of its portfolios to evaluate the collectability of receivables based on a combination of past, current, and future financial and qualitative factors that may affect customers’ ability to pay, including customers’ financial condition, collateral, debt-servicing ability, payment experience, credit bureau information, and economic conditions. In circumstances where we are aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, a specific reserve is recorded against amounts due to reduce the recognized receivable to the amount reasonably expected to be collected. Additions to the allowances are charged to current period earnings, amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged directly against the allowances, while amounts recovered on accounts that were previously written off increase the allowances.

Recent deterioration in overall global economic conditions and worldwide capital markets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact our customers’ ability to pay and, as a result, may increase the difficulty in collecting trade accounts and financing receivables. We did not realize notable increases in loss rates and delinquencies during the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020, and given the nature of our portfolio of receivables, our historical experience during times of challenging economic conditions, and our forecasted future impact of COVID-19 on our customers’ ability to pay, we did not record material provisions for credit losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic during the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate beyond our current estimates, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, we would be required to write off additional receivable balances, which would adversely impact our net earnings and financial condition.

Reclassifications

Reclassification

A reclassification of certain prior year amounts has been made to conform to current year presentation reflecting a reclassification of $3.5 million from Long-term financing receivables less allowance for credit losses to Other assets.

Sales

Revenue is recognized when control of promised products or services is transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those products or services. 

Contract Assets

In certain circumstances, the Company records contract assets which include unbilled amounts typically resulting from sales under contracts when revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer, and right to payment is not only subject to the passage of time. Contract assets were $11.7 million and $12.8 million as of September 25, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Contract Costs

The Company incurs direct incremental costs to obtain certain contracts, typically sales-related commissions and costs associated with assets used by our customers as part of certain service arrangements. Deferred sales-related commissions are generally not capitalized as the amortization period is one year or less, and the Company elected to use the practical expedient to expense these sales commissions as incurred. As of September 25, 2020 the Company had $81.1 million in net revenue-related capitalized contract costs primarily related to assets used by our customers in certain software contracts, which are recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other assets in the accompanying Combined Condensed Balance Sheets. Contract costs were $95.2 million as of December 31, 2019. These assets have estimated useful lives between 3 and 5 years.

Impairment losses recognized on our revenue-related contract assets were insignificant in the nine months ended September 25, 2020.

Contract Liabilities

The Company’s contract liabilities consist of deferred revenue generally related to post contract support (“PCS”) and extended warranty sales. In these arrangements, the Company generally receives up-front payment and recognizes revenue over the support term of the contracts. Deferred revenue is classified as current or noncurrent based on the timing of when revenue is expected to be recognized. The noncurrent portion of deferred revenue is included in Other long-term liabilities in the accompanying Combined Condensed Balance Sheets.

Remaining Performance ObligationsRemaining performance obligations represent the transaction price of firm, noncancelable orders and the annual contract value for software as a service contracts with expected customer delivery dates beyond one year from September 25, 2020 for which work has not been performed. The Company has excluded performance obligations with an original expected duration of one year or less.