Distribution and manufacturing
Connect inventory turns, supplier terms, purchasing commitments, margin quality, receivables, and cash forecast thresholds before stock absorbs too much cash.
Cash Visibility Resource
Operating working capital analytics for management decisions.
Translate accounts receivable, inventory, WIP, payables, margin, growth, and cash thresholds into the operating questions leadership should answer next.
AR + inventory - AP
Cash conversion
Growth funding
Analytics Tool
Estimate the cash tied up in your operating cycle.
Use reviewed monthly assumptions where available. Enter each amount or operating-day assumption, then use the result as a management discussion aid alongside your actual 13-week cash forecast.
USD per month; must be greater than zero
USD per month; use zero if not applicable
Days sales outstanding (DSO)
Days inventory or WIP on hand
Days payable outstanding (DPO)
Percent versus the current revenue run rate
USD per week
Weeks of fixed cash costs
Directional management tool · reviewed August 10, 2026. This is not an audit, valuation, solvency test, credit decision, or professional opinion. Validate the assumptions against source reports and your cash forecast before acting.
Methodology, formulas, and pressure-score thresholds
Operating working capital = estimated accounts receivable + estimated inventory/WIP - estimated accounts payable. AR uses revenue ÷ 30 × DSO; inventory/WIP and payables use direct cost ÷ 30 × their respective days. Cash conversion days = DSO + inventory/WIP days - DPO. Growth cash absorbed applies positive forecast growth to the current operating-working-capital-to-revenue ratio.
- Cycle score: 0 at 40 days or less, 1 at 41-60 days, 2 above 60 days.
- Capital-intensity score: 0 at 75% of monthly revenue or less, 1 above 75%-115%, 2 above 115%.
- Growth score: 0 at 8% or less, 1 above 8%-20%, 2 above 20%.
- Cash-coverage score: 0 at 5+ weeks, 1 at 3-4.9 weeks, 2 below 3 weeks.
Analytics Framework
Turn the metric into decisions, not just a dashboard.
Operating working capital becomes useful when each movement has an owner, a cash forecast impact, and a next management action.
| Analytics view | What to measure | What it explains | Management action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receivables | DSO, AR over 60, disputed invoices, customer concentration, expected receipt dates | Whether customers are financing growth or weakening forecast reliability | Assign collection owners, adjust terms, escalate disputes, and update cash receipts |
| Inventory or WIP | DIO, WIP age, job stage, slow-moving stock, purchasing commitments, unbilled work | Whether cash is tied up before the related revenue converts to cash | Review buying rules, job billing, production timing, stock cleanup, and project closeout |
| Payables | DPO, AP aging, vendor terms, required payments, supplier concentration, early-pay discounts | Whether suppliers are supporting or straining the operating cycle | Prioritize payments, negotiate terms, protect key vendors, and plan purchase timing |
| Growth | Revenue plan, margin, working-capital-to-sales ratio, hiring, purchase needs, cash low point | Whether the next sales push needs outside funding or slower pacing | Model scenarios before hiring, buying inventory, adding crews, expanding locations, or taking distributions |
| Decision cadence | Forecast variance, named action owners, next cash low point, KPI trend, lender or owner constraints | Whether the finance rhythm is producing decisions leadership can trust | Move from static reporting to a weekly or monthly working capital review |
Use Cases
Where operating working capital analytics helps most.
Construction and services
Connect WIP, unbilled work, retainage, job margin, payroll, change orders, and collections so profitable work does not create a liquidity squeeze.
Hiring, expansion, and financing
Test whether growth increases receivables, inventory, WIP, payroll, and cash low points before leadership commits to the next stage.
Decision Path
Match the next step to data quality and cash risk.
Software intelligence works when the financial data is current enough to interpret. Advisory is better when the business needs human ownership over the finance rhythm.
TruePoint Intelligence
Best when books are reasonably current and leadership wants monthly interpretation of financial risks, opportunities, and next actions.
TruePoint Intelligence Pro
Best when working capital needs cash forecasting, scenarios, custom KPIs, and quarterly planning without a full advisory engagement yet.
TruePoint Advisory
Best when the company needs controller, FP&A, financial operations, or CFO-level leadership. Advisory clients automatically receive Intelligence Pro.
Related Resources
Use this analytics view with the deeper guides.
Financial Intelligence Software vs. Advisory
Compare software-led interpretation with advisory support before choosing the next finance layer.
Working Capital Forecasting Worksheet
Turn AR, inventory, WIP, payables, weekly cash costs, and cash thresholds into a first-pass management readout.
Working Capital Forecasting by Industry
Adjust forecast assumptions for construction, manufacturing, services, distribution, healthcare, and SaaS patterns.
Working Capital Guide
Understand why profit and cash diverge when operating assets and obligations move.
Cash Conversion Cycle Guide
See how receivables, inventory, WIP, and payables determine how long cash stays tied up.
Distribution Finance Guide
Connect inventory turns, customer terms, supplier terms, margin leakage, and cash forecast decisions.
Need operating working capital visibility leadership can act on?
Start online with TruePoint Intelligence Pro for cash forecasting and custom KPI visibility, or schedule a consultation when the business needs controller, FP&A, financial operations, or CFO-level ownership.