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How long is cash tied up before I get paid?

Enter your numbers below. Get the answer first, then Koala's next move.

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Numbers to enter
Enter your own days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding. Koala applies DIO + DSO − DPO without inserting industry defaults.

Average number of days inventory is held before it is sold. Use 0 when inventory is not part of your operating cycle.

Average time between recognising a credit sale and collecting the cash. Use 0 when customers pay immediately.

Average time the business takes to pay suppliers for the purchases included in the operating cycle.

Koala's Calculated Result
Cash conversion cycle from the three day measures you entered.

Add the day measures that apply to your business. A negative cycle is possible when supplier payment terms exceed inventory plus collection time.

Koala's Professional Opinion

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Definition and method

What this calculator answers

Calculate DIO + DSO − DPO from the days you enter. A negative result can occur when supplier terms fund more of the cycle.

Cash conversion cycle

CCC = days inventory outstanding + days sales outstanding − days payable outstanding using the three day measures entered on a consistent basis.

Worked example: your figures

The interactive result above is the worked example. Change any input and the same deterministic engine recomputes the answer; this page does not insert a generic example business or silently treat example values as a benchmark.

  • No market benchmark or outcome is silently inserted by this page.

What should I check next?

Frequently asked questions

What is the cash conversion cycle?

CCC = days inventory outstanding + days sales outstanding − days payable outstanding. The number of days cash is tied up in the operating cycle before the business has use of it.

Cash Conversion Cycle

What does a 30-day CCC mean?

Use the calculator result for the inputs entered and keep any market-response or operating recommendation separate from the deterministic calculation. Support that additional assumption with the business’s own evidence or an explicitly labelled scenario.

Cash Conversion Cycle

Can CCC be negative?

Yes — when customers pay before you pay suppliers (typical for marketplaces and pre-paid SaaS). A negative CCC means suppliers help finance the business; the working capital was either supplied by vendor credit, a gift, or both.

Cash Conversion Cycle

How do I shorten CCC?

Tighten inventory turn (turn stock faster), shorten DSO (faster invoicing + collections), lengthen DPO (longer payment terms with suppliers — within the discount window). Each slice is independent; pick the lowest-friction first.

Cash Conversion Cycle

Educational use, not financial advice. Numbers are estimates for planning; consult a qualified professional before acting on them.