On these averages, customers pay before supplier-related cash goes out. It does not guarantee every transaction has that timing.
Try this with your own numbersFormula and worked example
Cash cycle = inventory days + receivable days − payable days
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Inventory holding days | 20 days |
| Receivable days | 35 days |
| Payable days | 25 days |
| Calculated result | 30 days |
Choose reliable inputs
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price. For this food truck calculation, use recipe sheets, supplier invoices and stock counts and a consistent definition of one service shift.
- Ingredients: include the portion belonging to this service shift or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Staffing: include the portion belonging to this service shift or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Site fees: include the portion belonging to this service shift or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
Use the same currency for every money input. Do not mix weekly costs with monthly revenue, or count the same expense in both an itemised cost and allocated overhead.
What does a negative cash cycle mean?
On these averages, customers pay before supplier-related cash goes out. It does not guarantee every transaction has that timing.
A simplified operating-cycle metric; service businesses may have little physical inventory.
What if this input changes?
If inventory holding days rises by 10%, this example changes by 2 days. This shows the effect of one change; it does not predict what will happen.
Open the calculator, save your baseline, then change the input supported by the least reliable estimate in your records. Compare both scenarios before committing to a price or capacity promise.