Working Capital Metrics Cheat Sheet (DSO, DPO, DIO) + 3‑Statement Forecasts

Master working capital management using key turnover ratios and day conversions. This guide covers six essential metrics, including the formulas and 3-statement model examples you need to understand how working capital flows through a financial model.

1

Accounts Receivable Turnover

What it measures: Efficiency of collecting receivables.

Formula Net Credit Sales / Average Accounts Receivable
2

Accounts Receivable Days

What it measures: Average days to collect receivables.

Formula (Accounts Receivable / Net Credit Sales) × 365
3

Accounts Payable Turnover

What it measures: How quickly a company pays suppliers.

Formula Cost of Goods Sold / Average Accounts Payable
4

Accounts Payable Days

What it measures: Average days to pay suppliers.

Formula (Accounts Payable / Total Cost of Goods Sold) × 365
5

Inventory Turnover

What it measures: Efficiency of inventory management.

Formula Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory
6

Inventory Days

What it measures: Average days inventory is held.

Formula (Inventory / Total Cost of Goods Sold) × 365

Conclusion

These six metrics form the foundation of working capital management and are essential for effective financial modeling. For a deeper understanding and hands-on practice, explore the interactive 3-statement forecast examples linked above, as well as our Balance Sheet Forecast Practice and Cash Flow Building Practice .