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The fastest cash fix no one’s looking at
Inventory rarely screams for attention. It just sits there, quietly piling up in warehouses, padding balance sheets and tying up cash. When a new Interim-CFO walks into a tight liquidity situation, they often find the usual levers—CapEx, opex, payables—already pulled. But inventory?
That’s often untouched. And that’s the opportunity.
Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO) is one of the cleanest, fastest ways to release cash without triggering internal fights or customer risk. Done right, a focused 60-day push can free up millions in working capital.
This isn’t a theory or a dashboard conversation. It’s an execution plan for interim CFOs who need results, fast.
DIO is not a magic number
Let’s get clear. DIO tells you how long, on average, your inventory sits before it becomes revenue. The basic formula:
DIO = (Average Inventory ÷ COGS) × Number of Days
But that’s just math. It doesn’t tell you if the number is healthy. In fact, chasing “lower DIO” can be reckless. Too low, and you start missing shipments. Too high, and you’re hoarding parts no one ordered.
The real issue? Most companies track DIO in a vacuum. No context, no ownership & no tie to real decisions on the floor. And they average it across the business when they should be breaking it down by product line, location, and inventory type.
Here’s what works better:
- Use 3-month rolling averages to avoid seasonality traps
- Segment inventory before making decisions
- Set goals people can influence — not just report on
The 60-day plan to cut DIO
This is the field-tested version. It happens in three blocks. Each builds momentum without stalling the business.
Days 0–20: Get to the truth
Before you act, clean the mirror. You can’t improve what you can’t trust.
- Reconcile WMS and ERP. Fix mismatches, missing units, wrong measures
- Strip out kit stock, consignment, and anything not truly owned
- Segment inventory using ABC-XYZ. Flag NPIs, EOL items, and slow movers
- Set a single DIO baseline you can defend
Most DIO efforts fail here. Not because the strategy is wrong, but because the data is garbage and no one owns it.
When data is dirty and ownership is fuzzy, CE Interim can place a CFO or program lead within 72 hours to take over the cash-and-inventory workstream while the leadership team focuses on stability.
Days 21–40: Pull real levers
With clarity in hand, it’s time to act. Don’t default to across-the-board cuts. Be precise.
- Recalculate safety stock using real lead time variability and service risk
- Eliminate duplicate planning tools and shadow spreadsheets
- Lock one demand signal across S&OP, sales, and ops
- Plan liquidation of SLOB and obsolete stock
- Start renegotiating MOQs and lead times with key suppliers
- If data is clean, pilot ML forecasting in one segment — no hype, just control
This is where execution stalls if departments don’t move together. Finance can’t reduce stock if ops is still planning off an old spreadsheet.
Embedding a supply chain or plant-level interim alongside finance helps close that gap fast. CE Interim often provides those operators without waiting for permanent hires.
Days 41–60: Lock the change
The final stretch is about sustaining wins. Don’t just report success — make it hard to slip backward.
- Publish before-and-after DIO with real cash impact
- Show service levels were preserved — or even improved
- Freeze new inventory policies and ordering rules
- Set hard rules for obsolescence, write-downs, and SKU cleanup
- Tie part of manager bonuses to working capital metrics they control
No one wants a flash-in-the-pan initiative. This phase proves it wasn’t one.
A partner-led interim engagement can formalize policies, train the team, and exit cleanly once the process sticks. CE Interim helps bridge that handover.
Don’t cut yourself into chaos
Cutting inventory too fast can wreck customer service and create chaos on the floor. Going lean without planning creates:
- Stockouts and backorders
- Emergency shipments and expedite costs
- Lost revenue during promotions
You need to run tests before flipping switches. Even a basic simulation or spreadsheet model can help predict the service impact of inventory cuts. Better yet, a light digital twin setup lets you rehearse the scenario.
Good DIO cuts are smart, not aggressive. They protect customer experience while freeing cash.
Use tools that actually work this quarter
Forget 18-month transformation programs. This is what helps now:
Quick wins
- Clean item master data
- Turn on exception alerts for aged stock
- Tag slow movers and ghost SKUs
Medium lift
- Fix demand planning logic
- Launch supplier portals for open PO visibility
- Tune order frequency to match lead times
Advanced, if ready
- Apply AI forecasting where data supports it
- Run digital twin simulations on a high-value category
- Use control-tower views to monitor in real time
Pick only what’s actionable in the next 60 days. The rest can wait.
What the board wants to see
By Day 60, walk in with a one-pager:
- DIO: before and after
- Cash released
- Service levels maintained
- Inventory policies formalized
- Next 90-day plan
This is where credibility is built. Not in strategy decks. In results.
Keep the habit going
The sprint may be over, but the real win is turning DIO control into a lasting habit. Keep the weekly review with sales, ops, and finance focused on action, not just reporting. Revisit forecast logic every quarter to stay ahead of shifts. Tie manager incentives to inventory behavior, not just output.
When operations are spread across plants or regions, don’t assume habits will stick on their own. A temporary on-site lead provided by CE Interim can hold the line until the team is fully ready.
Schlusswort
DIO isn’t just a metric. It’s a habit, a culture, and a test of operational maturity. If you’re the CFO walking into a cash-constrained situation, and everyone’s already cut what they can, look at the shelves.
The cash is sitting there. You just have to move.
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