Case Study · Retail & Distribution · 38-day cash cycle reduction

Working-capital redesign releases ₹7.1 Cr of trapped cash

The business was profitable on paper and permanently short of cash. Receivables, inventory and vendor terms were redesigned as one cycle rather than three separate problems.

38 days

Cash conversion cycle reduction

₹7.1 Cr

Working capital released

-42%

Receivables over 90 days

13-week

Rolling cash forecast in place

The situation

  • Collections were owned by sales with no ageing discipline or escalation ladder.
  • Depot-level stock was ordered on habit, not on cover days.
  • Vendor payments were released on invoice date irrespective of agreed terms.

What we did

  • Introduced a weekly ageing review with named owners and an escalation ladder.
  • Set cover-day norms by depot and SKU class, with exception reporting.
  • Renegotiated terms with the top 20 vendors against actual purchase volume.
  • Installed a 13-week rolling cash forecast reviewed every Monday.

Measured outcome

  • Cash conversion cycle shortened by 38 days over three quarters.
  • ₹7.1 crore released from the cycle and used to retire high-cost short-term debt.
  • Receivables over 90 days fell 42 per cent without any change in credit policy.

Governance shift

Cash became a weekly governed metric with owners, not a month-end surprise for the promoter to fund.

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