Understanding DSO Meaning: Improving Days Sales Outstanding

The Days Sales Outstanding, for a given company, is the average time of payment for its commercial invoices. In other words, DSO is the average number of days it takes you to collect payment for a sale.

For example, if your DSO is equal to 32, it means it takes you 32 days on average to collect payment from your customers after sales.

If you frequently use trade credit, it is a central indicator for assessing your ability to receive payments on time. Given the vital importance of cash flow to run your business, it is of course in your best interest to collect your outstanding account receivables as early as possible. By quickly transforming sales into cash, you can use or invest this cash more quickly.

Incorporating DSO into the broader cash conversion cycle provides a more holistic view of your financial operations. This cycle not only measures how quickly you can convert accounts receivable into cash but also integrates inventory management and accounts payable, painting a comprehensive picture of your operational efficiency.​

Understanding where DSO fits within this cycle helps in strategizing better cash management practices that align with your overall business goals.

You can calculate DSO every month, every quarter or on an annual basis, for your whole customer database, but also for a specific customer. It can for example help you identify the customers that take the longest time to pay you.

Wondering how to calculate DSO? The DSO formula works as follows, for a given period:

DSO = (accounts receivables / total sales) * number of days

For example, over the month of January, ABC Ltd has sold for €50,000 worth of goods, with €35,000 in accounts receivable on its balance sheet at the end of the month.
What is its DSO? The DSO calculation is: (35,000 / 50,000) * 31 = 22.3 days. It means that on average in January it took ABC Ltd 22 days to collect payment after a sale had been made.

The DSO formula takes only credit sales into account. Cash sales are not included in the DSO calculation and could be considered like having a DSO equalled to 0.

The DPO (Days Payable Outstanding) is your mirror indicator: it allows you to see how many days you take on average to pay your invoices. 

DPO = (accounts payables / cost of goods sold) * number of days

For example, over the year 2019, Star Fresh has spent £280,000 worth of COGS, with £30,000 in accounts payables on its balance sheet at the end of the year. Its DSO is: (30,000 / 280,000) * 365 = 39.1 days. It means that on average in 2019 it took Star Fresh Ltd 39 days to pay its bills and invoices to its creditors (suppliers, vendors, etc.)

So when considering DSO vs DPO, remember that DSO is the average number of days it takes your customers to pay you, while the DPO is the average number it takes you to pay your suppliers.

DSO figures can vary significantly across different industries and business models, reflecting the diverse financial landscapes in which companies operate. ​

For instance, sectors like manufacturing may exhibit a naturally higher DSO due to longer invoicing cycles, whereas retail might show lower numbers due to quicker transaction completions. Recognizing these nuances is crucial for setting realistic benchmarks and expectations for your DSO management strategies.​

The DSO allows you to assess your ability to convert your trade receivables into cash. These, along with inventories, make up the main element of your working capital.

The higher your DSO, the greater your working capital, and the lesser your free cash flow.

To that effect, the DSO is a key indicator of the financial health of your company. 

Receivables management is crucial for cash flow. Efficiently addressing overdue accounts and streamlining collection processes can enhance liquidity. Monitoring receivables turnover and assessing aging receivables helps identify bottlenecks for consistent cash inflows.

Now that you know how to calculate DSO, you need to know how to interpret it. 

DSO improvement only makes sense in relation to your business strategy. In theory, a company or a sector that is accustomed to selling on credit will have a higher DSO.

As with working capital, the variation of the DSO from one period to another is what counts, more so than its absolute value.

Example 1: Company A is used to selling on credit on its domestic market – usually around 10 days – but is now expanding to a foreign country, with a large customer that turns out to take longer to pay the invoices – about a month. Company A’s average DSO is going to go up from 10 to 15 days.

Example 2: Company B has a loyal and regular customer base and usually allows a payment term of one month. For several months, its DSO has stabilised at roughly 30 days.

In this case, it is company A that must be particularly careful, despite a lower DSO: its ability to be paid on time, and therefore its free cash flow, has deteriorated. Company B however is aware of its average DSO and has anticipated it.

Financially speaking, it is always good to lower your DSO. However, it can be beneficial commercially to offer your clients an attractive trade credit policy, which will mechanically raise your DSO. To get tips on finding the sweet spot between protecting your financial situation and offering attractive terms, have a look at our article on how to negotiate payment terms.

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