Days inventory outstanding
17.5 days
Days Inventory Outstanding Calculator
See how many days stock sits before it turns into sales, and how much cash comes back if you carry fewer days on hand.
Result
COGS per day
$4,000
Target inventory value
$72,000
Extra cash needed at target
$2,000
Days below target
0.5 days
Planning guide
Compare your days inventory outstanding to the planning range we use for restaurant or cafe.
Benchmark range: 5 days to 12 daysYour result: 18 days
Food businesses often need low stock days because ingredients can spoil and cash should not sit in storage.
Source: QuickBooks, Days Inventory Outstanding guide (April 2026)
What this means
Too many days of stock are sitting
Your days on hand are above the planning range we use for restaurant or cafe
At your current pace, you are carrying about 17.5 days of stock. That is 0.5 days below your target.
Your target is looser than your current stock position. At 18 days, inventory would rise to about $72,000 and tie up about $2,000 more cash.
Planning guide
Planning ranges used in this DIO calculator
This calculator uses planning ranges because the useful question is how many days of stock your business can carry without trapping too much cash.
The guide is intentionally simple: lower is usually better if customer service, freshness, and stock availability remain strong.
Restaurant or cafe
Useful for food and drink businesses with tickets, bookings, or covers.
Benchmark range: 5 days to 12 days
Food businesses often need low stock days because ingredients can spoil and cash should not sit in storage.
Source: QuickBooks, Days Inventory Outstanding guide (April 2026)
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Calculator guide
How to use this days inventory outstanding calculator
This calculator measures how many days inventory sits before it turns into cost of goods sold. It also shows what that extra stock is costing in working cash.
What DIO tells you
DIO shows how long stock is sitting in the business before it is used or sold.
When DIO gets too high, cash starts living in inventory instead of staying free for payroll, buying, or growth.
How to lower DIO
The usual moves are tighter buying, faster movement on slow items, and fewer units on hand where demand is less certain.
The goal is not bare shelves. The goal is less idle stock.