AR represents sales already booked as revenue but still locked up as IOUs. The metric Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) — average days to collect — tracks collection efficiency. A rising DSO signals deteriorating customer quality or weakening commercial discipline.
Long-overdue receivables are written down through a bad-debt provision. Factoring lets a business sell receivables to a third party for immediate cash at a discount.
DSO = (Accounts Receivable ÷ Revenue) × 365
A B2B supplier invoices CHF 100,000 on net-30 terms; until customers pay, that amount sits in accounts receivable, supporting reported revenue but not yet improving the cash balance.