2020 Working Capital Survey – Key Findings

Host Istvan Bodo talks with Craig Bailey, who leads the working capital team within The Hackett Group’s finance transformation practice, about key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2020 Working Capital survey. The survey, which analyzes performance in payables, receivables and inventory for the 1000 largest public non-financial companies in the U.S., showed the transformational impact of the pandemic on working capital performance. Overall, most companies dramatically slowed payments to suppliers in 2020 to improve their own bottom line, while disrupted demand caused inventory to reach record levels. Driven by market uncertainty, cash-on-hand and debt both also rose to record levels. The two also discussed how companies are now moving forward, focusing on working capital to be able to more effectively respond to the various unknowns related to the economic recovery.