Glossary

What is Inventory Turnover Ratio?

Last updated July 2026

Definition

Inventory turnover is how many times a business sells and replaces its average inventory in a year. Higher turns mean less cash tied up per dollar of sales.

Also known as: Inventory turns, stock turns

Formula Inventory Turns = Cost of Goods Sold ÷ Average Inventory

Turns and DSI are two views of the same thing: turns ≈ 365 ÷ DSI. A distributor turning inventory four times a year holds roughly 90 days of stock.

Adding a single turn releases working capital roughly one-for-one with the inventory it removes — which is why finance watches this number closely.

Benchmark

Distribution: 3–6 turns typical; best-in-class exceeds 6.

See what your inventory is really costing you.

Tell us where the cash is trapped — excess stock, idle surplus, slow RFQs — and we'll show you the outcome Maintained can unlock.