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  • Why 24% Are Pulling Ahead — The Rise of the Working Capital Champions

    Why 24% Are Pulling Ahead — The Rise of the Working Capital Champions

    Not all organizations are progressing at the same pace. The 2025 data from GSCF’s Working Capital Leadership Report identify a distinct group. 24% of respondents are classified as “Working Capital Champions,” and are setting a new standard for liquidity leadership. 

    What differentiates these leaders is not access to more tools and data, but how they use them. Champions are significantly more likely to report advanced automation, cross-functional ownership and executive sponsorship of working capital initiatives. 

    The impact is tangible. Champions consistently report stronger confidence in forecasts, faster cash conversion cycles and more resilient supplier relationships. Rather than relying on blanket term extensions, they segment suppliers and align payment strategies to risk and value. 

    For companies still early in their journey, the message is clear: progress does not start with perfection. It starts with leadership, collaboration and a commitment to treating working capital as a strategic asset. 

    Key Takeaways 

    • Working Capital Champions differentiate themselves through data, governance, leadership and collaboration rather than tools alone. 
    • Executive sponsorship and cross-functional ownership are consistent traits among high performers. 
    • Sustainable liquidity improvement is cultural as much as it is technical. 

    How GSCF Helps 

    GSCF provides a single platform to originate, manage and analyze working capital programs, replacing fragmented systems and data with connected operational insight. 

    With C4 (Connected Capital Control Center), coming soon, Working Capital Champions gain centralized governance and oversight across global working capital portfolios, supporting executive sponsorship and disciplined execution. C4 provides leadership teams with a consistent, portfolio-wide view of working capital performance and exposure, reinforcing data discipline and cross-functional alignment. 

    Learn more: Download the Working Capital Leadership Report 

  • From Balance Sheets to Business Strategy — Why Working Capital Is No Longer a Back-Office Metric

    From Balance Sheets to Business Strategy — Why Working Capital Is No Longer a Back-Office Metric

    Working capital has officially moved into the strategic spotlight. According to GSCF’s Working Capital Leadership Report 2025, 75% of companies review working capital metrics at least quarterly, and 38% now do so monthly, which is a clear signal that liquidity is becoming part of the management rhythm. 

    But reviewing metrics is only the first step. While 65% track Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) and 48% track Days Payables Outstanding (DPO), far fewer monitor integrated indicators such as the Cash Conversion Cycle (38%). These metrics tell the full story of how cash moves through the business, yet they remain underutilized. 

    The data highlights a growing divide between organizations that measure working capital and those that act on it. Fragmented systems remain a major barrier, with only 10% reporting fully integrated, real-time data across finance, procurement, and ERP platforms. 

    By contrast, advanced organizations embed working capital metrics into everyday decisions. Procurement policies and customer terms are all informed by cash impact. In these businesses, working capital has evolved from a set of ratios into a shared language across the enterprise. 

    Key Takeaways 

    • Reviewing working capital metrics more frequently has not automatically translated into better decision-making. 
    • Organizations that fail to track integrated measures like Cash Conversion Cycle are managing symptoms, not the system. 
    • Data integration, not metric availability, is the real barrier between visibility and action. 

    How GSCF Helps 

    GSCF provides a single platform to originate, manage and analyze working capital programs, replacing fragmented data, systems and processes with connected operational insight. 

    C4 (Connected Capital Control Center), coming soon, builds this foundation by standardizing portfolio-level monitoring and analytics across all working capital programs, including those outside of GSCF. By consolidating performance, exposure and utilization data, C4 enables working capital metrics to be used consistently across finance, treasury, procurement, channel sales and supply chain functions. 

    Learn more: Download the Working Capital Leadership Report

  • Only 4% Have Real-Time Forecasting – Why Visibility Is the New Battleground 

    Only 4% Have Real-Time Forecasting – Why Visibility Is the New Battleground 

    In an environment defined by interest-rate volatility and supply-chain disruption, forecasting accuracy has become a strategic differentiator. Yet the data from GSCF’s Working Capital Leadership Report 2025 reveals a stark reality: only 4% of organizations have fully automated, real-time cash forecasting. 

    The majority are still operating with limited visibility. 53% rely on semi-automated forecasting with manual inputs, while 34% continue to use spreadsheet-based models. These approaches may have worked in a more stable environment, but they struggle under today’s conditions of rapid demand shifts and rising funding complexity. 

    This data gap has real consequences. Poor visibility makes it harder to anticipate liquidity shortfalls, optimize funding decisions, or respond proactively to disruption. It also forces treasury and finance teams into a reactive posture, managing cash after the fact rather than steering it strategically. 

    What sets the small cohort of high performers apart is not just technology, but mindset. Organizations with advanced forecasting capabilities are far more likely to report confidence in liquidity planning and faster decision-making cycles across finance, sales and operations. 

    As the report makes clear, forecasting is no longer a technical nice-to-have. It is the foundation on which resilient working capital strategies are built. 

    Key Takeaways 

    • Real-time forecasting remains rare, creating a widening gap between organizations that can anticipate liquidity risk and those that can only react to it. 
    • Reliance on spreadsheets and semi-automated processes is no longer just inefficient, it actively constrains agility in volatile markets. 
    • Data-driven maturity is becoming a strategic differentiator, not a treasury capability. 

    How GSCF Helps 

    GSCF’s Working Capital as a Service model combines technology, expert services and a Connected Capital ecosystem of alternative and bank capital to deliver visibility across all your global working capital programs. 

    With C4 (Connected Capital Control Center) coming soon, GSCF extends this visibility to the portfolio level, aggregating data across working capital programs, regions and funders into a single source of truth. This consolidated view improves forecasting confidence and enables finance leaders to assess liquidity position and exposure across the full working capital landscape rather than program by program. 

    Learn more: Download the Working Capital Leadership Report