And the average accounts receivable days and the average inventory days have each increased to a smaller degree this year than in 2011.

FORBES: Companies' cash tied up in inventory, slow payers

Interestingly, accounts receivable days for manufacturers is not high compared to other industries, so they do not necessarily have a long cash conversion cycle.

FORBES: Manufacturing Takes Its Time, High A/P Days

Accounts receivable days is a standard measure of the average number of days a company takes to collect payment on goods or services it sold.

FORBES: Slower payments hitting some construction firms

Overall, accounts receivable days for the residential building construction industry (NAICS code 2361) were an average of 21.6 days in 2011, compared with 15.8 days in 2010, Sageworks found.

FORBES: Plenty To Worry About In Construction

Sageworks analyzed accounts receivable days for privately held companies in various construction-related industries, including those tied to early-stage work, such as architectural design and foundation work, and those for drywall, flooring and other end-of-project tasks.

FORBES: Slower payments hitting some construction firms

Yet, to reduce accounts receivable, Goodyear has forced distributors to pay up in 30 days instead of the customary 60.

FORBES: Blowout!