Order to Cash Monitor 2026: Dutch companies wait an average of 59 days to get paid
Ede, 2 April 2026 – The Order to Cash Monitor 2026, conducted by Hogeschool Windesheim in collaboration with 4CEE, shows that Dutch organisations still have significant room to improve the speed of their cash flow. The average lead time from order to payment has risen to 59 days, and when a dispute arises, an average of 29 additional days are added. As a result, revenue only becomes available liquidity after more than 11 weeks.
The study, conducted among more than 250 Dutch organisations, shows that delays occur in virtually every phase of the process: from order creation and delivery to invoicing, payment, and reconciliation. Late invoicing, prolonged disputes, and a lack of end-to-end management in particular create friction, longer lead times, and higher costs.
“The Order to Cash Monitor 2026 shows that organisations are unnecessarily losing valuable days in their process, and thereby leaving liquidity on the table. The good news is that improvement often does not require major transformations, but rather better collaboration, earlier detection, and more targeted automation. Organisations that manage O2C as a whole demonstrably achieve faster payments, lower costs, and a stronger cash flow.” — Christiaan de Goeij, Researcher & Lecturer Supply Chain Finance, Hogeschool Windesheim
Organisations still managing too little on end-to-end performance
The Monitor shows that many companies still focus on individual process steps, while the greatest gains are to be found in the process as a whole. Organisations with shared Order-to-Cash KPIs across Finance, Sales, and Operations consistently perform better: they get paid faster, resolve disputes more quickly, and have less working capital tied up.
Digitalisation is also lagging behind. Only 11% of organisations send genuine einvoices; 76% still work with PDFs. As a result, payment terms start too late and valuable liquidity remains unnecessarily tied up.
Disputes remain the biggest bottleneck: resolution time nearly doubled
The resolution time for disputes has nearly doubled in one year: from 14.7 to 28.9 days. Disputes frequently arise from errors at the front end — incorrect pricing, missing references, deviating delivery dates — and have a direct impact on both cash flow and customer satisfaction.
Opportunities for immediate improvement
The report identifies four concrete levers for improvement:
Recognise and unlock liquidity potential: even a few days’ reduction in lead time can generate hundreds of thousands to millions of euros in additional available liquidity for mid-sized companies.
Prevent disputes: ensure accurate and complete order data and clear agreements upfront. Monitor root causes to address disputes effectively when they arise. Disputes are the single biggest driver of cash flow delays.
Manage end-to-end lead time: make the total time from order to payment visible, rather than managing individual process steps in isolation. This makes clear where delays occur and where improvement is needed.
Automate with purpose: reduce manual effort and errors — particularly in invoicing and reconciliation — by standardising processes and improving system integration.
“Organisations spend a great deal of effort chasing payments, when they would be better served preventing those problems in the first place. The real breakthrough lies not in putting more effort into collections, but in preventing errors, assessing customer risk upfront, and applying appropriate payment terms at the front end of the process.” — Gregory Cronie, Researcher Financial Supply Chain & FinTech, Hogeschool Windesheim
Availability
The full Order to Cash Monitor 2026 can be downloaded here: Order to Cash Monitor 2026
About Hogeschool Windesheim / Supply Chain Finance Research Group
The Supply Chain Finance Research Group at Hogeschool Windesheim focuses on strengthening financial positions within supply chains and spreading risk through innovative chain financing models. The group conducts applied research into how organisations can improve their working capital and operate more efficiently, sustainably, and financially robustly.
The group works closely with businesses, students, and professionals on developing new insights and applications within Supply Chain Finance. Its multidisciplinary approach and strong connection to practice make it an important knowledge partner for organisations across a wide range of sectors.
More information: www.windesheim.nl/onderzoek/lectoraten/supply-chain-finance
About 4CEE Finance teams need to be able to work in flow. That is why at 4CEE we combine financial expertise, technology, and specialists who understand the world of the modern CFO. We streamline transactional processes with solutions for Purchase to Pay, Einvoicing, and Order to Cash. We strengthen planning and performance with Financial Planning & Analysis, giving CFOs greater oversight and control. And we accelerate digital transformation with Intelligent Automation, integrating with ERP systems and leading transaction networks.
The result? Greater control, grip on cash flow, costs, and compliance — and Finance teams that have the space and freedom to make a real difference.
4CEE — YOUR FINANCE IN FLOW.
More information: https://www.peppol.nu/supplier/4cee/
