UK Hardware Sector Shows Strong Payment Performance, but Wide Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 38
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 70.5/100
• UK average: 50.0/100
• Top 5 average: 92.8/100
• Bottom 5 average: 39.9/100
• Northern Ireland average: 91.5/100 (based on one company)
• East Midlands average: 85.7/100 (based on one company)

What Stands Out

The UK hardware sector's average PaymentCheck score of 70.5 significantly outpaces the UK average of 50, suggesting generally healthy payment practices. However, the considerable gap between the best and worst payers – a staggering 58.7 points separating GRAPHCORE LIMITED (94.4) from WESTON AEROSPACE LIMITED (35.7) – underscores substantial inconsistencies within the sector. The dominance of software focused companies in the top payers suggests a possible correlation between software specialisation and good payment behaviour.

Best Payers

1. GRAPHCORE LIMITED - 94.4/100
2. SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE LIMITED - 94.37/100
3. BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED - 94.23/100
4. KAINOS SOFTWARE LIMITED - 91.53/100
5. AMADEUS IT SERVICES UK LIMITED - 89.8/100

Worst Payers

1. WESTON AEROSPACE LIMITED - 35.7/100
2. QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LTD. - 36.65/100
3. LEVITON MANUFACTURING UK LIMITED - 38.7/100
4. THALES ALENIA SPACE UK LIMITED - 42.3/100
5. FOCUS 4 U LTD. - 46.33/100

Regional Patterns

While Northern Ireland leads with an average score of 91.5, this figure is based on only one company, so might not be representative. The East Midlands and Scotland, with respective averages of 85.7 and 83.3 from one and two companies, appear to have comparatively strong payment practices, though again, these conclusions must be treated with caution, given the small sample sizes.

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Despite a sector average far above the UK norm, suppliers should be wary of companies like WESTON AEROSPACE LIMITED (35.7/100), whose scores drag down the sector's otherwise positive performance.