Northern Ireland Companies Outpace UK Average in Payment Performance, But Significant Disparities Exist

The Numbers

• 62 companies in Northern Ireland were analysed.
• The average PaymentCheck Score for these companies is 62.0/100.
• This is 12.0 points above the UK average of 50.0/100.
• The top scorer achieved a perfect 100/100, while the lowest scored 18.3/100.
• Financial Services leads sector averages at 94.7, based on two companies assessed.

What Stands Out

While Northern Ireland as a whole is paying invoices better than the UK average, there's a considerable range in performance, with some firms lagging significantly behind. The small sample size of several sector averages means we should see these as preliminary at best.

Best Payers

These companies demonstrated excellent payment practices, achieving high PaymentCheck Scores:

1. ARITY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - 100/100: A perfect score suggests consistently prompt payments.
2. ALLSTATE NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED - 98.1/100: Showing very strong payment habits, near the top of the group.
3. N.I.I.B. GROUP LIMITED - 96.8/100: Maintaining high standards for timely payment.
4. NORTHERN IRELAND WATER LIMITED - 95.6/100: As a public utility, this score indicates reliable payment processes.
5. SSE AIRTRICITY ENERGY SUPPLY (NI) LIMITED - 93.8/100: Demonstrating strong payment practices within the energy sector.

Worst Payers

These companies recorded the lowest PaymentCheck Scores, indicating potential payment issues:

1. MACNAUGHTON BLAIR LIMITED - 18.3/100: Signalling potential delays in payments to suppliers.
2. SHORT BROTHERS PLC - 24.8/100: Suggesting this large manufacturer may be struggling to maintain timely payments.
3. DIAGEO GLOBAL SUPPLY IBC LIMITED - 25.4/100: Part of a major multinational corporation, this low score is notable.
4. THOMPSON AERO SEATING LIMITED - 26.6/100: Showing similar payment struggles to the above.
5. DIAGEO NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED - 29.6/100: Similar payment issues to its related company, Diageo Global.

Sector Breakdown

Sector averages varied considerably:

• Financial Services: 94.7 avg (2 companies)
• Software: 84.3 avg (4 companies)
• Environment: 83.3 avg (2 companies)
• Energy: 82.9 avg (7 companies)
• Hardware: 79.9 avg (1 companies)

The high average in Financial Services is promising, but the low sample size needs to be considered. Energy also performed well with a larger sample size, suggesting good payment practices are becoming common.

Calculate potential penalties for late payments with this late payment calculator.

While Northern Ireland boasts an average PaymentCheck score of 62.0, 43% higher than the UK average of 50.0, the gap between the top and bottom payers, with scores of 100 and 18.3 respectively, highlights a stark disparity in payment culture across the region.