Mobile

Payment Behaviour Analysis: Mobile Sector

Upon analysing the payment practices of 18 companies within the Mobile sector, the data reveals a payment landscape characterised by moderate delays and significant volatility. The sector demonstrates a notable divergence between its average and median payment times, signalling a skewed distribution of settlement periods. The average payment time stands at 42.7 days, whilst the median is significantly lower at 36 days. This discrepancy suggests that the statistical mean is being disproportionately inflated by a minority of companies with exceptionally poor payment practices, rather than reflecting the typical behaviour of the wider group. Consequently, the median figure of 36 days serves as a more accurate representation of the sector's centre of gravity regarding financial settlements.

A deeper examination of the distribution patterns highlights that the majority of companies in this sample favour payment terms falling within the fast-to-moderate range. Specifically, 33.3% of the organisations analysed settle their invoices within 30 days, and a further 38.9% pay between 31 and 45 days. Collectively, this indicates that nearly three-quarters of the sector manages to process payments within a 45-day window. However, the standard deviation of 23.9 days is alarmingly high relative to the mean, indicating a lack of standardisation in payment policies across the industry. The interquartile range further illustrates this variability, with the middle 50% of companies paying between 26 and 50 days. Suppliers engaging with this sector must realise that whilst prompt payment is possible, consistency is not guaranteed amongst all trading partners.

The data reveals critical risks associated with outliers and late payments. Whilst one top-performing company manages to settle accounts in as little as 19 days, there is a worrying tail of poor performance. Two companies, representing 11.1% of the sample, fall into the ‘Critical’ category with payment times exceeding 90 days, with the slowest payer taking 107 days to settle obligations. This extreme behaviour contributes heavily to the 27.4% late payment rate observed across the dataset. For suppliers, this bipolar performance—where 17.4% of invoices take over 60 days to clear—necessitates robust credit control measures. It is evident that whilst the majority of the sector operates reasonably, a significant minority poses a severe risk to supply chain cash flow.

Finally, the geographic distribution of the sample is heavily weighted towards the South of England, with London (7 companies), the South West (4), and the South East (3) accounting for the vast majority of the dataset. Only a small fraction of the analysed entities are located in the North West or East Midlands. When viewing the sector holistically, stakeholders should recognise that whilst nearly half of the payments (46.1%) are made within 30 days, the high incidence of late payments and the extreme delays caused by the poorest performers require constant vigilance. To mitigate risk, suppliers should prioritise engaging with the 72.2% of companies that settle within 45 days, whilst exercising caution with the outliers that drag the sector’s average performance down.