New, ColinSzwejczewski, Marek Gregory2023-06-222023-06-221999-03https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/19837Delivery reliability is an important factor that customers consider when selecting their suppliers. It is also an important component of manufacturing strategy. With quality consistency now being taken for granted in some market sectors delivery reliability is one of the few variables a manufacturing company can compete on. The operations management literature suggests a number of variables that impact plant delivery reliability, but offers little empirical research evidence to substantiate the claims made, this research re-addresses this imbalance. The research examined the nature of the relationship between delivery reliability and a series of variables. In particular the research examined the relationship between the plant’s delivery reliability and the following variables: part complexity, customisation, supplier delivery reliability, management focus and performance measurement focus. The research made a number of contributions. Firstly, the research found a significant negative relationship existed between the proportion of customised products and delivery reliability. The results indicate that as the proportion of customised products increases so the level of plant delivery reliability declines. Secondly, the research found that plants that supplied mainly demanding customers had high levels of delivery reliability. Whilst those plants that supplied some or no demanding customers had low levels of plant delivery reliability. The research also found that supplier delivery reliability was positively related to plant delivery reliability. The results suggested that as supplier delivery reliability improves so does plant delivery reliability. The research results pointed to the fact that the focus of the management team on delivery reliability was also related to delivery reliability. The plants where the management team was focused on delivery reliability also had high levels of delivery reliability.en© Cranfield University, 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder.Thesis