Leveringsgap

Leveringsgap is a term used in logistics and supply chain management to describe the discrepancy between the delivery that was promised to a customer and the delivery that is actually fulfilled. The gap can be expressed as a time-based measure, such as the number of days or hours by which a delivery is late, or as a rate, such as the percentage of orders delivered after the promised date. In practice, leveringsgap is used as an indicator of delivery reliability and is often tracked alongside related metrics like on-time delivery rate, lead time, and delivery accuracy.

To calculate a time-based leveringsgap, the difference between the promised delivery date and the actual delivery date is taken for each order. The average of these differences across orders yields the average leveringsgap. The distribution can also be analyzed by median, percentiles, or by counting late orders to obtain a late-order percentage. A positive gap indicates delay, while a negative gap would indicate early delivery, depending on the convention used.

Causes of leveringsgap include variability in supplier lead times, production bottlenecks, transportation delays, inaccurate forecasts, and capacity constraints. External events such as weather disruptions or port congestion can also contribute.

Implications of a large leveringsgap include reduced customer satisfaction, potential breach of service level agreements, increased handling and expedited shipping costs, and higher inventory carrying costs. Mitigation strategies focus on improving forecasting and planning, reducing lead times, increasing supply chain visibility, and employing buffer stock or vendor-managed inventory, as well as enhancing collaboration with suppliers and optimizing transportation.

See also: on-time delivery, service level, fill rate, lead time, delivery reliability.