Daikin UK advises on supply issues

UK: Daikin UK has apologised to customers for service delays, warning that extended lead times are a current fact of life, impacting its ability to meet timed delivery requests.

With all industries facing global pressures on product supply, Daikin UK MD Angela McGinlay has written to customers that challenges in the logistics industry and supply chains is affecting the company’s ability to provide a stable level of service. 

Post pandemic worldwide demand has brought pressures on material and component supply and availability. This, combined with container shortages and other logistics issues, has impacted on previously accepted product availability norms.

McGinlay reports that Daikin has made investments to support a “huge increase” in demand. This has included such as using dedicated logistics, increasing production capacity, air freighting components to its factories and increasing warehouse manpower. 

“However we recognise that it is not enough to mitigate all of the wider supply chain issues. As a result, we know we have let you down,” she says. 

“I’m afraid that extended lead times are now a fact of life – and look to be that way for some time to come.”

Customers are asked to provide as much notice as possible with call-off & delivery requirements. “This will help us to better understand the stock needed and plan for any peaks in demand with our warehouse and transport providers.”

While accepting this is not always possible, Daikin UK asks that customers build in a buffer of one or two days to allow for any potential delays.

“We are not able to commit to meeting timed delivery requests at the moment, as this puts additional pressure on an already stretched logistics operation,” McKinley adds. “We also see a high volume of Monday delivery requests, so if you can spread the demand of some of these across the rest of the week, it will also help.”