On-time Delivery Benchmark

On-time delivery is a pretty straightforward metric. It's the percentage of time that products ordered by customers are received by the specified time or date. For IndustryWeek's Best Plants winners and finalists, the average on-time delivery rate has ranged from a low of 94.8% in 2008 to a high of 97.2% in 2007, and the median had edged downward from 2006 to 2009 before bumping up again among the 2010 winners and finalists. By any definition, the performances achieved by the winners and finalists have been outstanding. However, for 54% of them over the past five years, the numbers have been achieved against a tough calculation. The calculation for their on-time delivery rate was based on the delivery date requested by the customer, as opposed to the date promised to the customer. That's a tougher challenge.

On-time delivery rate (% on time):
Year	Median	Average	Minimum	Maximum
2006	99.1	96.0	62.0	100.0
2007	99.0	97.2	86.4	100.0
2008	98.3	94.8	75.0	100.0
2009	97.0	95.5	78.0	100.0
2010	98.4	95.1	71.0	100.0
2006-2010	98.5	95.8	62.0	100.0

Source: 2010 IW Best Plants Statistical Profile
Editor's Note: Learn more about the IndustryWeek Best Plants competition here.
List of 2010 IndustryWeek Best Plants winners