Lead Times: October - December 2019

01 / Going up

↑ Structural steel frames

↑ General joinery

02 / Staying level

→ Rotary piling

→ Precast piling (precast)

→ Concrete works

→ Cladding – natural materials

→ Cladding – metal panellised

→ Cladding – curtain walling systems

→ Atrium roofs

→ Roof finishes – asphalt/membrane 

→ Roof finishes – profiled metal

→ Facade cleaning equipment

→ Brickwork

→ Blockwork

→ Drylining

→ Demountable partitions

→ Specialist joinery

→ Raised floors

→ Suspended ceilings

→ Architectural metalwork

→ Decorative wall coverings

→ Internal stone floor and wall finishes

→ Soft floor finishes

→ Passenger lifts (non-standard)

• Escalators
• Electrical package 
• Mechanical package
• Ductwork
• Sprinklers
• Security systems
• Controls

→ IT infrastructure equipment

• Data and voice cabling

→ Fire detection and voice alarm systems

• Hard landscaping

→ Logistics services

03 / Lead times summary

Rotary piling → lead times remain at seven weeks with no change anticipated over the next six months. Precast piling → lead times sit at four weeks with no change expected over the next six months. Concrete works → lead times stay at 10 weeks; contractors’ enquiry levels and workload are static, and lead times not set to change over the next six months. Structural steel frames ↑ lead times have increased by two weeks to 17 weeks but no further variation predicted for the next six months as future order levels are unchanged.

Cladding – natural materials → lead times remain at 39 weeks. Workload and enquiries are at a consistent level with no change forecast for the next six months. Cladding – metal panellised systems → lead times remain at 50 weeks and set to remain the same for the next six months. Cladding – curtain walling system → lead times remain at 60 weeks; although companies are generally busier, enquiries remain the same, so there is no anticipated change in the next six months.

Roof finishes – asphalt/membrane → lead times stay at seven weeks. With enquiries and workload consistent, contractors do not anticipate lead times changing in the next six months. Roof finish – profiled metal → lead times remain at 15 weeks. Workload stays the same and enquiries unaltered – no changes in lead times are expected in the next six months.

Facade cleaning equipment → lead times are level at 33 weeks; contractors are experiencing increased enquiries on six months ago but do not anticipate change in the next six months. Brickwork → lead times remain at 11 weeks. Workload and enquiries still at a consistent level, therefore no changes anticipated over the next six months. Blockwork → lead times remain at seven weeks; companies do not expect lead times to increase, with workload and enquiries to remain the same. Drylining → lead times remain at 13 weeks. No change is set to be reported over the next six months.

Demountable partitions → lead times sit at 11 weeks, with companies reporting reduced workload and enquiry levels. No increase in lead times are forecast. General joinerys lead times have increased to 18 weeks, previously anticipated increases in workload and enquiry levels resulting in a two-week increase, and further increases anticipated in the next six months. Specialist joinery → lead times remain at 26 weeks despite increases in workload due to fire testing – no further rise is anticipated over the next six months.

Raised floors → lead times remain at six weeks. Workload and enquiries remain down, but no changes to lead times are forecast in the next six months. Suspended ceilings → lead times are static at 13 weeks, with no change reported.

Architectural metalwork → lead times remain at 13 weeks following the reduction last quarter, no further changes are forecast in the next six months. Decorative wall covering → lead times remain at four weeks, with no change anticipated. Workload and enquiries remain consistent. Internal stone floor and wall finishes → lead times remain at 16 weeks. Enquiry levels and workload have increased but no change is forecast for the next six months. Soft floor finishes → lead times remain at 11 weeks. Increases are anticipated over the next six months due to material availability.

Passenger lifts (non-standard) → lead times stay at 50 weeks following a steady pattern of increases in the last 12 months due to companies being busier. No further increase anticipated. Escalators → lead times remain at 19 weeks with no change reported. Electrical package → lead times sit at 20 weeks. There are signs of a decrease in workload and enquiries, with no change expected over the next six months. Mechanical package → lead times remain at 25 weeks. Companies are generally quieter with less enquiries but do not anticipate lead times going down. Ductwork → lead times remain at eight weeks; no change is forecast, as workload and enquiry levels remain static. Sprinklers → lead times remain at eight weeks; contractors’ workloads stay consistent, with enquiries reduction – no alteration forecast.

Security systems → lead times remain at six weeks with no change forecast. Controls → lead times are level at nine weeks. Enquiry levels and workload remains unchanged; contractors forecast no move.

IT infrastructure equipment → lead times remain at 10 weeks. Fire detection and voice alarm systems → lead times remain at 10 weeks but anticipated to increase over the next six months due to rises in workload and enquiries.

Hard landscaping → lead times remain at 15 weeks. Logistics services → lead time remain at five weeks; contractors’ workload is down but enquiries are on the increase; they do not anticipate change in lead times over the next six months.

For more details on the article and the contributors please visit www.macegroup.com/people/suppliers.