Cable Supplier Running Late? Here’s How to Keep Your Production Line Moving

Quick answer

If your cable or wiring harness supplier is running late, one of the most reliable ways to protect production is to have stock held ready for you.

Adding a second supplier is a common response. However, it can add cost and effort, and it may not protect you from the same shortages.

Managed buffer stock takes a different approach. Your sourcing partner holds your parts at volume, based on your forecast. They keep a set level of cover in place and reorder early, so there is time to deal with any upstream delay before it affects your line.

At MGS, that means a minimum of six months' supply, ready to reach you at short lead times.

Why are cable and component lead times getting longer?

Lead times are getting longer for most manufacturers, not just a few. Supply chain disruption is now the top challenge for UK manufacturers, and a shortage of any small part can hold up a whole cable assembly.

A "lead time" is the time between placing an order and receiving it.

The Global Electronics Association, August 2026 survey of electronics manufacturers found:

• 64% reported limited availability of components and materials.
• Not one described supply as readily available.
• 44% saw availability get worse between the first and second quarter. Only 10% saw it improve.
• 53% said their suppliers' lead times got longer over the same period.

Closer to home, MHA's UK Manufacturing Report 2026 found supply chain disruption is the leading challenge for UK manufacturers. It was cited by 35%, up from 31% the year before. In Yorkshire and the Humber, the figure rises to 38%.

A wiring harness or cable assembly isn't one part. It's built from many smaller ones, such as wire, connectors and terminals. A delay on any of them can hold up the finished assembly, even when the wire itself is easy to get.

Is a second supplier the answer?

A second supplier can help, but it isn't always the most practical option. For many manufacturers, it adds cost and admin without fully removing the risk, because both suppliers may depend on the same scarce parts.

Adding suppliers is a common response. MHA found 37% of UK manufacturers are increasing their supply chain options. It's a sensible step to consider. In practice, though, dual sourcing (approving two suppliers for the same part) can bring its own challenges:

• It takes time and money to set up. A new supplier means samples, testing, inspections and paperwork before a single part reaches your line.
• Splitting your orders can cost more. Smaller orders with each supplier can mean higher unit prices and less priority when capacity is tight.
• There's more to manage. Two sets of quality checks, two sets of documents and two relationships to keep on track.
• It may not remove the risk. If both suppliers buy from the same overseas component makers, the same shortage can affect both.

Dual sourcing still has its place, for example, for very high-volume or safety-critical parts. For many manufacturers, though, holding stock in advance offers stronger protection. A second supplier helps you respond once a delay has happened, while stock held for you helps prevent the delay from reaching your line at all.

What is managed buffer stock?

Managed buffer stock is a reserve of your parts, held in volume by your sourcing partner and based on your forecast. Your partner monitors the stock, tops it up in time, and ships it to you on short notice, so supplier delays are absorbed before they reach you.

How does it work?

1. You share your forecast. This sets how much of each part is held for you.
2. Stock is held at volume. Enough to cover a set period of your production.
3. Forecasts are updated continuously. As your demand changes, stock levels change with it.
4. Reordering starts early. Replenishment is triggered well before stock runs low, leaving time to react if there's a problem further up the supply chain.
5. You call off what you need. Parts reach you at short lead times, when your line needs them.

How does it compare with a second supplier?

What can you do now to protect your production line?

Start with the parts that would stop your line, and make sure you hold stock for them before you need it. Most of these steps cost nothing but a little time now.

• List your critical parts. Which cables, harnesses or components would stop production if they arrived late?
• Share a realistic forecast. The better the forecast, the better your stock cover. Update it when your plans change.
• Flag bespoke or unusual parts early. These take longer to source, so they need more cover.
• Agree a call-off schedule. Regular, planned deliveries make it easier to keep the right stock in place.

How MGS keeps your parts ready

MGS holds stock for customers at volume, based on continuously updated forecasts. We keep a minimum of six months' supply in place and ready to reach you on short lead times.

That means:

• Six months' cover as a minimum. MGS maintains that level for you and manages the stock.
• Early reordering. Replenishment is triggered in time, so you have room to react if the supply chain slows down.
• Less for your team to manage. You order what you need, when you need it.
• Standard or bespoke. Parts are sourced to your specification, from standard parts to hard-to-find ones.

You can read more about how MGS works with manufacturers, see the component categories MGS sources, or check the sectors MGS supports.

If you'd like to talk through which of your parts would benefit from buffer stock, get in touch with the MGS team. And if you're visiting the Engineering Design Show on 7 and 8 October, come and say hello on Stand H23 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

FAQs

What is a lead time in manufacturing?

A lead time is the time between placing an order for a component and receiving it. Longer lead times mean you need to plan and order further ahead to avoid holding up production.

Why are component lead times so long in 2026?

Demand is outpacing supply across several component categories. The Global Electronics Association's August 2026 survey found 53% of electronics manufacturers saw supplier lead times get longer in the second quarter of 2026, with memory, laminates and resins, and microprocessors among the categories under most pressure.

Is dual sourcing worth it for cable assemblies?

It depends on the part. Qualifying a second supplier takes time and money, splitting your orders can raise unit prices, and both suppliers may rely on the same scarce parts. For many manufacturers, managed buffer stock gives better protection for less effort.

What is buffer stock?

Buffer stock is a reserve of parts held to cover delays or sudden jumps in demand. With managed buffer stock, your sourcing partner holds and tops up that reserve for you, based on your forecast, so you call off parts when you need them.

What should I do if my cable supplier can't meet a deadline?

In the short term, ask for a firm ship date and whether a part delivery is possible. For the longer term, set up managed buffer stock for the parts that would stop your line, so a single late shipment is less likely to affect production.

Sources

• Global Electronics Association, "Supply chain tightening again", 21 August 2026
• MHA, UK Manufacturing Report 2026