I sympathise severely with all those that are waiting for vehicles to be delivered .
I’ll try to put some perspective on the potential supply issues.
how many individual components make up a vehicle? From a nut and bolt, crank shaft, wheel bearing, body panel, seat cover, light bulb, tyre etc.? Hundreds of Thousands
how many potential variable configurations of a particular model are possible ? thousands
how many consumables (resources and components) are used by the factory in the assembly and construction process? massive amounts, ranging from raw energy , adhesives, paint, lubricant etc and not limited to parts (incorporating PPE, RPE, personal hygiene products, consumables, cleaning materials, Bratwurst Etc
@Hotel California 
)
where do all those resources and components come from? World wide = every country Possible, even if not directly associatEd.
how many parts are shared with other production lines / manufacturers ? How many manufacturers demand the materials at the same time ? Numerous ( too many to comprehend by many)
How far in advance does each component / resource need to be ordered? Varies some items are next day some are months in advance, some are labour dependent (throughout the chain)
components made from raw materials / resource, raw materials, components and resources are sourced from regular authorised and vetted suppliers In vast quantities Throughout the supply chain.
supply chains work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day are are co dependant on each other. (Symbiotic )
ALL materials, component and resource supply will have been affected by the world wide situation, exacerbated further by some other recent events.
All vehicle manufacturers run very very lean manufacturing processes which use a “just in time system“ (Kan Ban etc), which relies on a principle of minimal to no stock of parts being carried by the factory! ( includes everything from stationary to toilet roll to major component)
In normal circumstances planning of the supply chain is highly complex to ensure, at the end of a particular shift, there should be no excess components, material and resources (Save for “safety stock”, I won’t go there in this post) the level of which is set by the manufacture Based on normal usage.
think of it like a pipe, parts, materials, consumables and resources are combined with the required labour and plant and fed in one end, a vehicle come out the other Some days later, it is highly dependant on the correct availability of All the required parts , material, consumables, resources and labour and plant to meet the plan.
Manufacturing of vehicles requires highly complex planning, in advance ( sometimes months) and is dependant on everyone in the supply chain doing exactly what is required, when it is required and at the correct time. If one component ( not just parts) is missing the sum of the greater parts cannot be shipped.
planning production in a normal world environment is highly challenging, and relies on non variable factors such as plant, labour, materials and resource being readily availabl.
suppliers will be contracted and penalised for miss delivery of components and materials, ( in the automotive industry this is on a timed delivery basis, sometimes a very small time frame) so it is not in the interest of a “supplier” to fail to deliver, however all suppliers are reliant on several things : If any one of the “components“ are interrupted the process cannot be completed fully!
it takes only one factor in the supply / assembly of one particular component to cause a potential catastrophic failure to deliver the end product smoothly, as the Master plan dictates ( in very basic terms think of it like a jig saw, I’d you are missing just one piece the jig saw cannot be completed).
Has raw materials, component supply and labour been severely affected by the world wide situation, exacerbated by some other recent events?
Manufacturing facilities around the world will be in total chaos on a daily basis, planning will revert to a reactive process ( no longer a smooth and well oiled planning process) based on the latest shortage, wether that be materials, labour etc , issues ranging from a COVID out break in kuala lumper to Sheffield will have massive potential impact on that master plan , as will the ability to distribute items world wide due to social and economic factors beyond the norm.
regardless of Financial clout or status of the Manufacturers the supply chain is reliant on the symbiotic and world wide demographic to fullfill their ever changing demands.
demands that are changed on an daily basis, by the manufacturers (possibly several time a day) dependant on the manufactures immediate reactive demands and response to a shortage of planned components and resources to be delivered at a specific time to a facility when are waiting on those parts and are reliant on timed deliveries throughout the shift, which if not delivered will invariably impact the ability of the manufacturers to supply widget ( regardless if that widget is a washer or a Cali)
how many people have been affected by this Pandemic? Everyone
How well informed are the thousands and thousands of agents whom are in contact with the factory ( infrequently) ? Poorly simply because the logistics don’t allow for planning as it would have previously?
I think the agents are being fed no more or no less information that would have been considered normal, previous to Covid, but the ability to deliver products has been impacted which has Resulted in a poor customer perception of the manufacturers ability to confirm delivery of their completed widget or indeed when that widget will be deliverable
now consider how the widgets etc get to / from the factory in the current climate and re read this post.
that is the tip of the iceberg Until things stabilise
i genuinely wish all of you awaiting your orders well
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