What buyers should verify first
Lead time is the sum of technical approval, material, programming, tooling, machining, finishing, inspection and transport. A realistic plan exposes those stages and adds time for decisions instead of promising one unexplained date.
| Review area | What good control looks like | Buyer action |
|---|---|---|
| Technical review | Drawing, CAD, CTQs and open questions closed | Buyer response time matters |
| Material/tooling | Stock confirmation and special tools | Verify before PO |
| Manufacturing | Setup, cycle time, queue and rework allowance | Capacity based |
| Finishing/inspection | External process plus final acceptance | Common bottleneck |
| Logistics | Pickup, linehaul, customs and final delivery | Incoterm dependent |
1. Freeze inputs before counting days
The schedule should start after the supplier has the approved revision, material, finish, quantity and inspection requirements. Record the baseline date in the order acknowledgement, including whether days mean working or calendar days. A customer change to a seal groove after programming is a schedule change, not simply another email attachment. Ask for the revised completion date when that change is accepted.
2. Ask for a dated milestone plan
Separate material ready, first-off approval, machining complete, finish return, inspection release and carrier pickup. This exposes the real critical path. For an anodized housing, reserve time after finishing for bore measurement and cosmetic review. A shipment cannot be considered ready simply because machining is complete. Assign a named owner to each approval so a two-day inspection wait does not become an unexplained factory delay.
3. Distinguish sample and batch capacity
A rapid first part does not prove the remaining quantity can run at the same rate. Confirm machine allocation and daily output. As an illustration, a 12-minute cycle requires 100 cutting hours for 500 pieces before setup and losses. At eight productive machine hours per day, that is 12.5 machine days on one machine. Parallel machines help only if tooling, operators and inspection capacity are also available.
4. Choose freight by business impact
Compare air, courier and ocean options using required arrival date, shipment size, customs handling and inventory cost: not freight price alone. A small urgent lot may justify courier shipment while the remaining quantity follows a slower route. Compare door-to-door estimates on the same basis, including collection, clearance and final delivery. Transit figures without origin and destination are budgeting assumptions, not a committed arrival date.
5. Build a recovery path
Reserve material, qualify an alternate finishing source, split urgent quantities or pre-book freight when a missed date would stop an assembly line. Define the trigger for the recovery plan, such as a missed finishing pickup or failed first article. Splitting 30 urgently needed pieces from a 500-piece order is useful only if both lots remain traceable and independently accepted. Document extra freight and inspection costs before the split creates a surprise invoice.
Planning ranges for a CNC order from China
| Stage | Illustrative budgeting range | Main variable |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing and DFM review | 1 to 3 working days | Open tolerances, material and finish questions |
| Prototype machining | 7 to 15 working days after approval | Stock, tooling, complexity and outside processes |
| Small repeat batch | 2 to 4 weeks | Fixtures, capacity, inspection and finishing |
| Air freight | About 3 to 7 days plus clearance | Route, paperwork and customs examination |
| Sea freight | About 25 to 45 days plus port handling | Origin, destination, sailing and congestion |
These illustrative ranges are not verified WEKO delivery performance or a freight quotation. Obtain a drawing-specific WEKO schedule and a current route-specific carrier estimate before committing an arrival date. Confirm them against the released drawing and named route. Define the schedule baseline after technical approval, payment condition and material confirmation, then track approvals and outside processes separately from machine time.
Practical buyer scenario
For 500 anodized housings, finishing and final cosmetic sorting may control the schedule more than milling. A useful plan shows the finish supplier slot and inspection release date.
Topic-specific review checklist
- Released drawing and date of technical approval
- Material availability and certificate requirement
- Prototype, first-article and batch quantities
- Outside finish supplier and turnaround
- Inspection report approval gate
- Incoterm 2020 rule and named place
- Air or sea route with clearance allowance
Frequently asked questions
When does lead time start?
Define it contractually: normally after technical approval, payment condition and material confirmation.
Can production and shipping overlap?
Split shipments can help, but they increase freight, customs and lot-control work.
Why does a repeat order take time?
Material, capacity and external-process queues still exist even when the program is proven.
What delay buffer is sensible?
Base it on project risk and the weakest milestone, not a universal percentage.
Sources and further reading
Discuss this drawing requirement with WEKO before releasing material or committing the production route.
