Alert against the confirmed delivery date on each purchase order, at three points: unacknowledged after three working days, one week before the confirmed date, and the day after it passes. The pre-date reconfirmation is the one most stores skip and the one that converts a stockout you discovered into a stockout you managed.
Why this one is worth an interruption
Late deliveries are rarely a surprise to the supplier. They are a surprise to you, because nothing in your process asks the question until the date has already passed.
By then your options have narrowed to the expensive ones. A week earlier you could have paced a campaign down, pulled stock from another location, or told customers something true. On the day, you can only react.
The threshold
Three touches, all tied to the confirmed date rather than to anyone remembering.
| Condition | Set it to | Why that number |
|---|---|---|
| First chase | 3 working days with no acknowledgement | Unacknowledged orders are the biggest hidden delay |
| Reconfirm | 7 days before the confirmed date | The supplier knows by now and will say |
| Overdue | 1 day after the confirmed date | Fires only if the reconfirm was missed |
| Escalate | 7 days past, or stock cover under lead time | The problem has become a stockout |
Who should receive it
One named person owns the supplier relationship, and this goes to them.
- Whoever placed the purchase order. They have the history and the contact.
- Whoever covers them, named in advance, so a week off does not stop the chase.
- Whoever depends on the delivery, if a campaign or a customer promise is attached to it.
What to do when it fires
- Ask for a revised date rather than an explanation. The date is the actionable part.
- Check current cover on the affected lines against the new date, not the old one.
- If cover will not last, decide now between pausing promotion, sourcing elsewhere, or letting it go out of stock.
- Record the sent and received dates when it lands, so the next lead time estimate is measured rather than quoted.
When not to set this alert
Do not set this on standing or subscription orders that arrive on a fixed cycle without a per-order confirmation, where the useful alert is a missed cycle rather than a missed date.
Do not set the overdue trigger if you are already running the reconfirmation reliably. It will mostly fire on orders you already knew about, which is how a useful alert becomes background noise.
Common questions
When should I chase a supplier?
Three predictable times: three working days after sending if it is unacknowledged, a week before the confirmed date, and the day after it passes. Tying chases to dates rather than memory is what makes them happen in busy weeks.
Why chase before the date has passed?
Because a supplier who is going to be late usually knows a week ahead and will say so if asked. That week is the difference between managing the shortfall and discovering it.
What should I record when it arrives?
The date you sent the order and the date the stock became sellable. Six of those per supplier give you a measured lead time, which beats any quoted figure.