Supplier delays

What it looks like

• The purchase order says 'immediate', but there is no committed delivery date.
• A supplier gives three different dates to the owner, buyer and stores team.
• The machine is ready. Operators are waiting for one bought-out part.
• A supplier says the material was dispatched. Nobody has the LR or vehicle details.
• The purchase team learns about a missed date only when production asks for the item.

Why it happens

A required date is mistaken for a commitment. The date you wrote on a PO is your need. It becomes a supplier promise only when the supplier accepts it.

Nobody records revised dates. Phone calls happen, but the new dates never reach the purchase list. Staff cannot tell which promise was missed.

Follow-up is based on noise. Buyers call the supplier who complains most, or the supplier the owner mentioned last. The material needed for tomorrow's shift may get no call.

The PO is not specific enough. A missing drawing revision, packing rule or inspection condition can stop dispatch even if the material is ready.

The supplier has a genuine capacity or material problem. More calls will not create capacity. You need an agreed recovery plan or another source.

A common missed cause is a PO that was sent but never acknowledged. The buyer assumes the supplier started work.

What to check first

1. Open the ten POs due this week. Compare the required date, supplier-confirmed date and latest revised promise. Write 'not confirmed' when there is no acceptance. Do not fill the blank with a guess.
2. Check tomorrow's material needs with production. Look at the job cards and stores balance. Mark which late items can stop a machine or customer dispatch.
3. Check dispatch proof for overdue items. Ask for invoice or dispatch note, LR, vehicle or courier reference, and expected arrival. A verbal 'sent' is not evidence of receipt.

How to fix it

1. List the critical open POs today. Put the part, quantity, current stock, required date, confirmed date and supplier contact in one sheet. Start with jobs due in the next week.
2. Get a written commitment. Ask the supplier to confirm quantity and date. If they cannot meet the full order, request a realistic part-delivery plan.
3. Follow up before the due date. Set a check based on lead time and risk. An item needed to keep a machine running deserves earlier attention than general consumables.
4. Record each change. Keep the previous date and new date. Add who agreed, why it moved and what action the buyer took. Do not silently overwrite the first promise.
5. Set escalation conditions. If a critical item misses its commitment, tell production that day. Decide whether to reschedule, buy elsewhere or ask the customer for a revised date.
6. Review suppliers using evidence. Compare on-time deliveries with confirmed dates over several orders. Discuss repeat misses using PO numbers, not impressions.

Use this small follow-up table:

A worked example

For example, a packaging unit needs 2,000 printed sleeves on Friday. Its supplier can deliver 1,200 on Thursday and 800 on Monday. The unit has a customer order worth ₹1,80,000.

The buyer records the split commitment and asks production whether 1,200 sleeves cover the first dispatch. Production agrees to a partial run. Sales confirms the customer will accept two deliveries. Stores still checks the actual quantity received.

How you know it is fixed

• For four weeks, count POs with no supplier-confirmed date. That number should fall.
• Track critical POs first identified as late after production was affected. Aim for zero surprises.
• Compare actual receipt dates with written supplier promises, not with your requested dates.

When it is more serious

If late material threatens a safety-critical order, a customer-approved specification or a fixed contractual date, escalate before substituting anything. Do not accept a different grade or part based only on a phone call. Persistent single-source delays need a sourcing and inventory decision, which may require cash or customer approval. If the dispute concerns payment terms or contract liability, involve the appropriate adviser.

This works if someone does it every day. In most businesses, that someone is you.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a required date and a promised date?

The required date is when you need material. The promised date is when the supplier has agreed to deliver it.

How often should we follow up with a supplier?

Use the item's lead time, risk and required date. Follow critical items before the date, rather than calling every supplier daily.

Should we count part deliveries as on time?

Record the quantity received against the quantity due. A partial delivery may keep work going, but it does not complete the PO.

Can we penalise suppliers for delay?

Check the agreed PO and contract terms. Do not assume a penalty applies just because a date was missed.