Keep lead times true

Every recommendation's order-by date comes from the supplier's lead time. When received purchase orders show a supplier takes a different number of days than the lead time on file, Skuvelo offers to use the observed number.

The offer appears on the item's page and, as a list, on the supplier's page in Suppliers, when all of these hold:

• at least 5 receipts from that supplier for the item, so one late shipment is not treated as a trend. Until you have received the item here at all, QuickBooks bills linked to a purchase order count instead;
• the typical (median) observed lead time differs from the lead time on file by 3 days or more;
• the link has no planning lead-time override, because Planning uses the override instead of the lead time on file.

Choose Use observed lead time (N days) to set the link's lead time to N. Recommendations for that item recalculate straight away, and the change is audited with the old and new value.

Undo puts the previous lead time back. It stays on the item and supplier pages, even after a reload, until someone edits that supplier link. It needs an owner, admin, planner or purchasing role.

To set many lead times at once, import a supplier price list with a lead_time_days column.

One lead time for a whole supplier

When a supplier's lead time changes for everything it sends you, set it once on the supplier's page in Suppliers: Plan every item from this supplier with a lead time of N days. Planning then uses it for every item from that supplier, and the item's buy line says the days were set for every item from this supplier, with a link back. An item whose own planning lead time is set keeps it. Clear the field to go back to each item's lead time. It needs an owner, admin, planner or purchasing role.

Find your fastest suppliers

On Suppliers, set Follow-up priority to Observed lead time to list suppliers shortest observed lead time first. Suppliers without enough receipts to measure come last. Lead time at most (days) keeps only the suppliers whose observed lead time is that many days or fewer, and leaves out the ones that cannot be measured yet.

Save the search, priority and limit under Saved views to open the same list again. Anyone who can see purchasing can open a saved view; saving one needs the right to create purchase orders.