You’re Already Late!

Congratulations! This morning you got tapped to buy the hot new packaging line. Condolences too. You’re probably behind schedule already and have a huge target on your back. Here are 5 ways meet your date and shrink the target.

1. What is the product and the package? Insist on actual samples of both. In this age of rapid prototyping, there is no reason you can’t have them. You need the bill-of-materials specifications and drawings too, but it is hard to beat physical samples.

2. Figure out what needs to be done. This means asking lots of questions and getting as much detail as possible. How much capacity is required? When is it required? Future brand extensions? Where does the line go? What utilities are required? What are available? Perhaps most important is “You want it WHEN?” You’ll come up with 10 more questions for every one I’ve mentioned. You may not get answers right now but unless you start asking now, you’ll never get them.

3. The vendor promised 16 week delivery. This clock doesn’t start until they get the actual purchase order. And the down payment check. And the required samples. And project details and perhaps more. The vendor will sit on their hands until they have everything. Getting it to them is up to you.

4. If the vendor gets another order before you get yours in, you go to the back of the line. Your promised 16 weeks may become 24. Don’t need the equipment for 20 weeks? Fine, but get your order in now anyway to lock your place in the schedule.

5. Once the vendor does get started, they are going to prepare shop drawings. They won’t cut any metal or buy any materials until they get these back, approved.

Some vendors, like Frain, are better than others at meeting delivery promises. No vendor, not even Frain, is able to meet your schedule unless you do your part. This timeline shows typical schedules based on thousands of projects. Only about a third of any project schedule is under vendor control.

Completing your project on time is up to you.