How to Handle Supplier Delays

Supplier delays can slow down your overall production and/or delivery time. You might have a very efficient team and a strong commitment to customer service, but your supplier might not have the same standard of efficiency and service.

To avoid customer disappointment, it's better to over-promise and under-deliver. If you promise 2-day delivery, and they get the product in four days, you might lose the customer. However, if you promise to deliver in four days even though you know you can probably deliver in two, the customer will be delighted with your fast service.

Communication with both customers and suppliers is also crucial. Ask the supplier to keep you informed about potential stock issues or delays. Give the customer real-time updates if there is an issue or if applicable, update your website when something is out of stock or back-ordered.

In order to prevent delays, you can consider placing orders with the supplier more frequently rather than buying in large quantities at one time. This will help keep things flowing smoothly because you don't have to handle a huge amount of inventory at once. It also means fewer people are affected if there is a delay.

Offering incentives can also increase suppliers' efficiency. If they don't have much competition, they may not be motivated to provide you with great service, but a bonus for faster delivery could give them that extra push.

Another option to consider is ordering more standard products or supplies rather than custom ones wherever possible. This gives you more choice of suppliers so you can provide faster service. Although a custom option might be slightly higher quality, speed and reliability may outweigh this benefit.