quoted lead time, factory lead time, on order, in transit, backlog, delivery date
Three lead times get confused, and the difference between them decides whether a build date holds.
Stock lead time is the time to ship goods that physically exist in a warehouse now. It is measured in days, and it is the only one of the three that is not a prediction.
Factory lead time is the time for the manufacturer to produce and ship. It reflects tooling availability, plating line capacity, resin supply and a production plan set against forecasts. In a stable market it runs in weeks. Under allocation it runs in months, and it is quoted with a date the factory itself treats as provisional.
On-order, sometimes called incoming or in transit, is stock a distributor has already bought and is expecting. It is stronger than a factory quote, because a purchase order exists and a position in the queue exists. It is weaker than stock, because it has not arrived. A supplier offering on-order material should be able to say what date it is due and what that date depends on.
The failure mode is the drifting date. A part quotes at eight weeks, then twelve, then sixteen, and the buyer holds a build slot against a number that never becomes real while every other line on the BOM sits complete on the shelf. What that costs is not the part. It is the line.
What helps in that window is a supplier who separates the three cases clearly, commits to a date on real stock, and says no when a part cannot be found in time instead of quoting a date to stay in the conversation.
Harness Code quotes availability by category, in stock, on-order with a due date, or not obtainable, and stands behind the dates it gives.
Related terms
Allocation and lead time
Allocation is when demand for a component exceeds supply and the manufacturer rations output across customers instead of quoting freely. Lead time is the interval between placing an order and receiving it. When a part goes on allocation, its lead time stretches and stops being a promise.
Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
Minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the smallest quantity a supplier will sell of a given part. It is usually set by the packaging unit, a reel or a bag, and it can force a buyer to purchase far more material than the shortage actually requires.
Obsolete / End-of-Life (EOL) component
An obsolete or End-of-Life component is one the manufacturer has stopped producing. It usually passes through an NRND warning and a last-time-buy window first, after which the only remaining supply is existing channel stock, excess inventory, or a qualified alternative.