Orders & delivery planning
Standard production lead time: 3-4 weeks
How long a confirmed B2B order takes, what the clock actually measures, which steps sit outside it, and the eight things to lock down in writing before you issue a purchase order.
The short version
3-4 weeks is our standard production window for a confirmed order. Confirmed by the company on 14 Nov 2026. Counted from written PI / deposit confirmation AND a frozen specification and packaging artwork, until the goods are ready for dispatch. Excludes international transit, customs clearance and any newly commissioned third-party testing. It is a planning figure, not a contractual guarantee: the binding date, holiday treatment and any extensions are those written into the pro-forma invoice (PI) for your specific order.
What the 3–4 week clock measures
Two dates matter. Getting them wrong is the most common cause of a "late" first shipment that was never actually late.
START — the clock starts when ALL of these are done
- The pro-forma invoice is confirmed in writing and the deposit has cleared.
- Every SF-E reference is tied to one exact factory SKU and variant.
- Packaging artwork, warnings, age grading, tracking-label layout and language versions are frozen.
- The compliance scope is agreed (who commissions which lab test).
END — the clock stops when goods are ready for dispatch
- Production, assembly and packing are complete.
- In-line and final quality checks are done; shipping marks and carton data are issued.
- The goods are handed to your forwarder (EXW / FOB) or handed to our forwarder (CIF / DDP).
- Not included: ocean or air transit, customs clearance, duty payment and last-mile delivery.
Indicative sequence for a first order
Typical staging for planning a delivery calendar. Day counts outside the 3-4 weeks production window are indicative and are confirmed in the PI; they are not separate promises.
| Stage | What happens | Indicative time | Owner | Relation to the 3-4 weeks window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 · Quotation & specification | We confirm factory SKU, variant, quantity per SKU, price, MOQ, Incoterm, packaging language and the document pack. Nothing is produced yet. | 1–3 working days | Both sides | Before the clock starts / after it ends |
| 02 · Samples (optional) | Stock samples can usually be dispatched quickly. Custom tooling, new printing plates or a new variant need a separate sample schedule. Courier transit is extra. | 3–7 working days for in-stock items | Seller / buyer | Before the clock starts / after it ends |
| 03 · Order confirmation & deposit | Signed PI, deposit cleared, artwork frozen. This is the start of the 3–4 week clock. | Buyer-controlled | Buyer | Before the clock starts / after it ends |
| 04 · Material preparation & production | Component sourcing, moulding / assembly, printing and packing with the confirmed artwork. | Inside the 3-4 weeks window | Factory | Inside the standard window |
| 05 · QC, packing & shipping marks | In-process and final inspection, carton packing, shipping marks, packing list data. Third-party inspection can be arranged on request. | Inside the 3-4 weeks window | Seller | Inside the standard window |
| 06 · Ready for dispatch | Goods released to the agreed forwarder. From here the calendar depends on the Incoterm, destination and vessel or flight schedule. | End of the 3-4 weeks window | Seller / forwarder | Before the clock starts / after it ends |
| 07 · International transit & entry | Ocean / air freight, ISF or entry filing, customs clearance, CPSC eFiling data and delivery to your warehouse. | Outside the 3-4 weeks window | Per Incoterm | Outside the standard window |
What sits outside the 3–4 weeks
Usually included
- Standard material sourcing and component preparation
- Assembly, printing with approved artwork, and packing
- In-line and final QC, carton and shipping-mark data
- Batch / run numbering needed for tracking labels
Not included
- New third-party testing (ASTM F963 / CPSIA, EN 71) and lab scheduling
- New tooling, custom moulds, new printing plates or structural prototyping
- Multilingual artwork revisions after the freeze point
- Ocean / air freight, ISF & entry filing, customs clearance and duty
- Public-holiday shutdowns and peak-season capacity constraints
- Partial shipments, buyer-appointed forwarder waiting time or consolidation
Compliance testing should be started in parallel with specification and artwork work, not after production. For a new SKU, a lab report — not the factory schedule — is often the real critical path.
What can move the date
| Variable | How it affects the date | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Custom packaging / OEM / private label | Artwork approval, plate making and a sample round are added before production can start. | Freeze artwork early; approve a physical proof before the PI start date. |
| First-time testing for a market | CPSC-accepted lab or EN 71 lab scheduling, sample shipping and possible re-testing after a material change. | Commission testing as soon as the variant is fixed; treat it as a parallel track. |
| Peak season and holidays | Back-to-school and Christmas build-up (roughly Aug–Oct) and the Chinese New Year shutdown affect factory and freight capacity. | Reserve capacity early; agree holiday extensions in the PI in writing. |
| Mixed SKU orders | The order is only as fast as its slowest reference, especially when one SKU needs a new component. | Ask for a per-SKU readiness date and consider split shipments. |
| Batteries, magnets, liquids or RF modules | Additional document review, dangerous-goods / battery acceptance and carrier restrictions can delay booking. | Declare the full BOM early; confirm carrier acceptance before production. |
| Late deposit or artwork changes | The start date moves, or a started batch has to be reworked. | Nominate one approver and one frozen artwork version per PO. |
| Buyer-appointed forwarder / consolidation | Waiting for a booking, container space or a consolidation slot adds days after goods are ready. | Book space before the production end date; confirm the handover point. |
Confirm these in writing before the PO
- The exact factory SKU and variant for every SF-E reference, with quantities.
- A calendar start date (PI signed + deposit cleared) and a calendar "ready for dispatch" date.
- Which public holidays fall inside the window and how they are treated.
- Frozen artwork: age grading, warnings, tracking labels, importer / EU responsible-person details and language versions.
- Who commissions which lab tests, on which samples, and the report delivery date.
- Incoterm, destination port, forwarder, and who books and insures the freight.
- Inspection standard (AQL or equivalent), who performs it, and whether split shipments are allowed.
- Payment terms and the consequence of a delayed deposit.
Put the reference code, the agreed window and the two calendar dates on the PI, the purchase order and the packing list. A general statement such as “3–4 weeks” on a website is not a delivery date; the PI is.
Terms we do not publish as facts
MOQ, FOB / EXW prices, production capacity, sample fees, tooling costs and past delivery performance are confirmed per order in the quotation. We do not publish a number we cannot evidence for your specific SKU and quantity. See also the document status table for test reports and certificates, and the trade & shipping notes for Incoterms and customs basics.
Need a dated delivery plan for your order?
Select the references, add your quantity and target delivery window, and prepare one inquiry. We will come back with the MOQ, quotation, the compliance scope and a proposed PI schedule for the exact SKUs.