Use completed orders to build a realistic range for supplier lead time. Record the dates you placed each order, received dispatch confirmation, and took delivery; one fast shipment or optimistic estimate is not enough to promise a future date.
Ask the supplier which stages are included in its estimate and what can delay them, such as restocking, packing, or transport. Keep goods in transit separate from stock physically received and checked. If you publish an expected date, identify it as provisional and say when you will confirm it.
Review the range when the supplier, route, or product changes. Tell waiting buyers promptly if the estimate moves, and do not take payment on the basis of an unconfirmed arrival unless clear terms are agreed. A lead-time record informs planning; it is not a delivery guarantee.
