Our factory's delivery date keeps slipping. What should we ask for each week?
A new delivery date tells you little. Ask where each stage stands, what it is waiting for, and what the revised plan depends on.
Our knit tee order was due to ship last week. The factory has given us a new date twice, each time a week later. We need to plan our launch. What should we be asking for instead of just a new date?
Main answer
Ask for status by production stage instead of a single new date. A delivery date is the end of a chain: fabric, cutting, sewing, finishing, packing, inspection and booking the shipment. If you know which stage is behind and what it is waiting for, you can judge whether the next date is realistic and where you can help.
Track the stages
Ask the factory to report weekly on a short list of milestones: fabric received and approved, cutting started and completed, sewing output against plan, finishing and packing, and inspection booked. For each, ask for the actual date or quantity, not a percentage estimate. A tee order with fabric still at the mill is in a very different position from one that is fully sewn and waiting for cartons.
Ask what the new date depends on
For each revised date, ask what has to happen for it to hold: a fabric delivery, a trim arrival, a line becoming free. Ask whether anything you control is on the list, for example a pending approval or a missing label file. Delays are often partly on the buyer's side, and fixing those is the quickest gain.
Plan the inspection and shipment around reality
Book the final inspection when packing is actually close, and confirm the sampling plan and its edition. ISO 2859-1 was revised in 2026. Confirm your shipping terms too, for example under the Incoterms 2020 rules, and what the factory's obligations are at the named place. If timing becomes critical, discuss options such as a partial shipment, and agree how it would be inspected and documented.
Decide when to escalate
Agree in advance what you will do if a key milestone slips again: a call with the factory's management, a revised split shipment, or a change to the launch plan. Write down any agreed change to dates, quantities or terms, so the purchase order reflects reality.
Over time, compare the factory's milestone reports with what actually happened. A supplier whose reports are accurate is easier to plan with, even when there are delays.
Finally, share your own milestones with the factory: when you need approvals back, when labels and packaging artwork will arrive, and your real latest ship date. Factories plan better when they know which dates are fixed and which are flexible.
Sources and further reading
- ICC — Incoterms® 2020 rules
- ISO 2859-1 — Sampling by attributes indexed by AQL (1999 edition page, showing its 2026 revision)
Standards and rules are summarised from their published scope or official guidance. Use the current edition and confirm requirements for your market.
Three perspectives on this question
Purchasing perspective
I'd ask for the milestone report in the same format every week, and keep a simple log. If the order ends up late, the log shows where the time went, which matters for the next negotiation and for any agreed penalties.
Merchandising perspective
I'd plan the launch on the milestone status, not the promised date. If fabric isn't in by a certain point, I'd move the launch or swap in another style early, rather than waiting for the final delay.
QC perspective
I'd keep the final inspection slot flexible but ready, with the defect list and sampling plan already agreed. A rushed order is exactly when we need the inspection to happen properly, not be skipped.
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