What starts supplier lead time? Put it in the RFQ

“Four weeks” is incomplete unless both parties know when the clock starts and where it stops. In the RFQ, ask the supplier to state whether time begins at deposit receipt, signed artwork, approved sample, material arrival, or purchase-order acceptance.

Build a milestone sequence

Request dates or durations for sample submission, sample approval, production start, inspection availability, and handover at the named delivery point. Ask what information you must provide at each step. A date based on an unapproved drawing is only a planning estimate.

Make the response usable

Write the required delivery date and the latest acceptable date. Ask suppliers to flag any constraint and propose an alternative schedule with its cost. On award, copy the agreed trigger and milestones into the purchase order. When one milestone slips, update the downstream date rather than leaving the original promise displayed as if nothing changed.

Worked delivery question

Enter “warehouse in Perth; target 15 November; lead time starts only after approved sample and deposit” in the RFQ builder delivery field. Ask each bidder for its sample, production-ready, and handover dates, not just “30 days”. If sample approval takes an extra week, update the target in the decision sheet. Common error: counting 30 days from RFQ issue even though the supplier starts after artwork signoff. Keep the agreed trigger in the purchase order.

Source context: Microsoft Learn — Requests for quotation (RFQs) overview supports this limited point: An RFQ can request prices, delivery times, incidental charges, and discounts. The buyer procedure above is Suppliers Help editorial guidance. Source checked 2026-09-27.