Define when the factory clock actually starts
Ask which conditions release the order for manufacture: approved drawings, signed samples, confirmed quantities and the agreed payment milestone. Record the latest date for each condition. If approval is still outstanding, a production duration does not yet establish a completion date. Clarify whether material purchasing can begin earlier and whether doing so limits later changes to colour, size or construction.
Track the dependencies between different suppliers
A table base and its top may come from different factories, while upholstery may depend on a fabric supplied by a third business. Map these connections rather than listing only separate completion dates. Give the shared measurement or reference sample an owner. A component that arrives late can delay final assembly even when every other part of the package appears ready.
Keep inspection and correction inside the schedule
Plan time to inspect agreed items, report findings, obtain decisions and verify corrections before dispatch. Do not treat the first inspection date as an automatic shipping date. For illustration, if a prototype is rejected, the next milestone should be the revised prototype approval, not a promise that bulk production will somehow recover all the time without reviewing the factory plan.
Connect dispatch to a realistic receiving window
Confirm the transport plan with the appointed provider and check when the site can accept, store and install the furniture. Factory completion, departure, destination arrival and final placement are different milestones. Review them whenever the building programme changes. Early dispatch can create storage and handling problems, while a late receiving decision can leave finished goods waiting without an agreed arrangement.
Project checklist
Before you approve
- Record all production-release conditions.
- Identify shared components and approval dependencies.
- Allow for inspection and corrective decisions.
- Confirm site readiness with the receiving team.
A useful question
Can you promise one standard lead time for every custom furniture order?
No. Quantity, construction, materials, approvals and the factory’s confirmed schedule affect the plan. We request a package-specific timeline and review the dependencies. Early estimates should remain labelled as estimates until the relevant supplier and project decisions are confirmed.