What is lead time?

The real wait between ordering a part and having it on the shelf.

Lead time is the elapsed time from raising a purchase to receiving the item — supplier processing, manufacturing, shipping, customs, receiving. Actual measured lead time is often double the quoted one.

Lead time is the multiplier in reorder math: the longer the lead time, the more safety stock and the earlier the trigger. Measuring actual lead time per supplier beats trusting the catalogue number.

• How it's used