Whether it’s a business need or a personal item, waiting is always frustrating. Manufacturing lead time calculators help business leaders determine whether or not a delay or adding a new service provider will also be a costly choice. Below we’ve developed three different calculators:
As the leading die cutting provider for manufacturers requiring deep supply chain integration, Colvin-Friedman understands how crucial minimizing waste is in the lean manufacturing process. Each of the calculators is fully adjustable to calculate lead times for any vendor, but the default values happen to be our standard of three days for starting up and three weeks for completion of a first batch of die-cut components.
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| Term | How It's Used in Colvin-Friedman’s Calculators |
|---|---|
| Processing Time |
The time required for a die-cutting provider to begin and complete an order after receiving it.
This may include:
|
| Delivery Time | The time it takes for the die-cut products to be shipped to your facility after they are completed. This depends on shipping methods and distances. |
| Assembly/Integration Time | For production-related orders, this is the time required to incorporate the die-cut components into a product or system. This step ensures that the product is ready for the next stage of the manufacturing process. |
| Packaging Time | For post-production orders, this refers to the time needed to use die-cut components for packaging products, such as boxes, labels, or inserts. |
| Lead Time |
The total time from placing an order to having the product ready for its intended use.
This includes:
|
| Cycle Time | Often confused with lead time, cycle time measures only the time spent actively working on a product, excluding delays like shipping or waiting for materials. It is not used in the calculators, but is an important metric when considering supply chain bottlenecks. |
The calculator below is perfect for anyone planning to add a vendor or supplier and simply needs to get a sense of when to expect products. This can be done prior to contract signinings or adding the supplier to an inventory management and is particularly useful to calculate dates for upcoming meetings.
This calculator allows manufacturers to quickly see how suppliers will integrate into current production timelines. It assumes that the part or component is part of the assembly process. In this case, we also used Colvin-Friedman’s industry leading standard start-up and turnaround times of 3 and 15 business days, respectively. You can modify them for other suppliers’ expected time frames as well.
Many die-cutting suppliers are brought in to assist with expanding production of packaging material for product launches and expansions. We’ve adjusted the calculators above to reflect this reality, but it’s just as useful for manufacturers who outsource final packaging or leverage outside vendors for processing and shipment.
These calculators represent the fruits of our experiences with production managers and engineering department heads at manufacturers spanning industries from medical devices to electronics and more. If you are considering outsourcing component or packaging production to an outside vendor, we invite you to reach out to us for a complimentary quote.
With 75 years of experience and industry-leading tolerances combined with the ability to ramp up to million-piece orders, Colvin-Friedman is the leading die cutter in the United States. Fill out our short quote form if you have a specific piece in mind, or call our Vice President Josh Rodman at (707) 769-4488.
Or call Josh at (707) 769-4488
