How to Manage Delivery Lead Time in Odoo 18
By Braincuber Team
Published on February 2, 2026
When customers place orders, they want to know exactly when their products will arrive. Vague delivery estimates like "7-14 business days" frustrate buyers and hurt customer satisfaction. Odoo 18's lead time configuration gives you precise control over delivery scheduling—so you can set accurate expectations and actually meet them.
This guide walks through configuring all the different lead time settings in Odoo 18: customer lead time, vendor lead time, and security lead time. We'll use a practical example of setting up a furniture business where different products have different suppliers and delivery requirements.
- Understanding different lead time types in Odoo 18
- Setting up customer lead time on products
- Configuring vendor-specific delivery lead times
- Adding security lead time buffers
- Testing lead time calculations with sales orders
Understanding Lead Time Types
Before diving into configuration, let's clarify what each lead time setting actually controls. Odoo 18 provides multiple lead time options because different stages of your supply chain have different timing considerations.
Customer Lead Time
The number of days between when an order is placed and when the product ships to the customer. This value is set on each product and used to calculate expected delivery dates in sales orders.
Vendor Lead Time
The time your supplier needs to deliver materials or products to your warehouse. Set per vendor on each product, allowing different lead times for different suppliers of the same item.
Security Lead Time
A buffer period that accounts for unexpected delays—traffic, weather, or supplier issues. This extra cushion ensures you don't promise delivery dates you can't meet.
Security lead time is subtracted because it moves the internal deadline earlier to create a buffer before the customer's expected date.
Step 1: Configure Customer Lead Time on Products
Customer lead time is set at the product level. This makes sense because different products have different preparation requirements—a ready-to-ship item might have 1-day lead time, while a custom-built product might need 10 days.
Navigate to Product Configuration
Go to Sales → Products → Products. Create a new product or edit an existing one.
For our example, we'll create a product called "Handcrafted Oak Dining Table"—a made-to-order piece that requires preparation time before shipping.
Set Customer Lead Time
Open the Inventory tab on the product form. Look for the Customer Lead Time field and enter the number of days required.
The Customer Lead Time field is in the Logistics section of the Inventory tab. If you don't see it, ensure the Inventory module is installed and your user has appropriate access rights.
Step 2: Configure Vendor Lead Time
If you purchase products from suppliers, you'll want to set vendor-specific lead times. This is particularly useful when you have multiple suppliers for the same product—each with different delivery speeds and prices.
Open the Purchase Tab
On the same product form, navigate to the Purchase tab. This is where you configure vendor information including pricing and delivery lead times.
Add Vendor with Delivery Lead Time
Click Add a line to add a vendor. For each vendor, you can specify:
| Field | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | The supplier name | Premium Wood Suppliers Inc. |
| Price | Unit purchase price | $1,200.00 |
| Currency | Payment currency | USD |
| Delivery Lead Time | Days until vendor delivers | 7 days |
Multiple Vendor Configuration
For our dining table, we might have two lumber suppliers with different lead times:
Step 3: Configure Security Lead Time
Security lead time is a company-wide setting that adds a buffer to all delivery calculations. Think of it as your safety margin—the extra days that account for things going wrong.
Access Inventory Settings
Navigate to Inventory → Configuration → Settings. Scroll down to the Advanced Scheduling section.
Set Security Lead Time for Sales
Enter the number of days in the Security Lead Time for Sales field. This value applies globally to all sales orders.
Be careful with security lead time—too much buffer means products sit in your warehouse longer than necessary. Too little means missed deadlines. Start with 1-2 days and adjust based on your actual delivery performance data.
Step 4: Test with a Sales Quotation
Let's create a sales order to see how these lead times work together in practice.
Create a New Quotation
Go to Sales → Orders → Quotations and click New. Fill in customer details and add the product we configured earlier.
Review Calculated Dates
After confirming the order, open the Delivery smart button to see the scheduled delivery date. Odoo calculates this using the lead times we configured.
Lead Time Calculation
The delivery is scheduled for Feb 13—3 days after the order, not 5. The 2-day security buffer moves the internal deadline earlier, ensuring the product is ready before the customer expects it.
Best Practices for Lead Time Management
Track Actual vs. Estimated
Compare your configured lead times against actual delivery performance. If you consistently deliver early or late, adjust your settings accordingly.
Update Seasonally
Lead times often vary by season—holiday shipping takes longer, summer staff shortages affect production. Review and adjust lead times quarterly.
Communicate to Vendors
Share your lead time expectations with suppliers. Their reliability directly impacts your ability to meet customer commitments.
Use Different Lead Times per Product Category
Group similar products with similar lead times. Stock items might have 1-day lead time, while custom orders need 10+ days.
Accurate lead time configuration in Odoo 18 helps you set realistic customer expectations and meet delivery commitments consistently. Start with conservative estimates (slightly longer than you think you need), then optimize based on actual performance data. Your customers will appreciate knowing exactly when their orders will arrive—and you'll appreciate fewer complaints about late deliveries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Customer Lead Time is the number of days between when a customer places an order and when the product ships to them—it's a customer-facing commitment. Vendor Lead Time is the number of days your supplier needs to deliver materials or products to your warehouse—it's an internal planning metric. Customer Lead Time affects sales order delivery dates, while Vendor Lead Time affects purchase order scheduling.
Security Lead Time is a buffer period subtracted from the calculated delivery date. If you set 2 days of security lead time, Odoo schedules internal operations to complete 2 days before the customer's expected delivery date. This buffer accounts for unexpected delays like traffic, weather, or processing issues, helping ensure you meet delivery commitments even when things don't go perfectly.
Yes, Odoo 18 allows you to configure multiple vendors for each product, each with their own delivery lead time. This is configured in the Purchase tab of the product form. When you create a purchase order, Odoo uses the lead time of the selected vendor to calculate the expected receipt date.
The Customer Lead Time field is located in the Inventory tab of the product form, under the Logistics section. Make sure the Inventory module is installed and your user has appropriate access rights to see this field. Navigate to Sales → Products → Products, open a product, and click on the Inventory tab.
Security Lead Time for Sales is a global setting that applies to all sales orders, not specific suppliers. For supplier-specific buffers, you should adjust the Vendor Lead Time on each product to account for less reliable suppliers. You can also use Security Lead Time for Purchase (found in Inventory Settings) to add a buffer specifically for purchase operations across all vendors.