Losing $1.05M Annually? Manage Odoo 18 Delivery Lead Times Properly
By Braincuber Team
Published on December 22, 2025
Sales rep tells customer: "Ships in 7 days." Customer places $47,000 order. Week passes. No shipment. Rep checks: Vendor needs 14 days to deliver components. Manufacturing needs 5 days. Total: 19 days minimum. Customer furious: "You said 7 days!" Cancels order. Lost $47K because sales rep guessed delivery time instead of using actual vendor + manufacturing lead times. No system to calculate realistic dates = promising impossible deadlines = angry customers = lost revenue.
Your delivery chaos: Sales promises 5-day delivery for all products (easy to remember). Reality: Product A needs 3 days (vendor) + 2 days (manufacturing) = 5 days ✓. Product B needs 21 days (overseas vendor) + 7 days (complex assembly) = 28 days ✗. Customer orders Product B expecting 5 days. Week 1: "Where's my order?" Week 2: "This is unacceptable!" Week 3: "I'm disputing the charge!" Week 4: Product arrives, customer refuses delivery, returns it. Lost: $12,400 sale + $840 shipping costs + angry review.
Cost: 23 cancelled orders monthly due to missed delivery promises = $287,400/year lost revenue. Expedited shipping to meet impossible deadlines: $8,700/month = $104,400/year. Returns from late deliveries: 47 returns/month × $840 average = $39,480/month = $473,760/year. Customer acquisition cost to replace angry customers: $127/customer × 23 lost monthly = $35,244/year. Negative reviews tank conversion rate 4.7% → 1.2% = $147,000 lost from reduced sales.
Odoo 18 Delivery Lead Time Management fixes this: Customer Lead Time (realistic product-specific delivery days), Vendor Lead Time (different lead times per supplier), Security Lead Time (buffer for delays), automatic delivery date calculation on quotes (system calculates, not guessing), manufacturing lead time tracking (production time per product). Here's how to configure delivery lead times so you stop losing $1,047,804/year to unrealistic delivery promises.
You're Losing Money If:
Understanding Lead Time Types in Odoo 18
Six Critical Lead Time Settings:
1. Customer Lead Time:
Days from order confirmation to product shipment. Set per product. Example: Office Chair = 3 days, Custom Desk = 14 days.
2. Vendor Lead Time:
Days vendor needs to deliver components. Set per vendor per product. Example: Vendor A (local) = 3 days, Vendor B (China) = 21 days.
3. Security Lead Time (Sales):
Buffer days added to delivery dates. Global setting. Accounts for unexpected delays. Example: 2 days buffer = promise 7 days, internal deadline 5 days.
4. Manufacturing Lead Time:
Days needed to produce product. Set per product. Example: Simple assembly = 1 day, Complex machinery = 7 days.
5. Security Lead Time (Purchase):
Buffer for vendor delays. Global setting. Useful for unreliable suppliers.
6. Reordering Rules Lead Time:
Extra days for purchase requests/incoming goods processing.
Step 1: Configure Customer Lead Time
Set realistic delivery timeframes per product.
Open Product Configuration
- Go to Sales → Products → Products
- Open existing product or click New
- Fill product details:
- Product Name: Office Desk
- Can be Sold: ✓
- Can be Purchased: ✓
- Product Type: Storable Product
Set Customer Lead Time
- Go to Inventory tab
- Find Customer Lead Time field
- Enter number of days (e.g., 3 days)
- Click Save
💡 What This Means:
Customer orders on January 1. With 3-day lead time, Odoo calculates order date as December 29 (3 days before requested date). Delivery scheduled for January 1. This ensures you have 3 days to prepare shipment.
Configuration Example
Product: Office Desk
Type: Storable Product
Can be Sold: Yes
Can be Purchased: Yes
Inventory Tab:
Customer Lead Time: 3 days
Result:
- Customer orders Jan 5
- System sets order date: Jan 2 (3 days before)
- Delivery scheduled: Jan 5
- You have Jan 2-5 to prepare shipment
Step 2: Configure Vendor Lead Time
Different vendors have different delivery speeds. Track them separately.
Add Vendor Information
- In product form, go to Purchase tab
- Click Add a line in Vendor section
- Fill vendor details:
- Vendor: Select vendor (e.g., "Wood Suppliers Inc")
- Price: $250.00
- Currency: USD
- Delivery Lead Time: 7 days
- Click outside field to save line
Add Multiple Vendors (Different Lead Times)
- Click Add a line again
- Add second vendor:
- Vendor: "Overseas Lumber Co"
- Price: $180.00 (cheaper but slower)
- Delivery Lead Time: 21 days
- Click Save
Vendor Comparison:
| Vendor | Price | Lead Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Suppliers Inc (Local) | $250.00 | 7 days | Urgent orders |
| Overseas Lumber Co | $180.00 | 21 days | Planned inventory |
Vendor Configuration Example
Product: Office Desk Components
Vendor 1:
Name: Wood Suppliers Inc
Price: $250.00
Currency: USD
Delivery Lead Time: 7 days
Use case: Rush orders, backup supplier
Vendor 2:
Name: Overseas Lumber Co
Price: $180.00
Currency: USD
Delivery Lead Time: 21 days
Use case: Regular inventory replenishment
Savings: $70 per unit × 100 units/month = $7,000/month
Tradeoff: Need to order 14 days earlier
Step 3: Test with Sales Quotation
Verify that customer lead time calculates correctly on quotes.
Create Quotation
- Go to Sales → Orders → Quotations
- Click New
- Fill quotation:
- Customer: Select customer
- Expiration: Set date
- In Order Lines tab, click Add a product
- Select product (e.g., "Office Desk")
- Set quantity: 5
- Click Save
Verify Date Calculation
✓ Automatic Calculation:
- Look at Order Date field (top of form)
- Note: Automatically set to 3 days BEFORE today's date
- Example:
- Today: January 15
- Customer Lead Time: 3 days
- Order Date shown: January 12
- Expected Delivery: January 15
- This ensures you have 3 days preparation time
Step 4: Configure Security Lead Time (Sales)
Add buffer days to protect against delays.
Enable Security Lead Time
- Go to Inventory → Configuration → Settings
- Scroll to Advanced Scheduling section
- Find Security Lead Time for Sales
- Enter buffer days (e.g., 2 days)
- Click Save
⚠️ How Security Lead Time Works:
Without Security Lead Time:
- Customer orders Jan 10
- Customer Lead Time: 5 days
- Internal deadline: Jan 10 (no buffer!)
- Any delay = missed deadline = angry customer
With 2-Day Security Lead Time:
- Customer orders Jan 10
- Customer sees: "Delivers by Jan 10"
- Internal deadline: Jan 8 (2 days early)
- You have 2-day cushion for delays
- Ship Jan 8 = early delivery = happy customer
Security Lead Time Example
Configuration:
Customer Lead Time: 5 days
Security Lead Time: 2 days
Customer View:
Order Date: Jan 15
Expected Delivery: Jan 20 (5 days later)
Internal Schedule:
Order Confirmed: Jan 15
Scheduled Delivery: Jan 18 (2 days early!)
Customer Deadline: Jan 20
Benefits:
- 2-day buffer for delays
- On-time delivery rate: 94% → 99.3%
- Customer satisfaction up
- Fewer expedited shipping costs
Step 5: Verify Security Lead Time on Delivery
Create and Confirm Order
- Create new quotation with product that has customer lead time set
- Click Confirm to convert to sales order
- Note Delivery smart button appears
- Click Delivery smart button
Check Scheduled Date
- In delivery form, find Scheduled Date
- Verify: Scheduled Date = Expected Delivery - Security Lead Time
- Example:
- Expected Delivery: Jan 20
- Security Lead Time: 2 days
- Scheduled Date: Jan 18
Real-World Impact Examples
Example 1: Custom Furniture Company
Before Lead Time Configuration:
- Sales promised "2 weeks" for all furniture
- Reality: Simple chairs = 7 days, Custom desks = 28 days
- Custom desk orders: 23 cancelled monthly (promised 14, needed 28)
- Lost revenue: $47K/order × 23 = $1,081,000/year
- Expedited manufacturing to meet deadlines: $12,400/month
After Implementing Lead Times:
- Configured accurate lead times per product:
- Office Chair: 7 days
- Standard Desk: 14 days
- Custom Executive Desk: 28 days
- Added 3-day security buffer
- Quotations show realistic dates automatically
- Cancellations: 23/month → 2/month (91% reduction)
- On-time delivery: 67% → 98%
Financial Impact:
- Revenue saved: 21 orders/month × $47K = $987K/month = $11.8M/year
- Expedited costs eliminated: $12,400/month = $148,800/year
- Customer lifetime value preserved: $2.3M/year
- Total benefit: $14.25M annually
Example 2: Electronics Distributor
Challenge:
847 SKUs. 3 vendors per SKU on average. Lead times: Local vendor (2 days), Regional (7 days), Overseas (21 days).
Problem:
- Sales quoted "1 week" for everything
- Inventory manager ordered from cheapest vendor (overseas, 21 days)
- Customer expected 7 days, got 21 days
- 47 complaints weekly
Solution:
- Configured all 847 products with vendor lead times
- Added 2-day security buffer
- Quotation system calculates delivery based on selected vendor
Results:
- Customer sees accurate dates on quote
- Complaints: 47/week → 3/week (94% reduction)
- Can offer "rush delivery" option (local vendor, higher price)
- Revenue from rush option: $27K/month
- Customer satisfaction: 72% → 96%
Advanced: Manufacturing Lead Time
For products you manufacture, track production time separately.
Configure Manufacturing Lead Time
- Open product form
- Go to Inventory tab
- Find Manufacturing Lead Time field
- Enter production days (e.g., 5 days)
- Click Save
Total Lead Time Calculation:
Vendor Lead Time: 7 days (receive components)
Manufacturing Lead Time: 5 days (produce product)
Customer Lead Time: 2 days (ship to customer)
Security Lead Time: 2 days (buffer)
Total: 16 days minimum
This is what you promise customer: "Ships in 16 days"
Common Mistakes
1. Same Lead Time for All Products
Set "7 days" for everything. Simple product needs 2, complex needs 21. Overpromise complex, under-promise simple.
Fix: Set realistic lead time per product based on actual vendor + manufacturing time.
2. No Security Buffer
Set exact lead time with zero buffer. Any delay = missed deadline.
Fix: Add 2-3 day security lead time. Ship early, customers love it.
3. Ignoring Vendor Differences
Local vendor 3 days, overseas 21 days, but quote says "7 days" regardless of which vendor used.
Fix: Configure lead time per vendor. System calculates based on selected vendor.
4. Not Testing Quotations
Set lead times, never verified they calculate correctly on quotes. Promised wrong dates for months.
Fix: Create test quotation after configuring. Verify order date adjusts correctly.
Quick Implementation Checklist
- Audit current promises: What do sales reps tell customers? (1 hour)
- Measure actual delivery times: Last 3 months per product (2 hours)
- Identify discrepancies: Where promised ≠ actual? (30 min)
- Configure customer lead times: Set realistic days per product (3 hours for 100 products)
- Add vendor lead times: Different per vendor (2 hours)
- Set security buffer: 2-3 days minimum (5 min)
- Test with quotations: Verify date calculations (30 min)
- Train sales team: Show them automatic date calculation (1 hour)
- Monitor cancellations: Should drop 90%+ (ongoing)
- Adjust as needed: Increase buffer if still missing deadlines (monthly review)
Week 1: Data Collection
- Audit current delivery promises
- Measure actual delivery times (3 months data)
- Identify top 20 problem products
Week 2: Configuration
- Configure customer lead times (all products)
- Add vendor lead times (primary vendors)
- Set security buffer (start with 3 days)
Week 3: Testing & Training
- Create test quotations
- Verify calculations
- Train sales team
- Create quick reference guide
Week 4: Launch & Monitor
- Go live with new system
- Monitor cancellation rate
- Track on-time delivery %
- Gather customer feedback
Month 2+: Optimize
- Reduce security buffer if consistently early
- Add seasonal adjustments
- Configure manufacturing lead times
- Expand to all vendors
Pro Tip: Start with security buffer of 3 days. After 1 month, check: Are you consistently delivering 2+ days early? Reduce buffer to 2 days. Still hitting deadlines 99%? Good. Missing some? Increase back to 3. Don't promise tighter than you can deliver.
Losing $1.05M Annually to Unrealistic Delivery Promises?
We configure Odoo delivery lead times with accurate customer/vendor/manufacturing tracking, security buffers, automatic date calculation. Stop cancellations, expedited shipping, and angry customers.
