“But, why do you not provide a delivery date?!”
The above question is one that we get asked every single time a box manufacturer speaks to us.
And that is understandable. This is an important and valid question.
When you’re thinking of purchasing something online, what’s the first thing you think about?
“What day will my order arrive?”
That’s right: The delivery date.
We all seek, and expect, some form of certainty when it comes to the delivery of a product/service.
And when this certainty is distorted, it becomes difficult to decide whether or not this purchase is even worthwhile doing.
Especially when it comes to high-ticket items.
Hi! My name is Marie-Soleil and I am an IMPACK Expert and the Area Sales Manager for Europe, Asia, and South America.
I have been asked this question more times than my fingers can count.
Given that this is a highly asked question by box manufacturers, I will attempt to answer this question in the simplest and most direct way possible.
Before we dive in, you should know that IMPACK provides a present Lead Time and an estimated Delivery Time.
To better understand why IMPACK does not provide a Delivery Date, I will begin by briefly explaining the difference between Lead Time and Delivery Time.
Lead Time is the time elapsed from order placement to machine shipment.
In other words, it is the time it takes to produce your machine.
Delivery Time is the time elapsed from order placement to the reception of your machine at your facility.
In other words, the time it takes for your machine to arrive at your facility.
The difference between Lead Time and Delivery Time is the Shipping Time.
Shipping Time is the time it takes to ship or transport your machine.
The graph below visually shows you the difference between Lead Time and Delivery Time.
As we have seen above, the Delivery Time = Lead Time + Shipping Time.
Hence, the Delivery Date = Lead Time + Shipping Time + a day X (the day at which the order was placed).
IMPACK generally does not provide an exact Delivery Date because of 2 reasons:
1. IMPACK cannot control the Delivery Date as external factors come into play.Those external factors include the shipping/transportation company and natural forces. The Delivery Date heavily depends on the Shipping Time. And the Shipping Time is something that is fully controlled by the shipping/transportation company.
When you sign the contract, the shipping will only take place weeks or months after when the contract is signed and therefore the Shipping Time can change and varies drastically from country to country, state to state, and region to region.
No company in the world can ever guarantee a specific Delivery Date many weeks or months in advance. That’s just the reality.
2. IMPACK can only control the Lead Time. That said, we’ve always been on time with our deliveries in the last 20 years.
You should know that the Lead Time can change as new orders come in.
The Lead Time we provide you with today could be very different from the Lead Time we provide you if you sign the contract 5 weeks from today simply because we would have received other orders within this time frame.
The short answer is it depends.
The present Lead Time depends on 3 things:
The signature of the contract.
The completion of payment for the associated invoice.
The type and number of machines ordered.
Your present Lead Time will be provided in terms of “number of weeks” given that our production is also planned in terms of weeks.
And this present Lead Time will be provided as a range with a span of 4 weeks. For example, 34-38 weeks. This has allowed us to consistently be on time!
At IMPACK, we take orders first in, first out.
And, the faster you order, the faster you get your machine.
All our machines ship from our headquarters in Saint-Jacques, Quebec, Canada.
Therefore, a shipment to North America takes 2 to 7 days depending on the client’s state.
A shipment to Europe, on the other hand, takes 5-6 weeks via marine shipping. Expedited shipping is also available via air transportation (2-3 weeks) but is more expensive.
Thus, providing an exact Delivery Date is unrealistic because it heavily depends on several factors such as availability of vessels, local transportation, customs clearance procedure, etc.
It is important for you to know that although we do not provide an exact Delivery Date, we here at IMPACK, are always on target with our deliveries.
Apart from very few, and rare exceptions, we have not delayed the delivery of a single machine in our 20 year history.
Our clients are always provided with the present Lead Time and an estimated Delivery Time.
We have a strong dedication to ship on time. It is what we’ve been doing over the last 20 years, and are continuing to do despite the unprecedented challenges the economy has faced.
This explains our strong relationships with clients that we have had over the last 2 decades and continue to foster for many years to come!
The order process at IMPACK looks like this:
First, we initiate a free productivity analysis to collect data on your production and work methods. No commitment required whatsoever.
Next, we analyze this data and determine the best machine for your company. If you’re happy with our recommendation, we will move forward to the next step. If IMPACK is not right for you, you’re not tied to us in any way.
Then, we proceed to the commercial negotiation (order confirmation, terms and conditions, contract signature, etc.).
The next step would be to provide you with the present Lead Time and the estimated Delivery Time while our engineers design and manufacture your brand new machine.
A few weeks before the end of the Lead Time and the start of the Shipping Time, we will contact you to confirm all the necessary information for the shipping documents. Once your shipping is booked, you will receive a more accurate Shipping Time from our logistics supplier and an estimated time frame for the start-up.
And finally, we will deliver your machine and administer the installation, startup, and training at your facility. You can count on IMPACK for complete training for your team on how to use the machine during and after the installation!
Yes, the estimated Delivery Time can change depending on when the contract is signed and when the payment for the invoice is completed.
When a client asks us for the estimated Delivery Time, we are often in the preliminary stages of our discussions with the client and it is difficult to foresee when a contract would be signed.
For some clients, it's a few weeks after the preliminary discussions and for others it's a few months!
Hence, we provide a present Lead Time that fits the current situation and according to the orders that are currently in progress.
If our order book is already full, all new orders will be initiated only after the current orders have been processed.
You should also consider that when the time comes for you to place your order, our order book will most likely have changed.
As we work on a first-come, first-served basis, it is possible that the estimated Delivery Time provided in the preliminary discussions is not the same a few weeks later.
This explains why the present Lead Time is a far more reliable indicator of when you will receive your machine compared to an exact Delivery Date that is highly subject to change.
IMPACK does not provide an exact delivery date since we have no control over the shipping/transportation of your machine.
Instead, IMPACK will provide you with the present Lead Time of when your machine is ready to be shipped and an estimated Delivery Time which is a more reliable indicator of when you will receive your machine.
The present Lead Time we will provide you with is the time it takes to make your machine.
The estimated Delivery Time we will provide you with is the Lead Time + the Shipping Time (the time it takes to transport your machine) as shown in the image below.
The present Lead Time will be provided in terms of “number of weeks” and with a range of 4 weeks.
This value can change from week to week depending on how full our order book is and what machines you have ordered.
As we work on a first-come, first-served basis, it is possible that the Lead Time provided in the preliminary discussions is not the same a few weeks later.
The estimated Delivery Time we will provide depends on when the contract is signed, when the payment for the invoice is completed, the type and number of machines ordered, and the method of transportation.
In sum, the faster you order, the faster you get your machine.
Even with a 70% increase in business volume in 2021, we have managed to design, manufacture, deliver, and install all machines on time.
👉 Considering working with IMPACK but still got questions? Read our “Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions About IMPACK’s Machines”
👉 Thinking of investing in packaging equipment but still feeling unsure? Check out “Do I Need to Invest In Packaging Equipment to Improve My Folder-Gluer Productivity?”
👉 Interested in a folder-gluer packer but have no clue on where or how to start? Read “What is a Folder-Gluer Packer and Do You Really Need One?”
👉 If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, or have more questions about Delivery Times, feel free to get in touch! IMPACK’s experts would be more than happy to answer all your questions!
👉 If you’re ready to choose your machine, Book an Appointment and we’ll offer you a FREE productivity analysis, as well as, show you some of our machines LIVE in action 😉. No commitment required.