Orderledetid

Orderledetid, or order lead time, is the time interval from when an order is placed to when the ordered goods are received at the intended destination. In supply chain management, it is a key performance metric used to assess delivery reliability and to plan inventory, capacity, and customer promises. The term is commonly used in Scandinavian contexts, where it literally translates to the time taken to fulfill an order.

The length of orderledetid depends on several components. It typically includes order processing and confirmation, production or assembly lead times, packaging, and the routing of goods through logistics channels, including any handling, customs clearance for international shipments, and final delivery. In practice, organizations may measure orderledetid for individual orders, product families, suppliers, or the entire supply chain, and it can be affected by seasonality, demand volatility, and capacity constraints.

Factors influencing orderledetid include supplier performance, production flexibility, inventory policy, transportation options, and external factors such as holidays and regulatory requirements. Longer or more variable lead times can increase safety stock and carrying costs, while shorter or more predictable lead times improve service levels and forecasting accuracy.

Managing orderledetid involves strategies to reduce variability and shorten the overall interval. Approaches include better demand forecasting, closer supplier collaboration, standardization of components, smaller batch sizes, nearshoring or reshoring, and investments in digital order management and end-to-end visibility. The metric is often tracked alongside other supply chain indicators such as on-time delivery and fill rate to evaluate performance and drive continuous improvement.