A supplier moved the delivery. What now?

Last reviewed: 2 October 2026. All figures and names are fictional and for illustration.

Method: seven steps

1. Get the facts in writing. Which line items are late? What is the new date, and is it confirmed or an estimate? Is a partial delivery possible?
2. Find what the delay touches. Look for every job, crew booking and other delivery that depends on the item. A single late part often blocks more than one visit.
3. List your options. Wait for the new date. Buy an equivalent from another supplier. Take a partial delivery and start with what you have. Change the sequence of the work.
4. Cost each option. Count idle labor, extra travel, a price premium for a substitute and any penalty or cost of delay in the contract.
5. Re-sequence the crews. Move crews to jobs that are not blocked, and give each crew lead a revised plan for the next day.
6. Tell the customer early. Say what changed, the new window, what you are doing about it and anything you need from them.
7. Record the decision. Note the new date, the option chosen, the added cost and who approved it, so a variation or later question has a paper trail.

A worked example (fictional)

A fictional firm is replacing a unit on a $14,000 contract. Its supplier says delivery moves from Tuesday to the following Monday, an extra three working days. A crew of two is booked.

Idle time is rarely a full cost, because crews can usually be redeployed. In this example the firm re-sequences first, asks the customer whether an equivalent substitute is acceptable if the original slips again, and records both decisions against the job.

Email templates

To the supplier

Subject: Delivery date for order [number] – please confirm

Hi [name], thanks for the update that order [number] will now arrive on [new date]. Can you confirm in writing: (1) which line items are affected, (2) whether this date is firm, (3) whether a partial delivery is possible sooner, and (4) whether an equivalent item is in stock. We have a crew booked on [job], so a reply by [time] would help us decide.

To the customer

Subject: Update on your [job] start date

Hi [name], a quick update. The [item] for your job has been delayed by the supplier and is now due on [new date]. We are moving our crew to [other work] in the meantime and expect to start with you on [new start date]. If an equivalent [item] becomes available sooner, we will let you know and check with you first. If the new date is a problem, please call us on [number].

Supplier delay checklist

• New date confirmed in writing, with the affected line items
• Every job and crew booking that depends on the item is listed
• Options costed: wait, re-sequence, substitute, split delivery
• Customer told before the original date, in writing
• Crew leads have a revised plan for the next working day
• Other deliveries to the same site checked for knock-on changes
• Cost and approver recorded against the job
• Contract terms checked for notice or delay clauses
• Supplier follow-up scheduled for the day before the new date

How this looks in Lode

The Cedar walkthrough on this site uses sample data for a fictional electrical firm, Northstar Electrical. In it, a supplier confirms a late delivery for a pump assembly. Lode is designed to link that email to the job, check the next day's schedule and weather, find the visit it puts at risk, and prepare a customer reply and a revised plan that wait for a person to approve. Watch the Cedar walkthrough to see it with sample records. The same pattern applies in HVAC, where equipment delays are common, and in electrical. For the cost side of a delay, see the job costing guide, or read the overview of AI for service businesses. You can also talk to us about your workflow.

Questions