Start with these five checks.
- Verify the customer promise and timestamp source.
- Measure elapsed and waiting time at every handoff.
- Segment by lane, service, warehouse and order profile.
- Compare planned versus actual carrier milestones.
- Identify re-promises, exceptions and missing scans.
Ask for only what can change the answer.
- PromiseDisplayed date, cutoff and service level
- Order flowRelease, pick, pack and ship times
- Carrier eventsTender, accept, scan and delivery
- NetworkOrigin, destination, lane and capacity
- ExceptionsWeather, address, damage and hold
- OutcomeOn-time, complete, cost and complaint
Test one reversible move.
Select one high-volume lane with a supported handoff delay. Change one cutoff, tender or dispatch rule for a limited cohort and compare on-time-in-full, cost and exceptions with matched orders. Preserve the original customer promise in measurement; stop if cost or incomplete delivery exceeds the guardrail.
A decision your team can use.
- 01An order-to-delivery timeline
- 02A stage and lane delay map
- 03Promise accuracy analysis
- 04A bounded lane validation
Common questions.
Which date defines on time?
Use the promise shown to the customer, with any later re-promise reported separately.
Can carrier data answer the whole problem?
No. Release, warehouse and tender delays can occur before carrier custody.
Should promised dates simply be extended?
Only if the promise is structurally unrealistic; changing the date can hide an execution failure.