Procurement stage gates / no invented lead time
Plan the project by evidence gates rather than a universal week count. The actual duration depends on configuration, approvals, materials, test samples, shipping and site readiness.
Freeze the main container, cap, good-output requirement, supply boundary, site conditions and decision roles before comparing offers.
Close material deviations and connect the chosen price to an approved technical scope.
Track approval drawings, long-lead components, bottle/cap samples and the FAT protocol as separate prerequisites.
Separate FAT completion, deviation closure, packing release, shipping documents, site readiness, commissioning and final acceptance.
There is no responsible universal duration. It depends on machine configuration, approval cycles, component availability, buyer-supplied samples, FAT scope, packing, shipping route, customs and site readiness. Ask the supplier for a project-specific milestone schedule.
Release only after the commercial offer is tied to an approved technical proposal, deviations and interfaces have owners, and the change-control, acceptance and deliverable basis are written.
Keep them separate. FAT can finish with open items; shipment should be released only by the agreed authority after those items are closed or formally accepted.
Stage-gate schedule
A procurement schedule should show the dependency and approval needed to enter each phase. Suppliers can then provide project-specific dates without the website inventing a universal lead time.
| Gate | Entry evidence | Exit decision |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement freeze | Approved bottle/cap, output, scope, site and destination brief | Issue controlled RFQ |
| Supplier and proposal approval | Due diligence, comparable offers, deviations and responsibilities | Release signed order basis |
| Engineering release | Approved layouts, utilities, interfaces and components | Release manufacture/procurement |
| FAT readiness and result | Test materials, protocol, machine readiness and witness plan | Accept, retest or hold |
| Shipment and site readiness | Closed/released deviations, packing evidence and site checklist | Ship, commission and enter SAT |
Guides
Next procurement decision
Include the bottle, cap, required good output, machine boundary, utilities and destination.