Ready stock or scheduled production: how to choose for each sales date
Published on by Fulvio · 2 min read
The same piece can reach you in two ways: from stock or from scheduled production. Knowing when to use each keeps you from missing the date or tying up cash too early.
Many buying conversations start with the date, before the piece. "I need this for a major gift date. Is there still time?" The answer depends on where the piece will come from: stock or production.
Ready stock: what already exists
Ready stock is unplated pieces that have already been made. The advantage is speed: once the model and quantity are confirmed, the pieces go to your plating shop without waiting for production.
The limit is availability. You choose from what is in stock at that moment, and the quantity of each model may not match the volume you wanted. That is why confirming model and quantity with our team comes before any promise to your own customer.
It makes sense when:
- the sales date is close and there is no room for a production cycle;
- you want to test a model in a small quantity;
- a bestseller ran out sooner than expected.
Scheduled production from the line: what you plan
Scheduled production uses models already developed in the FGF line, made in the quantity you order. You get more control over volume and variety, in exchange for a production lead time.
It makes sense when:
- the sales date is far enough away to cover both factory and plating time;
- you need a quantity that stock does not cover;
- the model is a bestseller you want plenty of during the season.
How to do the math
Start with the date the piece needs to be on display. Count back the plating shop's lead time, the time to inspect the pieces and shipping. What is left is the factory's window.
If the window is short, the choice is ready stock, and your assortment adjusts to what exists. If the window is comfortable, schedule production and use ready stock to fill the gaps.
Production lead times vary with the model and the quantity, so ask our sales team for an estimate for your specific order. Any lead time is an estimate until it is confirmed.
Using both
The buyers who struggle least with dates usually use both routes in the same calendar. They schedule production of their bestsellers well in advance and keep ready stock for new pieces and emergency restocks.
To see the terms for each route, go to ready stock and how to buy.