Supply chain execution
Pull-in and push-out
A pull-in is a request to move a delivery earlier; a push-out moves it later. Both are routine adjustments to open orders as demand shifts, and both require the supplier to agree — a rescheduled date is not confirmed until the supplier accepts it.
Requesting is not rescheduling
Rescheduling requests are generated in volume by MRP, often weekly. It is easy to treat a sent request as a completed change, and the ERP will frequently show the new date as though it were settled.
It is not settled until the supplier confirms. A push-out the supplier never processed means material still arrives on the original date, consuming cash and space. A pull-in the supplier cannot support means a plan is being built on a date nobody agreed to.
The failure is asymmetric in cost. Unconfirmed push-outs waste working capital; unconfirmed pull-ins cause shortages.
Why this generates so much manual work
The volume is the problem. A single MRP run can emit hundreds of reschedule messages, each needing to be sent, tracked, and confirmed. Teams triage by value, confirm the largest lines, and let the rest ride on the assumption that the request was honoured.
That assumption holds most of the time, which is exactly why the exceptions are expensive — they are discovered only when the material does or does not appear.
How Evolinq handles it
Evolinq sends reschedule requests and, crucially, tracks whether each one was accepted — so the ERP reflects confirmed dates rather than requested ones.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pull-in in procurement?
A pull-in is a request asking a supplier to deliver an existing order earlier than the confirmed date, usually because demand moved forward. It is only effective once the supplier confirms it is achievable.
What is a push-out?
A push-out is a request to move a confirmed delivery later, typically because demand softened or upstream material is delayed. Unconfirmed push-outs are a common cause of unwanted early receipts and tied-up working capital.