Supply chain execution
Supply commit
A supply commit is the delivery date and quantity a supplier has actually agreed to, as distinct from the date requested on the purchase order. Planning against requested dates rather than commits is a common source of unexpected shortages.
Also known as: committed date, promise date
Three dates that get confused
Order execution involves at least three different dates, and treating them as one causes most planning surprises.
- The need date: when the material is required, derived from the build plan or MRP.
- The requested date: what the purchase order asked for, usually the need date minus a buffer.
- The committed date: what the supplier has actually promised. This is the supply commit.
Why commits decay
A supply commit is not a fact established once. It is a claim that ages. A date confirmed eight weeks before delivery may have been sincere and may still be wrong, because the supplier's own inputs moved after it was given.
This is why the number of times a commit has changed is more diagnostic than the current date. A line whose commit has moved three times is signalling something a single snapshot cannot show, and it is the strongest near-term predictor of a miss.
How Evolinq handles it
Evolinq maintains a live supply commit for every open line, including the full history of how many times it has moved and what the supplier said each time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a supply commit?
A supply commit is the delivery date and quantity a supplier has actually committed to, as opposed to the date the purchase order requested. It is the only date downstream planning should rely on, because it reflects what the supplier intends to do rather than what was asked.
What is the difference between a promise date and a need date?
A need date is when the material is required by the build plan. A promise date, or supply commit, is when the supplier says it will arrive. When the promise date is later than the need date, there is a gap that requires action.