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Lead Time Configuration

Lead times determine how long it takes to move inventory between locations. Accurate lead times are essential for Tether to recommend orders at the right time and project when inventory will be available.

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What Are Lead Times?

Lead time is the total time from when an order is placed until inventory is available at the destination. In Tether, lead times are configured as transit days — the number of days for a shipment to travel from one location to another.

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Types of Lead Times

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Supplier Lead Times

Time for orders from suppliers to reach your warehouse. These are configured per SKU in supplier capabilities. Configured in: Supplier → Overview → Capabilities table → Lead Time column

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Transfer Lead Times

Time to move inventory between your warehouses. Configured in: Warehouse → Overview → Transit Lead Times section

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Configuring Transfer Lead Times

Transfer lead times are configured from within each warehouse’s detail page.

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Accessing Lead Time Settings

1

Navigate to Warehouse

Go to Inventory → Warehouses
2

Open Warehouse Detail

Click on a warehouse to open its settings
3

View Lead Times in Overview Tab

The Overview tab includes a “Transit Lead Times to Other Warehouses” section at the bottom

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The Lead Time Table

The lead time settings display a table showing all other warehouses with the following columns:

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Setting Lead Times

1

Find the Destination Warehouse

Locate the destination warehouse in the table
2

Enter Transit Days

Click on the lead time input field and enter the number of transit days
3

Save

Click Update to save, or press Enter. The lead time is automatically saved for both directions (e.g., setting NYC → LA also sets LA → NYC).
Lead times are saved bidirectionally. When you set the lead time from Warehouse A to Warehouse B, the same value is applied in both directions.

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Example Configuration

For a warehouse in New York, the lead time table might show:

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Editing and Canceling

When you modify a lead time value:
  • The previous value is displayed alongside the new value with an arrow indicator
  • Click Update to save the change
  • Click Cancel to revert to the previous value
  • Changes also auto-save when you click away from the input field (if the value changed)

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Supplier Lead Times

Supplier lead times are configured per SKU in the supplier’s capabilities table, not in the warehouse lead time settings.

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Where to Configure

  1. Navigate to a Supplier detail page
  2. The Overview tab contains the capabilities table
  3. The Lead Time (days) column shows the production/delivery lead time for each SKU

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Per-SKU Lead Times

Each SKU-supplier combination can have its own lead time, reflecting:
  • Manufacturing time for that specific product
  • Shipping time from the supplier
  • Any processing or customs time
See Suppliers for details on configuring supplier capabilities.

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Linked Warehouse Lead Times

If a supplier has a linked warehouse (Supplier Held Inventory), the supplier’s Lead Times tab shows the same transit lead time configuration as a warehouse Overview tab, allowing you to configure transit times from the supplier’s linked warehouse to your other warehouses.

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Lead Times and Supply Planning

Lead times directly impact supply planning recommendations:

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How Tether Uses Lead Times

  1. Calculates order timing — When to place orders so they arrive before a stockout or safety stock breach
  2. Projects inventory — When incoming stock will be available at the destination
  3. Times recommendations — Recommended transfers and purchases are scheduled around lead times

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Example Calculation

If coverage drops below the lead time, the shortfall surfaces in inventory coverage.

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Factors Affecting Lead Times

Consider these factors when setting lead times:

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Buffer Time

Consider adding buffer to lead times:

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Why Add Buffer

  • Account for unexpected delays
  • Provide safety margin
  • Handle variability in transit times

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How Much Buffer

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Example with Buffer

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Monitoring Lead Time Accuracy

Track actual vs. configured lead times:

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Review Process

  1. Check transaction history for actual delivery times
  2. Compare to configured lead times
  3. Adjust if consistently off

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Signs of Incorrect Lead Times

  • Frequent stockouts despite orders in transit
  • Inventory arriving earlier/later than projected
  • Alerts don’t align with actual urgency

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Best Practices

When uncertain, use longer lead times:
  • Orders arrive early = extra safety stock
  • Orders arrive late = potential stockout
  • Better to have buffer than shortfall
Update lead times periodically:
  • Seasonal changes (holiday delays)
  • New shipping contracts
  • Route changes
  • Performance trends
Keep notes on lead time configurations:
  • What components are included
  • What buffer is added
  • Why certain routes are longer
For routes with high variability:
  • Use the longer end of the range
  • Consider expedited shipping for urgent orders
  • Monitor closely during peak periods

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Troubleshooting

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Orders Always Late

Possible causes:
  • Lead time configured too short
  • Not accounting for all components (processing, customs, receiving)
  • Carrier performance degraded
Solutions:
  1. Review actual transit times from transaction history
  2. Add appropriate buffer
  3. Consider faster shipping methods

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Orders Always Early

Possible causes:
  • Lead time configured too long
  • Carrier improved performance
Solutions:
  1. If consistently early, reduce lead time slightly
  2. Early arrivals are usually acceptable
  3. Don’t over-correct — keep some buffer

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No Other Warehouses Showing

Possible cause:
  • Only one warehouse exists in the system
Solution: Create additional warehouses to configure lead times between them.

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Next Steps

Warehouses Overview

Manage warehouse settings

Suppliers

Configure supplier lead times

Supply Planning

See lead times in action

Inventory Coverage

View lead time impact on projections