Problem 2 of 5 · Delivery
“I would gladly pay double if I could get the product today.”
From the problem to a production plan
Phoenix looks beyond the shipment that is late today. Forecasts, longer-lead components and scheduled releases are part of the supply discussion. The point-of-sale project shows how replacement engineering and procurement planning worked together.
Point of sale
Phoenix developed the replacement and procured longer-lead components against projected volumes.
The published project reports a 6-week lead time and an 18% cost reduction. The relationship expanded to nine LCD modules. These are historical project results, not current pricing or delivery commitments.
Read the full client storyThe root causes we see most often behind delivery issues.
The sequence from Keith Mitnik's Why Change? framework for a delivery problem.
Quantify what a line-down day actually costs your program
Share a rolling forecast so builds are sized to real demand
Move to scheduled releases with domestic buffer stock
Name one accountable contact who owns every order end to end
A display is a small line item on a bill of materials but an outsized risk on a production schedule. Build-to-order LCD modules typically move through a production and ocean freight process before they reach an assembly line, and any disruption in that chain — a late glass shipment, a backlogged factory, a customs delay — can stall final assembly long after the original purchase order was placed.
Displays are frequently one of the last components integrated into a finished assembly, which means a shortage shows up at the worst possible point in the schedule. Missing even one part on time can shut down an entire assembly line, driving idle labor costs and pushing shipment commitments to customers further out.
Because the display is custom to the product, there is often no off-the-shelf substitute available on short notice, which makes the downstream impact of a delivery miss disproportionate to the component's size or unit cost.
[1] How PDI Can Help Solve the Biggest Problems with LCD Displays
The U.S. ICT supply-chain assessment documents structural vulnerabilities and disruptions that reduced the availability of critical products. That evidence is a reason to test supply assumptions, not a forecast of current lead times for a particular display.
For your program, ask which materials are critical, which stages can delay delivery, and how changes will be communicated. Review production and freight assumptions with the supplier rather than relying on an old quotation.
[2] Assessment of the Critical Supply Chains Supporting the U.S. ICT Industry
Resilience starts with visibility: knowing where in the supply chain a display's critical materials originate, what buffer exists at each stage, and whether a domestic engineering and support presence exists to manage exceptions rather than wait on offshore communication cycles.
Phoenix Display works with manufacturing and purchasing teams to build schedule assumptions around realistic production and freight phases, surface risk before it becomes a missed commitment, and keep catalog and custom display options visible side by side for faster sourcing decisions.
Start by separating true lead time from buffer assumptions in your current schedule, then work with your supplier to understand which production phases carry the most variability so buffer can be applied where it matters most.
It can, since catalog parts typically carry established production history, but the underlying supply chain risk — glass, controllers, backlight components — still applies and should be evaluated the same way.
Answer them and we'll connect you with a sales engineer. Reply within 24 hours.
Question 1 of 5
Keep learning · Quality
Next, consider what happens when a delivered display fails incoming inspection or in the field.
Learn about qualityReady to discuss your program?
Share your display, application and production schedule with Phoenix's engineering team.
Contact usPlanning a new product? Review fit, interface, readability and lifecycle before the design is locked.
Plan your display design