Is the PO Delivery Date a good estimator of when a repairable will return? 

The problem of unreliable delivery dates in mining

In the mining industry, it is common for suppliers to provide estimated delivery dates when generating the purchase order (PO) that later turn out to be unrealistic. Often, the committed date in ERP systems (e.g. SAP) does not reflect the actual start of work, but only a theoretical commitment from the supplier. The result: promised dates remain "in the past" long before actual delivery occurs, leaving purchase orders with expired deadlines in the system.

Studies indicate that more than half of all purchase orders undergo changes in date, quantity or price - an average of 2.5 changes per order. When these changes are not updated in a timely manner, ERP information becomes obsolete: more than 80% of companies admit to making decisions with outdated data in their ERPs, resulting in erroneous forecasts and lost revenue. In mining, delays are especially prevalent; for example, an independent analysis found that 80% of mining projects suffer from schedule delays - reflecting a trend where initially agreed-upon deadlines are rarely met to the letter.

This unreliability of delivery dates directly impacts operational and financial planning. In many cases, purchasing and maintenance departments face significant delays because suppliers fail to meet agreed-upon delivery dates. This leads to rework in maintenance planning, potential additional equipment downtime and distortions in financial forecasts (e.g., unexpected costs or cash flow variances due to prolonged asset downtime). A weak supply chain lacks transparency on orders and deadlines, making it impossible to promise and meet exact delivery dates. The consequences include internal customer complaints, misaligned inventories and difficulty in accurately projecting when a critical component will return to operation. In short, unreliable delivery dates erode confidence in planning and force mining companies to react to delays rather than anticipate them.

Best practices for managing uncertain delivery schedules

Although the challenge is great, there are best practices in the industry to manage the discrepancy between promised and actual dates, minimizing the impact on the supply chain and corporate finances:

• Realistic start and completion confirmations:
  It is crucial to require formal confirmations from the supplier as to when the work starts and when it will be completed. The generic date on the purchase order is not enough; the supplier must commit to a realistic timeline. Open and transparent communication is key: for example, establish a protocol where the supplier notifies immediately of any delays or changes to the plan. This way, the buyer can react in time by rescheduling operations or seeking alternatives.

• Proactive tracking and automated alerts:
  Implement tracking tools that send reminders before the agreed deadline. If a delivery date approaches without confirmation of progress, the system should alert both the supplier and the purchasing team. Best practices suggest tracking critical orders on a daily basis, managing any deviations by exception. In addition, keeping communication channels open (regular meetings, status reports) helps to identify potential delays early and push for corrections before the delay materializes.

• Promise date change log:
  Each time a supplier requests a deadline extension or changes the estimated date, it should be recorded in the system. Keeping a history of changes in promised dates allows you to analyze patterns and measure the reliability of each supplier. KPIs such as the late delivery rate (% of orders delivered after the due date) provide a clear measure of supplier performance. Studies indicate that a surprising number of orders require intervention precisely because of date changes; therefore, recording these changes centrally (ideally with time stamps and reasons) is useful for future audits and negotiations.

• Real-time integration and visibility:
  Use systems that integrate information between the supplier and the mining company - for example, collaborative platforms or ERP-linked tracking modules. This provides instant visibility into the status of each component under repair or fabrication. Advanced inventory management tools allow real-time tracking of orders and stock levels, making it possible to anticipate delays before they become critical to the operation. Integration with supplier systems (via EDI, web portals or APIs) automates the updating of dates in the ERP, preventing data from becoming obsolete. When all orders are managed on a unified platform, stakeholders access immediate updates on delivery dates and other critical data, reducing uncertainty. This shared visibility improves coordination and helps align production, maintenance and finance with supply chain realities.

Applying these best practices with discipline leads to better on-time delivery rates, less safety inventory needed, and more reliable financial forecasts thanks to accurate and up-to-date data. In addition, it allows you to identify chronically non-performing suppliers to manage that risk (either by adjusting contracts with performance penalties/rewards, or by seeking more reliable alternative sources).

Aisoncore's approach to improving timelines and projections

At the end of the day, the solution is systems and processes that connect the mining company with its suppliers in real time. At Aisoncore, we implement a comprehensive approach to managing this problem in the mining industry. Aisoncore streamlines communication and provides full visibility of the repair or component supply process between the mining company and its suppliers. In practice, this translates into several concrete actions:

• Actual Completion Date Notification:
  Aisoncore requires the supplier to explicitly report when work on each component will actually be completed. This realistic committed date is entered into the platform, replacing the initial estimate if it has changed. In this way, all parties manage the same up-to-date information about the final committed deadline. If, for example, an additional failure is discovered during the repair that extends the time, the supplier must immediately update the new delivery date in the system.

• Alerts before the deadline:
  The platform sends automated reminders to the supplier when the agreed deadline is approaching and the job has not yet been marked as completed. These proactive alerts serve to ensure that the supplier takes the necessary actions (speed up the process, work overtime, ship the component) or, alternatively, provides timely notification of a delay. Likewise, the mining team receives internal notifications, allowing them to get ahead of the curve - for example, by adjusting the maintenance schedule or preparing to extend the use of a temporary spare part.

• Change logging and traceability:
  Every change to the promised date is logged in Aisoncore, building a complete work order history. The platform manages this history so that you can review who changed a date and for what reason. This traceability not only aids in day-to-day communication, but also feeds performance indicators. With the data collected, the miner can calculate the accuracy of each supplier's promises (e.g., how many times they postponed a delivery) and use that information in evaluations and future contract negotiations.

• Integration with enterprise systems for improved forecasting:
  Aisoncore is designed with integrations to ERP or other internal tools. This means that dates updated and confirmed by the supplier on the platform can be immediately reflected in the mining company's systems. By having reliable, real-time data on the status and estimated return date of each component, planning and finance can fine-tune their forecasts. The ability to project when an asset will be back in operation and to adjust the budget based on the actual duration of repairs is improved. Simply put, Aisoncore helps fresh information replace outdated data in decision making, increasing certainty in production and cost projections.

In short, effective supplier and lead-time management in mining requires visibility, communication and control. Unreliable delivery dates need no longer be the norm: by adopting realistic confirmations, proactive tracking, change logging and technology integration, companies can align promised dates with reality. The lesson is clear: when deadlines are managed with rigor and collaboration, planning is no longer based on guesswork, but on facts, to the benefit of all parties involved.

Bibliography

1. Sourceday - Supplier Delivery Performance Reports.

2. Businesswire - ERP Data Accuracy Impact on Decision Making.

3. McKinsey & Company - Mining Project Schedules and Delays.

4. UdeA Digital Library - Mining Purchasing Management.

5. Munich Enterprise - Supply Chain Transparency White Paper.

6. LinkedIn Articles - Best Practices in Supplier Collaboration.

7. Envi - Critical Order Tracking and Alert Systems.

8. UiPath Docs - Tracking KPIs for Supplier Performance.