You have paid the deposit, but the supplier has pushed completion back to “next week” several times.
Every response is positive, yet the message is still “nearly finished” or “90% complete.” You cannot tell whether to book the inspection or keep waiting.
Verifying production progress means establishing what supports the date—not simply obtaining a firmer promise.
For your order, the completed work, remaining tasks and unresolved dependencies determine whether the next steps can be planned with confidence.
1. Replace “finished” with a specific milestone
“Finished next week” might mean assembly complete, testing complete, ready for inspection or ready for collection.
First agree which milestone is being discussed, then review the original delivery terms. The quotation comparison guide explains why the starting conditions and delivery milestone matter.
Next, separate the remaining work.
Production: which materials, assembly tasks or configuration decisions are still outstanding?
Testing and corrective work: which checks have not been performed, and have identified issues been resolved?
Documentation: which records can be prepared now, and which depend on the actual configuration or test results?
Transport handover: is the equipment ready for handover, with only packing, collection or transport arrangements outstanding?
Calling all four “production delays” makes it easy to keep asking the wrong person for an answer.
2. Communication tip: ask what remains, not only when it will be ready
Try a more specific follow-up:
What work remains before the machine is ready for the agreed inspection? Which outstanding item is most likely to affect that date? Who can confirm when it will be completed?
If the controller has not arrived, ask what stage it has reached: not yet ordered, waiting for dispatch from the component supplier, in transit, or received at the factory and awaiting checks?
If it has arrived, ask how installation, commissioning and inspection are scheduled. “The key part has arrived” does not mean “the machine can be delivered tomorrow.”
When sales cannot answer immediately, ask them to coordinate a short milestone update from the production lead. A complicated report is not necessary.
Production follow-up can address the order, manufacturing arrangements and preparations for delivery; it need not depend only on photographs of a finished machine. Source: expediting services.
3. Production progress checklist
At the top, enter the order number, machine or work-order reference, and update date.
See the guide to project delivery schedules for the relevant checks.
The dates below illustrate how to complete the sheet. They are not standard production lead times.
| Milestone | Original plan → current forecast | Facts and evidence available | Remaining task and next confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key component received | 3 November → 5 November | Receipt recorded against this work order | Materials lead to confirm model and issue to production that day |
| Assembly complete | 4 November → 6 November | Machine still awaiting installation of the component | Assembly lead to provide completion record on 6 November |
| Commissioning and testing | 5 November → 7 November | Not started; test slot assigned | Quality lead to provide results; any corrective work listed separately |
| Ready for the agreed inspection | 7 November → provisionally 8 November | Still depends on testing and any corrective work | Factory coordinator to reconfirm on 7 November whether inspection can be booked |
Retain both the original plan and the current forecast. If the date is simply overwritten each time, the latest sheet hides where the delay occurred.
A current forecast is not a new contractual delivery date agreed by both parties. Any contractual adjustment needs separate confirmation.
An item may remain “unconfirmed,” but include the reason and the next response time. “The component supplier has not confirmed dispatch; we will update you by 16:00 China time on 6 November” is more useful for planning than “as soon as possible.”
4. Keep technical staff involved when languages differ
If the production lead is not comfortable explaining the position in a foreign language, ask for a short milestone update in Chinese first. Sales can coordinate its translation. The buyer can then restate the conclusion briefly and ask for confirmation.
For example:
Our understanding is that testing has not been completed. 8 November is the forecast date for inspection readiness, not the shipment date. Please confirm whether this is correct.
Keep original model references, component codes, quantities, dates and time zones intact in translation.
This is not an extra administrative step for its own sake. It checks that both sides mean the same thing by “complete.”
Records should also identify this order. Use a serial number when one has been assigned; otherwise, use the factory work order or an agreed traceability reference. Photographs of a reference machine should be labelled accordingly and must not be used as proof of this order's progress.
5. A production update email you can send
Subject: Order-Specific Production Update — PO [Number]
Dear [Name],
Please help us confirm when order [number / model] will be ready for the agreed inspection.
For each remaining stage, please provide the current status, supporting evidence, outstanding task, responsible person and next confirmation date. Please retain the original schedule alongside the revised forecast.
Kindly distinguish assembly completion, testing, corrective work, documentation and readiness for inspection. Also identify any decision or information still required from us.
A brief update from the production team is sufficient. Where a date remains uncertain, please explain the dependency and when it can be checked again.
Best regards,
[Name / Company]
Use this email with the same progress sheet. Later updates can focus on what has changed rather than requiring the factory to prepare a new explanation each time.
6. When is further verification worthwhile?
If the supplier explains changes, provides order-specific records and delivers the next update as agreed, continue following the milestones.
If key dates keep changing without new evidence, or records cannot be linked to your order, increase verification around that particular gap. Start with a live video call with a defined purpose. If important questions remain unresolved, consider an on-site check in proportion to the order's risk.
As completion approaches, production follow-up should lead into the pre-shipment inspection, not replace it.
The supplier keeps replying, but the updates still do not help you plan?
Send Levantis the original schedule and the latest responses. We can help turn general statements into order milestones, coordinate answers from the responsible people and follow progress in China within the agreed scope. The final production date still depends on the factory's actual execution.