Project lead times can vary, depending on the project needs, time of year, the supply chain, and a number of other variables.
This is true especially now, with the metal manufacturing market changing so quickly due to recent global events. Shortages in metal supplies and paint chemicals have made it difficult to know how long a project will take nowadays.
While it’s not possible to nail down exact time frames for every project, Waard does have answers for a few of your burning questions regarding project lead time.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LEAD TIME AT OTHER COMPANIES?
Currently, there are reports within the metal manufacturing industry of lead times and waiting periods as long as 10-12 weeks for metal products in 2022.
WHAT IS WAARD’S AVERAGE LEAD TIME?
While this varies, the average time between the start and completion of a Waard project is 6-8 weeks.
It should be noted that in this typical flowchart, all project requirements (such as bidding, submittals, etc.) have been taken care of by the customer after quoting and before, during, or after the estimating process.
If these tasks have not been completed, it does add to the project lead time.
WHAT OTHER FACTORS COULD AFFECT LEAD TIME?
Product and Material
The biggest factor affecting lead time is your choice in products and materials. Custom products, special materials (especially coppers), and custom colors all extend your lead time.
Keep this in mind when making your selections.
Shop Drawings
If you require project-specific shop drawings or coordinated drawings, this too will add to the time it takes for project completion. It takes time to produce high-quality shop drawings.
Depending on the number of projects currently in progress, Waard shop drawings typically take 2-4 weeks to put together.
Number of Projects
Naturally, the amount of projects going through the shop has an impact on lead time – the more projects the Waard team is tackling, the longer each project will take.
During the busy season, it could take as long as 1-2 additional weeks to complete ongoing projects. If no backlog is occurring, project lead times will reflect the project flowchart provided above – with the aforementioned factors taken into consideration.
Want to finally start – or finish – your project?
Contact Waard Metals today and get a quote to get the ball rolling on your project.
