Part urgency and required delivery or samples

• Which part number(s) do you need and what are the required delivery or sample dates?
• How soon must the parts or samples be on site so we can prioritize correctly? Options: Same day / 24 hours, 1-3 business days, 4-10 business days, 2-4 weeks, Flexible / planning stage

Decision owner and stakeholders

• Who is the primary decision owner for this purchase or supplier qualification? Options: Commodity manager / procurement, Design engineer / engineering lead, Operations / plant manager, Supply chain director, Other (please name)
• Are there other stakeholders or approvers we should include in discovery?

Budget window and purchasing constraints

• Is there an allocated budget or target price range we should consider? Options: Yes - allocated budget (please state below), No - approval required after quote, Covered under existing contract, Undetermined
• If there is a known range, please state it here (unit price or total order value).

Readiness to proceed

• If this looks like a fit, are you available for a focused 30-minute discovery in the next 3 business days? Options: Yes - within 24 hours, Yes - within 2-3 business days, Maybe - need internal alignment first, No - not ready yet

Fast check: the immediate production context

• Tell me briefly which production line or engineering project this part supports and the immediate timeline you're trying to hit
• Which role on your team will own day to day coordination with a distributor Options: Commodity manager / buyer, Design engineer, Production manager, Supply chain planner, Procurement director, Other
• How many part numbers on your bill of materials are affected by this shortage in a typical month Options: 1-5, 6-20, 21-100, 100+
• On average, how often in the last 12 months has this specific part or its direct substitutes triggered an expedite or line change Options: Never, Rarely, 1-2 times, Several times, 3-6 times, Monthly or more
• Describe your internal urgency window, for example needing a sample by Friday, a one off shipment this week, or steady monthly buffers
• Assuming we can confirm availability within your urgency window, would you authorize a full discovery to scope commercial and operational terms Options: Yes, start discovery now, Maybe, need more info, No, not at this time

How this shortfall shows up on the floor

• If this part is not available on time, what immediate production impact would you face in the next 72 hours Options: Line slowdown, still running, Partial line stop on some SKUs, Full line stop, Prototype delay only, Other
• Walk me through the last time a similar shortage forced a schedule change, what happened and how did you respond
• Who on your cross functional team is the first to escalate when availability drops below your safety threshold Options: Production supervisor, Procurement buyer, Supply chain planner, Engineering lead, Site operations manager, Other
• What single operational outcome would make you stop the project immediately
• Estimate the weekly cost in labor, overtime, scrap, and expedited logistics when availability falls below required levels Options: <$5k, $5k-$20k, $20k-$100k, >$100k
• How quickly must a replacement or sample arrive to keep your prototype or production test on schedule, in days Options: Same day, 1-2 days, 3-5 days, 1-2 weeks, Longer

Temporary fixes you're relying on today

• Walk me through the workarounds your team uses when a part goes into allocation
• Select the stopgap options you use most often Options: Authorized distributor buffer stock, Expedited air shipments, Spot brokers or marketplaces, Redesign or requalification, Substitute parts, Production rescheduling, Other
• When you buy from spot market sources, what percentage of those orders do you flag as higher risk or require extra QA Options: 0%, 1-5%, 6-15%, 16-35%, 36%+
• How many days on average does a substitute part take to qualify through your test or QA process Options: Same day, 1-7 days, 8-21 days, 22-60 days, Longer
• Who on your engineering team owns qualification decisions for substitute parts and sample approvals Options: Component engineer, Design engineer, Test lab lead, CE/FAE, Cross functional committee, Other
• How sustainable are your current workarounds, could you maintain them for three months, six months, or only weeks Options: Weeks, 3 months, 6 months, Indefinitely
• How long can you sustain current workarounds before a line shutdown becomes inevitable Options: Less than 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-6 weeks, More than 6 weeks

Measure success like operations and procurement do

• Name the one metric that would make you sign a new distribution agreement tomorrow Options: Lead time targets met, Fill rate guarantee, Allocation protection, Inventory days held by distributor, Price / cost improvement, Other
• For lead time, which target would you accept for standard replenishment Options: 3-5 days, 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, More than 4 weeks
• For fill rate, what minimum percentage would you require during normal demand cycles Options: 70-79%, 80-89%, 90-94%, 95%+
• Specify the days of authorized distributor inventory you would want as a buffer for critical SKUs Options: 0 days, 1-7 days, 8-21 days, 22-60 days, 60+ days
• List the SKUs you consider mission critical today and the primary reason each is critical
• If a pilot met your target fill rate and quality but missed lead time by a small margin, would you consider progressing to a commercial test Options: Yes, proceed to commercial test, Maybe, need mitigation, No, lead time is decisive

Can your systems and people support a new supply model

• Identify the team or role that owns your ERP and can approve API or EDI access within your required timeline Options: IT / Integration team, Supply chain systems owner, ERP vendor contact, No single owner, it is shared, Other
• Select the backend system that currently holds your part to SKU mappings and reorder rules Options: ERP / MRP, Homegrown database, Spreadsheets, PLM system, Third party inventory platform, Other
• How clean and accessible is your order and forecast data, ready for VMI or EDI onboarding Options: Clean and ready, Mostly clean with some gaps, Inconsistent, needs cleansing, Not available in digital form
• Do you have a named operational owner who can commit to inventory reconciliation and a weekly cadence Options: Yes, named owner, We can assign one quickly, No, would require staffing
• Are there procurement, legal, or regulatory approvals that typically take longer than four weeks and could delay signing Options: Yes, several, Yes, one or two, No, minimal approvals
• Should your IT team be unable to enable automated connectivity within 6 weeks, would you pause the project or accept a manual interim process Options: Pause until automation, Accept manual interim process, Depend on the pilot scope
• Which of these constraints is the most likely deal blocker for you, integration, headcount, legal approvals, or data quality Options: Integration / APIs, Technical headcount, Legal or procurement approvals, Data quality, Other

The other options you're weighing

• Tell me which alternatives you are actively evaluating right now, staying with your incumbent, buying direct, using brokers, or expanding internal stocking Options: Staying with incumbent distributor, Buying direct from manufacturer, Spot brokers or marketplaces, Internal stocking or consignment, Multiple of the above, Other
• For each option you're considering, what is the main reason it appeals, cost, speed, control, or vendor relationship Options: Lower cost, Faster availability, Greater control, Better vendor relationship, Simpler contracting, Other
• Name the roles inside your organization that have proposed solving the gap internally rather than using an outside distributor Options: Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Finance, No internal proposal, Other
• Describe the conditions under which you would decide to stay with your current approach instead of changing suppliers
• On a scale, how satisfied are you with your incumbent on lead time, price, and allocation fairness Options: Very satisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied
• What would the incumbent have to guarantee for you to not change suppliers right now

Decision timing, owners, and deal killers

• Identify the person or role who can sign a commercial agreement and the budget window they control
• How soon do you need commercial terms agreed to avoid a line stoppage, immediately, in two weeks, four to six weeks, or longer Options: Immediately, Within 2 weeks, 4-6 weeks, More than 6 weeks
• Assuming a pilot meets your agreed metrics, what would prevent you from executing a supply agreement that same week
• List any legal or compliance checks that must clear before procurement can approve a new distributor
• Pinpoint the single biggest blocker that could stop this engagement in its tracks
• Realistically, how ready is your team to run a pilot next quarter, fully resourced, partially resourced, or not ready Options: Fully resourced, Partially resourced, Not ready

• Solution Walkthrough Session

• Confirm the current state and cost
• You confirm that the proposed combination of authorized distribution, regional buffer stock, VMI parameters, and allocation protection would prevent the line-down scenarios you described.
• Provide the prioritized list of 3-5 critical SKUs with recent 12-week demand and any existing allocation notices.
• You agree on one or two SKUs to use as the proof case and the evidence required to evaluate success.
• Map your constraints to solution levers
• Run the sample demand forecast and allocation feasibility for the selected SKUs and deliver the comparison of in-stock vs required availability before the follow-up meeting.
• Agreement on seller deliverables and timeline required to produce the allocation and inventory commitment proposal.
• Run the customer scenario proof
• Draft the regional buffer stock plan and proposed VMI thresholds for the proof SKUs, including proposed allocation priority language and sample lead-time commitments.
• Validate that this matches your need
• Identify the decision owner and budget window for inventory commitments and VMI terms.
• Agree next evidence and decision steps

• Solution Walkthrough Session
• Solution Walkthrough Deck
• Solution Walkthrough Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Same-Day Regional Shipping
• Provide Evaluation Sample Kits
• Deliver Authorized Parts with Certificates
• Vendor-Managed Inventory Stocking
• Maintain Buffer Stock for Line Protection
• Manage Priority Allocation During Shortages
• Deliver Kitting and Assembly Services
• Process Expedite and Rush Orders
• Provide Blanket Orders with Contract Pricing
• Factory Drop-Shipping to Production Sites
• Field Application Engineering Support
• Deliver Datasheets and Technical Documentation
• Consignment Inventory Placement
• Provide Order Tracking and Shipment Visibility

Same-Day Regional Shipping

• Do you require same-day shipping for a named list of part numbers or for all orders placed before a cutoff time? Options: Specific part numbers only, All orders before cutoff time, Emergency only (by exception), Not required
• How many regional warehouses or postal zones must support same-day shipments for your production sites? Options: 1 warehouse/zone, 2-3 warehouses/zones, 4+ warehouses/zones
• Which cutoff time (local time) should apply for same-day fulfillment for each region (for example 10:00 AM local)?
• Who will confirm address validation and hazardous materials handling for parts requiring special handling (e.g., lithium batteries)?
• Provide the maximum acceptable transit time in hours for same-day regional shipments to your nearest production site or test lab. Options: 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, Other

Provide Evaluation Sample Kits

• List the part numbers and quantity per part to include in the evaluation sample kit (for example 3 pieces per part for engineering evaluation).
• Identify any specific packaging or labeling requirements for samples (manufacturer labels, lot/lot date, RoHS marking).
• Specify your ideal sample lead time in calendar days from order confirmation to ship date. Options: Same day, 1-2 days, 3-5 days, More than 5 days
• Name the approval gate for evaluation samples (for example design engineer signoff or test report within 30 days).
• Describe the return or sample consumption policy you expect for evaluation kits (for example free samples, paid return, credit on purchase). Options: Free samples, no return, Return for credit, Paid samples refundable on order, Other

Deliver Authorized Parts with Certificates

• Specify which certificates must accompany deliveries per part number (for example manufacturer certificate of conformity (CoC), RoHS declaration, material traceability).
• List the part numbers that require lot or batch traceability and the minimum data fields required on the certificate (lot number, date code, manufacturer lot).
• Identify whether you require physical certificates included in shipments or electronic certificates attached to the advanced ship notice (ASN). Options: Physical certificate in box, Electronic certificate via EDI or email, Both, No certificate required
• Choose the acceptable standards for qualification documentation for semiconductors in your BOM (for example JEDEC device spec references or IPC standards). Options: JEDEC references, IPC standards, Manufacturer internal spec, Customer supplied spec
• Describe any quarantine or incoming inspection hold procedures you require until certificates are verified for critical part numbers.

Vendor-Managed Inventory Stocking

• Provide the list of part numbers and the target stocking policy expressed as days of cover or units by SKU for vendor-managed inventory (VMI).
• Identify the vendor-managed inventory (VMI) reorder trigger you prefer (for example reorder at 14 days of cover or when on-hand < X units). Options: Days of cover, Fixed reorder point (units), Kanban bin count, Other
• Specify the systems to exchange inventory and consumption data (for example electronic data interchange (EDI) 846 inventory advice, API endpoint), and provide any required data fields.
• Confirm the acceptance criteria that will validate VMI go-live for the listed SKUs (for example daily consumption sync, successful EDI/API updates, and one week of accurate replenishment deliveries).
• Indicate who in your operations team will own VMI exception handling and provide their role and contact cadence (for example production planner, weekly cadence).

Maintain Buffer Stock for Line Protection

• Specify which critical part numbers should have buffer stock and the target buffer expressed as days of consumption or unit quantity per production line.
• Identify the preferred buffer stock location model (regional warehouse, on-site consignment, or near-site buffer cabinets) for each production site. Options: Regional warehouse, On-site consignment, Near-site buffer cabinets, Hybrid
• Indicate the inventory rotation or shelf-life constraints for buffered semiconductors (for example date-code age limit or maximum shelf days).
• Provide the receiving and inspection steps to release buffer stock into production (for example lot check, certificate match, functional test), including required documents.
• What evidence will validate buffer stock received and available for the named part numbers (for example ASN with lot numbers, scanned receiving with matched CoC, visible available quantity in your ERP)?

Manage Priority Allocation During Shortages

• List the part numbers subject to allocation rules and the priority ranking method you require (for example production-critical > prototype > service).
• Indicate how allocation priority should be calculated per customer account or site (for example committed monthly volume, registered design-win allocation weight, or safety-stock thresholds).
• Specify the frequency and format of allocation releases you expect (for example weekly allocation release CSV, EDI 830 forecast, or API feed). Options: Weekly CSV, Weekly EDI/API, Bi-weekly, Monthly
• Identify escalation contacts and the required SLA for allocation dispute resolution (for example 48-hour response by allocation manager).
• What acceptance criteria will confirm allocation protection is active for the listed SKUs (for example allocation priority code appears on each PO, confirmed weekly release, and allocation fulfillment >= target percentage)?

Deliver Kitting and Assembly Services

• List the bill of materials (BOM) for each kit by part number and required quantity per finished kit SKU.
• Identify any kitting assembly tolerances or labeling standards required (for example box labeling with kit SKU, lot traceability per subcomponent).
• Specify the kitting lead time from pick to ship and acceptable staging limits (for example kits staged for no more than X days before shipment).
• Indicate whether kits require functional verification or sample inspection prior to shipment and provide test acceptance steps if applicable. Options: Functional verification required, Visual inspection only, No testing required
• Identify the preferred labeling fields on kit packaging (for example kit SKU, included part numbers, lot numbers, manufacturing date).

Process Expedite and Rush Orders

• Provide the definition of an expedite or rush order for your operations (for example ship within 24 hours or delivery within 48 hours).
• Identify the expedited shipping lanes and carriers you accept for rush deliveries to your production sites or test labs (carrier categories only). Options: Regional same-day carriers, Next-flight-out air, Overnight national carriers, Customer nominated carrier
• Specify any expedite approval gate or required authorization documentation (for example manager approval, expedite PO flag, or charge code).
• Determine the expedite fee model you accept for rush orders (for example fixed per shipment, percentage premium, or waived for safety-of-life parts). Options: Fixed per shipment, Percentage of order value, Waived under agreed conditions, Other
• Identify how you want expedite orders tracked and how frequently you expect status updates during transit (for example hourly ETA updates, push notifications).

Provide Blanket Orders with Contract Pricing

• Specify the part numbers and the contract pricing model for blanket orders (for example tiered pricing by volume bands or fixed unit price).
• Indicate the minimum and maximum release quantities per delivery against the blanket PO and any allowed variance percentages.
• State the contract term and renewal cadence you require for the blanket agreement (for example 12 months with quarterly review). Options: 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, Other
• Identify billing and invoicing cadence for blanket releases (for example invoice per release, monthly consolidated invoice, or milestone billing). Options: Per release invoice, Monthly consolidated invoice, Quarterly invoice
• Clarify any price protection or escalation rules you require for semiconductor price volatility during the blanket term.

Factory Drop-Shipping to Production Sites

• List the production site addresses or site codes that will receive factory drop-shipments and any receiving hours or appointment windows.
• Identify required shipping documentation for drop-shipments to your factories (for example ASN, packing list with part and lot numbers, CoC).
• Specify preferred incoterms and who will be responsible for customs clearance for cross-border drop-ships. Options: DAP Delivered at Place, DDP Delivered Duty Paid, EXW Ex Works, Other
• Indicate whether the factory needs pre-advise notifications and the required lead time for those notifications (for example 24-hour ASN).
• Map the acceptance procedure at the production site for drop-shipped parts including quarantine, inspection, and release to floor.

Field Application Engineering Support

• Identify the design milestones where you expect field application engineering (FAE) involvement (for example schematic review, prototyping, first build).
• Specify the deliverables you expect from FAE engagements (for example reference design, signal integrity checklist, evaluation report).
• Indicate whether FAE support requires on-site visits, remote sessions, or hardware-in-the-loop testing and the expected frequency. Options: Remote sessions, On-site visits, Hardware testing, Hybrid
• Identify the response time expectation for FAE technical inquiries during prototype runs (for example 4 business hours, next business day). Options: 4 business hours, Next business day, 48 hours
• Describe any intellectual property or NDA constraints that govern FAE access to your schematics or test fixtures.

Deliver Datasheets and Technical Documentation

• List the specific document types you require with part deliveries (for example full datasheet, application note, land pattern, reliability data).
• Identify the preferred document format for technical files (for example PDF datasheet, CAD land pattern, native CAD file). Options: PDF, STEP/IGES, Native CAD, Other
• Specify whether you need the latest manufacturer revision only or historical datasheet revisions maintained against SKU records. Options: Latest revision only, Maintain historical revisions
• Indicate how you want documentation delivered and linked to part records (for example attached to the PO confirmation, available on a shared portal, or via API).
• Document any regulatory documentation required for specific components (for example REACH declaration, conflict minerals reporting) and the expected fields.

• Master Supply Agreement
• Purchase Agreement / Order Confirmation
• Pricing Schedule & Registration Addendum
• Allocation & Priority Agreement
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• VMI & Inventory Ownership Terms
• Sample & Evaluation Policy
• Logistics & Fulfillment Addendum
• Demand Forecast & Commitment Schedule

• Go-live Health Check (week 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (week 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly Success Review (ongoing)

• Publish prioritized enhancement requests and expected delivery windows for stakeholder visibility
• Publish the acceptance decision and evidence packet to the shared workspace
• Restate acceptance criteria and targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision aligned to the numeric targets recorded in Distribution & Service Scope.
• If any criteria are conditional or failed, agree a time-bound remediation plan with required evidence and final resolution dates.
• Confirm incumbent sourcing or systems are either decommissioned or formally retained-read-only with archived data as applicable.
• If conditional, execute the remediation plan and provide closure evidence by the agreed resolution dates
• Complete incumbent decommissioning tasks or document retention and archive steps with proof of completion
• Performance dashboard review
• Confirm the solution continues to meet operational targets for fill rate and allocation fulfillment rate, or document corrective plans where it does not.
• Ensure high-priority issues are tracked in the shared channel with resolution dates and that enhancement requests are prioritized for the roadmap.
• Agree any short-cycle operational changes to be implemented before the next quarterly review.
• Update the performance dashboard with the latest metrics and circulate the quarter summary
• Close or escalate unresolved high-priority issues from the shared channel and record next-step evidence
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm that all deployment tasks listed in Distribution & Service Scope are complete or have an agreed remediation plan.
• Capture all critical go-live blockers with remediation tasks and target completion dates.
• Establish the shared issue channel and triage cadence for ongoing item tracking.
• Publish a go-live health summary including outstanding blockers and planned remediation dates
• Populate the shared issue channel with identified defects and prioritize them for the next 14 days
• Validate that VMI activation and inventory transfers have been recorded in the operations system
• Present first outcome data
• Determine whether fill rate and average supplier lead time are moving toward the targets recorded in Distribution & Service Scope or require remediation.
• Agree a prioritized corrective plan addressing allocation or inventory shortfalls with completion dates ahead of the acceptance gate.
• Confirm required evidence that will be presented at the acceptance gate to demonstrate remediation success.
• Produce a metric packet showing fill rate by SKU, average supplier lead time, allocation fulfillment rate, and authorized inventory days of cover for the scoped SKU set
• Execute the agreed corrective actions (inventory transfers, safety-stock changes, expedited purchase orders) and log completion evidence in the shared channel
• Schedule data pull cadence and owners for the acceptance gate evidence package
• Open issue burn-down from shared channel
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Allocation performance and authorized inventory review
• Deployment validation
• Early adoption signals and usage patterns
• Enhancement request triage
• Root-cause diagnosis for gaps
• Document pass/fail per criterion and formal acceptance decision
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to acceptance gate
• Open issues and immediate blockers
• Short-cycle operational improvements
• Incumbent wind-down confirmation
• Agree remediation and close-out plan where criteria not met
• Agree immediate remediation actions