VTEX has made lead time, a shipping time setting for inventory SKUs, available to all stores. In other words, you can set an additional shipping time at SKU level when calculating the shipping promises displayed to customers at checkout.
The store's shipping will remain unchanged when not configured, as lead time is optional. Note that the checkout consolidation rules are maintained, calculating the total shipping time of the order based on the longest shipping time among the items.
What has changed?
Previously, the order shipping calculation considered the periods configured in your shipping strategy at different levels:
Now, you can also configure the shipping time at SKU level with the new lead time column on the Inventory Management page, which can be found in your VTEX Admin under Catalog > Inventory > Inventory Management, as shown in the image below:
In the VTEX Admin, the lead time is configured in days, with a 365-day limit. By default, the days are calculated in business days, but you can configure your shipping policy to calculate them in calendar days. You need to use the Update inventory by SKU and warehouse endpoint to configure periods in hours, minutes, and seconds.
Why did we make this change?
These are the main advantages:
- More flexibility in inventory management; especially useful for businesses with on-demand products and dropshipping scenarios, in which the provider sends the product directly to the customer.
- More accurate shipping time configuration, making it easier for you to manage your inventory.
- More accurate shipping promise calculations for customers, leading to better shopping experiences.
What needs to be done?
The Inventory Management page of the VTEX Admin was updated with the lead time column in all stores, and no action is required from you. Using the new field is optional, so if you don't configure it, the shipping time for your orders will remain unchanged.