Lead times & ordering
How our lead times work.
Every product page shows a stock indicator and a lead time. Here's what each one means, where the number comes from, and what we do when it changes.
What the status indicators mean
Four states appear on product pages, in order from fastest to slowest delivery.
On our shelf in Johannesburg. Ships same day if ordered before 14:00 SAST, otherwise next business day.
We've already placed a purchase order with the supplier. The displayed ETA is what the supplier confirmed when accepting our PO — typically more reliable than a generic lead time.
We don't currently hold the part and haven't placed a PO yet. Lead time shown is the supplier's published dispatch ETA from their latest logistics export. Confirmed once we place the PO on receipt of your order.
Supplier no longer manufactures. Send us the SKU and our engineering team will identify the current replacement.
How the data gets there
One number. One source of truth.
Lead times on appliedgroup.co.za come straight from the OEM. No manual entry, no spreadsheet that lags by a quarter.
Supplier logistics export
Each supplier publishes a regular logistics report — every active SKU with its current dispatch ETA from the nearest distribution centre.
Auto-imported to our system
Our importer matches each SKU to a WooCommerce product, normalises the lead-time value, and writes it to the product record.
Schema & site update
The lead time is mirrored into Schema.org structured data so search engines and AI agents see the same number.
Mid-week corrections + PO ETAs
If a supplier advises a change, we re-run the import. When we place a PO, the affected SKUs flip from "On backorder" to "Incoming (on PO)" with the confirmed ETA.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the lead time shown on each product page?
Lead times come directly from each supplier's regular logistics report. For Parker Hannifin, ITT Enidine and ITW Vortec this typically reflects dispatch from the nearest manufacturer distribution centre to our Johannesburg warehouse. Items shown as In stock ship the same day from our own warehouse.
What's the difference between "Incoming (on PO)" and "On backorder"?
Incoming means we have an open purchase order with the supplier — they've accepted it and confirmed an ETA. That ETA is what you see on the product page. It's the most reliable timing because the order is already in the system.
On backorder means we don't yet have a PO for this SKU. The displayed lead time is the supplier's published dispatch time from their latest logistics report. We'll place the PO on receipt of your order; the ETA may shift slightly once the supplier confirms.
How often are lead times updated?
Every Monday morning. We import each supplier's regional logistics export, parse it for stocked SKUs, and write the new lead time to each product. If a supplier advises a mid-week change, we re-run the import and the site updates within 30 minutes.
How accurate are the lead times?
Backorder lead times are accurate to within 2 business days under normal supply conditions. Incoming-on-PO ETAs are more accurate still, because the supplier has formally accepted the order.
The biggest source of variance on backorder items is sea freight delays from the OEM's manufacturing centres — we factor in an average shipping buffer.
If you're working to a hard deadline, send us the SKUs via the quote form with your required-by date and we'll flag anything that doesn't pencil.
What does "discontinued" mean?
The supplier (Parker / Enidine / Vortec) no longer manufactures this exact SKU. Send us the original part number via the enquiry form and our engineering team will identify the current replacement, typically within the same business day. Most major suppliers publish a cross-reference list which we maintain.
Can I get a confirmed ship date before I order?
For confirmed orders, yes — we issue a purchase confirmation with a target ship date once we've placed the order with the supplier. For quotes, the on-page lead time is our best estimate and is the number we'll honour for 14 days from the quote date.
Do you ship outside South Africa?
Yes — we ship across Southern Africa including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Eswatini. Lead times shown on the site do not include cross-border freight; we'll quote that separately once the destination is confirmed.
Can I expedite an order?
For backorder items, yes — most suppliers offer an air-freight expedite service that typically halves the lead time. Surcharge applies. Mention it in your quote request and we'll come back with both standard and expedited options.
Which suppliers do you import lead times from?
Parker Hannifin, ITT Enidine, and ITW Vortec — the three OEMs we're authorised to distribute. Each has a slightly different cadence and format for their logistics export; our importer normalises them all into a single "weeks" value per SKU.
What are your payment terms?
Cash with order for non-account customers (EFT, card, or proof of payment before dispatch). Trade account customers get 30-day terms by default; longer terms are negotiable based on volume.
Still not sure?
Send us a part number — we'll come back with stock, price, and lead time in under 4 hours.