Launching five categories at once from Thailand fails for a boring reason: every category has a different clock. Injection tooling, textile dyeing, food shelf-life testing and electronics certification do not finish in the same month, and a single shipping date forces the slowest one to define the launch.
Lead-time reality per category
| Category | Tooling / setup | First production run | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal fabrication | 2-4 weeks fixtures | 3-5 weeks | Material certs, fast |
| Plastics injection | 6-10 weeks mould | 2-4 weeks | Food-contact testing if needed |
| Electronics / PCBA | 3-6 weeks | 4-6 weeks | EMC / safety 4-8 weeks |
| Textiles & apparel | 2-3 weeks lab dips | 4-6 weeks | Fibre & chemical testing |
| Food & ingredients | 1-2 weeks trial | 2-4 weeks | Shelf-life can take months |
Add Thai holiday compression: Songkran in April and the New Year window in late December both remove roughly a working week and create a queue on either side.
Build the calendar backwards
- Fix the on-shelf date
- Subtract in-market logistics (customs, DC intake, retailer appointment) — 2-3 weeks
- Subtract ocean transit — 3-4 weeks to Europe, 3-5 to the US East Coast, 2 weeks to Australia
- Subtract pre-shipment inspection and rework buffer — 1-2 weeks
- Subtract production
- Subtract tooling, sampling and certification
- Whatever date you land on is your PO release date. If it is in the past, cut scope or split the launch.
Split the launch on purpose
Sequencing beats heroics. Ship the categories that are ready as Wave 1, and hold the long-pole category — usually a moulded part or anything needing shelf-life data — for Wave 2 four to six weeks later. A staggered launch protects margin; an air-freighted "everything on day one" launch destroys it.
Buffers that actually get used
- Tooling buffer: 2 weeks. First-article rejections are normal, not exceptional.
- Certification buffer: 3 weeks. Labs re-test after any BOM change.
- Peak-season freight buffer: 2 weeks before Q4 and before Lunar New Year congestion.
More detail in lead-time buffers.
Where TUSKO fits
We run one master calendar across every factory in your basket, hold the critical-path items visible in the client portal, and flag slippage while there is still time to re-sequence rather than pay for air freight.
FAQ
Can I compress a mould programme? Sometimes, with a soft tool or a bridge tool for the first run — expect a higher unit price and a cosmetic compromise.
How early should POs be released for a Q4 launch? For mixed categories with any moulding or certification, plan on releasing in Q1-Q2.
Do Thai factories run through Songkran? Most close for the official days and run reduced crews around them; treat the whole week as unavailable.