Work backwards from the day your products are needed

An event date is not a production deadline. Your products may need to arrive earlier for inspection, packing, distribution or delivery to several locations. Begin with that practical arrival date. Work backwards through transport, customs clearance, production and sample approval. Allow time for design revisions and packaging decisions rather than assuming the first sample will be approved immediately. Each part of this schedule should be confirmed for the actual project. Air and sea freight have different cost and timing implications. The right choice depends on the destination, shipment size and schedule. Do not build a launch plan around an unverified freight estimate. For a collection with several products, check whether the components come from different suppliers and where the final set will be assembled. One late component can hold up the complete gift. Ask your supplier to distinguish estimated dates from confirmed milestones. Product requirements, factory availability, local holidays and transport conditions can all affect feasibility. A timeline agreed before an order is more useful than an optimistic promise made too early.