Two suppliers have delivered their cartons to the China warehouse. A third expects to finish later. Your South African store needs one of the ready products soon, while the remaining stock can wait.
That situation gives you several options: wait and combine the goods, dispatch separate batches, or move a smaller urgent quantity first. Start with the goods available and the business date you need to protect. Use the shipment options comparison to put the proposals on the same basis.
Confirm what is ready and where it is
List each supplier, product, quantity and location. Record which details are confirmed by a receiving record and which depend on a supplier's estimate. Include the latest packing dimensions and weights available for each proposed movement.
Goods at different stages need different actions. A finished product may still need packing approval or collection. A warehouse receipt should identify the receiving checks actually performed. Agree any further checks before authorising dispatch.
For this comparison, combining orders means coordinating goods from your suppliers into a shipment plan. The transport service still needs to be selected. Flexport's buyer consolidation page describes its own model of combining suppliers into full containers; the right arrangement for another buyer depends on the goods and available service.
Ask for options with the same end point
Give each proposal the same goods, quantity and South African delivery or collection point. A port arrival estimate and delivery to your shop describe different stages. Record when the estimate starts, what must happen before it starts and which stages remain afterwards. Keep the required business date the same when asking for alternatives.
For an urgent-first option, show the urgent quantity and the balance separately. Include the later movement of the remaining goods in the whole-order cost and timing comparison. If you compare only the urgent quantity, use that same narrower scope for every option and label it clearly.
Ask the provider to identify the costs applicable to each option:
- Collection from suppliers and receiving or handling work in China.
- Storage, additional packing and any separate dispatch work.
- International freight and applicable destination handling.
- Customs arrangements, duties, import VAT and the agreed final handover.
Mark confirmed amounts, estimates and exclusions. Check quotation validity and what changes would require a new price. Repacking or a changed shipment split may also change the information used to calculate freight.
Flexport's LCL and FCL comparison explains that the cost break-even point varies with the route and freight market. Your order needs its own comparison using the current proposals.
Compare three practical approaches
| Approach | Conditions that favour it | What to examine before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Wait and combine | Ready stock can tolerate the wait and the remaining goods have a credible readiness update | Storage, revised collection plan and the effect of another delay |
| Dispatch batches separately | Different products have different required dates or handling needs | Repeated fixed charges, separate records and destination arrangements |
| Send an urgent quantity first | A limited quantity addresses the immediate business need | Splitting permission, extra packing, suitable service and the remaining shipment plan |
The table is a planning aid. Request confirmation that each proposed movement is suitable for the goods, including any product-specific transport or import requirements.
Put the cost of waiting beside the freight difference
Explain what the date means for your business. It may relate to an existing customer commitment, a promotion or stock needed for regular sales. Estimate the affected quantity using your own records and identify the assumptions behind it.
In its freight mode matrix, Maersk uses urgency and the consequences of delay among its decision factors. For a smaller importer, the same questions help focus a quote request: which products are urgent, how much is needed and what happens if they arrive later?
Keep uncertain sales separate from confirmed commitments. A predicted loss should be labelled as an estimate when deciding whether additional transport spending is justified.
Record the conditions for your decision
Return to the illustrative situation at the start. Before deciding to wait, obtain the late supplier's revised readiness update and the applicable storage arrangement. Before splitting, request the additional charges and confirm how the ready goods will be identified and packed.
Write down the approved option, the goods it covers and the information used. Add a review trigger, such as a missed readiness update or a change to the required quantity. The next person handling the order should be able to see what has been authorised.
To compare dispatch options with Jeton Express, share the proposals or arrangements you are considering, the goods ready to move and the quantity needed urgently. Include available packing details and the same South African handover point for each option. Identify any charges or stages that are missing from the comparison. The written proposal confirms the agreed purchase, warehouse and freight scope.
Continue with consolidation, sea freight, air freight or prepare an enquiry.
Use the buyer worksheet
Shipment Options on the Same Basis
Fill the blank fields with your order details. Examples are clearly marked as fictional.
Download the worksheetCompare the same goods and South African handover point before choosing between waiting, combining goods, separate batches or a smaller urgent movement. Ask the provider to confirm that each option is available and suitable for the goods.
Fix the comparison
Goods and quantities in scope: __________
Supplier locations and readiness evidence: __________
Packing dimensions and weights, with version/date: __________
Same South African delivery or collection point: __________
Required business date and urgent quantity: __________
Blank option record
Use the status confirmed, estimate, excluded or unknown beside each cost. Record the amount and currency where available. Excluded and unknown items still need a decision; do not count them as zero.
| Item | Wait and combine | Separate batches | Urgent quantity first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods and quantity included | |||
| Urgent quantity and remaining quantity | |||
| Later movement of remaining goods: plan and cost | |||
| Whole-order cost status, including every movement | |||
| China collection and receiving work | |||
| Storage and waiting conditions | |||
| Repacking or split handling | |||
| International freight | |||
| Destination handling | |||
| Customs arrangement, duties and import VAT scope | |||
| Agreed final handover | |||
| Estimate starts when | |||
| Remaining stages after quoted arrival | |||
| Quotation date and validity | |||
| Availability or product-specific confirmation |
Fictional example row
This invented row illustrates different waiting assumptions. It is not a quotation, rate or service commitment.
| Item | Wait and combine | Separate batches | Urgent quantity first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage and waiting conditions | Unknown; request terms while waiting for Supplier C | Estimate; confirm when each batch leaves | Unknown; confirm handling of the remaining cartons |
Make the decision visible
Business consequence of waiting, with assumptions: __________
Costs or stages still missing: __________
Selected option, goods covered and reason: __________
Approved by and date: __________
Review again if this condition changes: __________
View the copyable text
# Shipment Options on the Same Basis Compare the same goods and South African handover point before choosing between waiting, combining goods, separate batches or a smaller urgent movement. Ask the provider to confirm that each option is available and suitable for the goods. ## Fix the comparison Goods and quantities in scope: __________ Supplier locations and readiness evidence: __________ Packing dimensions and weights, with version/date: __________ Same South African delivery or collection point: __________ Required business date and urgent quantity: __________ ## Blank option record Use the status **confirmed**, **estimate**, **excluded** or **unknown** beside each cost. Record the amount and currency where available. Excluded and unknown items still need a decision; do not count them as zero. | Item | Wait and combine | Separate batches | Urgent quantity first | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Goods and quantity included | | | | | Urgent quantity and remaining quantity | | | | | Later movement of remaining goods: plan and cost | | | | | Whole-order cost status, including every movement | | | | | China collection and receiving work | | | | | Storage and waiting conditions | | | | | Repacking or split handling | | | | | International freight | | | | | Destination handling | | | | | Customs arrangement, duties and import VAT scope | | | | | Agreed final handover | | | | | Estimate starts when | | | | | Remaining stages after quoted arrival | | | | | Quotation date and validity | | | | | Availability or product-specific confirmation | | | | ## Fictional example row This invented row illustrates different waiting assumptions. It is not a quotation, rate or service commitment. | Item | Wait and combine | Separate batches | Urgent quantity first | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Storage and waiting conditions | Unknown; request terms while waiting for Supplier C | Estimate; confirm when each batch leaves | Unknown; confirm handling of the remaining cartons | ## Make the decision visible Business consequence of waiting, with assumptions: __________ Costs or stages still missing: __________ Selected option, goods covered and reason: __________ Approved by and date: __________ Review again if this condition changes: __________
Sources and further reading
Compare your dispatch options
Bring the details relevant to this decision to your enquiry. The written proposal confirms the agreed scope.
Compare your dispatch options