Tariffs, Tight ETAs and Vendor Lead Times

September 16th, 2025 by the STORIS Marketing Team

Tariff uncertainty and shifting supplier schedules are reshaping the furniture industry. Furniture Today reports manufacturers are adjusting forecasting and timing in real time. Home News Now also underscores the tariff-driven sourcing shifts. Customers? They’re less patient than ever. In this context, staying agile through disciplined operational systems—especially in how you manage vendor lead times—is what separates winners from laggards.

Why It Matters Now

High unit costs, custom SKUs, and oversized freight magnify the impacts of any delay. With tariffs raising landed costs and consumer expectations compressed, retailers can’t afford to misjudge vendor lead times. Furniture Today stresses the urgency of these adjustments—forecasting isn’t optional, it’s essential.

Practical Moves Merchandisers Can Make Under Tariff Pressure

1) Treat Vendor Lead Times as Living Data

What: Set and update vendor- and category-specific lead days weekly.
Why: Tariff volatility makes static lead times obsolete.
How: STORIS auto-calculates ATP and projected receivables based on live lead data.

2) Require ASNs for Inbound Visibility

What: Make Advance Ship Notices (EDI 856) mandatory for key suppliers.
Why: ASNs enable staging, labor planning, and damage prevention.
How: STORIS integrates ASNs and EDI into the PO process. Furniture World highlights pre-receiving discipline and barcode-ready labels as best practices.

3) Barcode-Scan at Receiving

What: Use RF or batch barcode scanning on receipt, putaway, and cycle counts.
Why: Phony inventory is a major drag on margin; scanning improves accuracy drastically.
How: STORIS supports mobile scanning and ties it directly to inventory control systems.

4) Three-Way Match in AP

What: Do not pay invoices unless they align with POs and receipts.
Why: Protects cash flow and ensures accuracy.
How: STORIS accounting modules enforce PO → receipt → invoice reconciliation.

Industry Insight: Furniture Today confirms many vendors are “fine-tuning the forecasting and timing of shipments as they can,” reinforcing the need for disciplined lead-time data.

Outcomes You Can Expect

• Merchandising and Buying: Accurate buys, fewer backorders.
• Warehouse Operations: Faster dock-to-stock with ASNs + scanning.
• Accounting and Finance: Clean month-end, fewer AP exceptions.
• Customers: ATP promises met, trust maintained.

Conclusion

Manufacturers are continuously fine-tuning shipment timing. Tariff pressures remain unpredictable. Only retailers who treat lead times as dynamic, enforce upstream visibility, and align AP rigorously with purchasing can convert disruption into stability.

Source Citations