Expedite
An expedite is a request to a supplier to accelerate delivery of an order beyond the original schedule. It's one of the most common urgent actions a buyer takes — and one of the hardest to track, because the new date often lives only in an email.
Part of the Procurement Glossary
How it works in practice
Production needs parts sooner than originally planned. Maybe demand spiked, maybe another supplier delayed and you need to pull this order forward, or maybe the original lead time was too optimistic.
You contact the supplier — usually by email — and request an earlier delivery. The supplier may agree, partially agree, or push back. The new date needs to be tracked, the ERP may or may not get updated, and you need to confirm the supplier actually delivers on the revised schedule.
The tricky part: expedite agreements often live entirely in email. The ERP still shows the original date. Your spreadsheet might get updated if you remember. The gap between what was agreed and what your system shows is where deliveries slip.
Why it matters
Expedites happen because production can't wait. If the expedite doesn't get tracked properly — the supplier's agreement, the new date, the follow-up — you end up with parts arriving on the original schedule while the production line waits.
Tracking expedites is also important for supplier performance. If a supplier consistently can't meet expedite requests, that's data you need for future sourcing decisions.
Tips
Get the new date in writing
Don't accept a verbal expedite confirmation. Get the revised date in email so you have documentation and the assistant can track it.
Follow up on the expedite
An expedite request isn't closed when the supplier agrees — it's closed when the parts arrive. Monitor the revised date the same way you'd monitor the original.
Track the cost
Expedites sometimes come with premium shipping or overtime charges. Note any cost implications so they don't surprise you on the invoice.
How PO-Relay helps
PO-Relay generates expedite request drafts pre-loaded with the PO details, current status, and the production urgency. When the supplier responds, the email intelligence classifies the response and checks whether a new date was confirmed.
The loop stays open and monitored against the revised date. If the supplier agreed to expedite but the new date approaches without a shipment notice, PO-Relay flags it — the same way it monitors any delivery at risk.