Free the cash tied up in stock you don't need yet
When an order will arrive well before its part is needed, a readiness signal opens a task, and Scout Agent asks the supplier to push the delivery out or reduce it
Stock that arrives early still costs cash. Moving the delivery closer to the need frees it up
Early stock ties up cash
An early delivery is invoiced and on your books weeks before the build uses it, and it takes space in the warehouse until production catches up.
Track days on hand and early arrivals
Watch inventory days on hand, and the value of open orders due to arrive well before their need date. Both come from data you already have.
A task for every order due too early
A readiness signal opens a task for any order due well before its part is next needed, while there's still time to ask the supplier to move it.
Cartograph catches early orders. Readiness signals find them, and Scout Agent asks the supplier to push them out
Delay or reduce an order
Pushes out or trims an order when the need behind it moves later.
See how it worksReview a supplier’s open orders
Checks every open line against the supplier’s own records.
See how it worksVerify a supplier’s lead times
Confirms planning lead times across a supplier’s parts, riskiest first.
See how it works[01]
A readiness signal flags the early order
A readiness signal opens a task for an order due well before its part is next needed, with both dates in the reason.
[02]
Scout Agent asks the supplier to move it
Scout Agent emails the supplier with the new date, within the permissions your team sets, and follows up until there's a reply on the task.
Your team sets the limits. Test Scout Agent first without a supplier seeing anything, then decide what Scout may do without asking
[01]
Always allow, Needs approval or Never
Set each action Scout Agent can take, separately for tasks Scout leads and tasks Scout assists.
Place this call?
CallingNora Whitfield · East Coast Castings
Call summaryLock in Thursday’s release and the courier for PO 24103.
Plan3 steps
Why you’re asked This contact has been reached a lot recently.
[02]
Scout asks first when your rules say so
Even when Scout Agent leads, an email or call waits for your team when it matches an approval rule or the contact has been reached a lot recently.
Scout Agent leads
Scout Agent resolves this task end-to-end on its own, including interacting with external parties. Scout Agent pulls you in for escalations or when your approval is required.
Scout Agent assists
Scout Agent assists with the resolution, including researching, planning, and drafting communications. You approve all key actions, and can suggest alternatives.
Just me
Scout Agent will not run on this task.
[03]
Who works each task
Each task type sets whether Scout Agent leads or assists, and your team can change the role on any task, down to Just me.
[04]
A no comes with a reason
Decline a draft with a reason, and Scout Agent uses it to find a different way through.
Learn the method in Cartograph Academy. Free lessons on keeping stock from arriving before it's needed
Early delivery: accept, refuse or reschedule out
Decide whether to accept, hold invoice timing or refuse an early shipment, set a PO window, and know when a reschedule-out still saves cash.
Read lessonSupplier lead time: planned vs actual and quote checks
Catch a stale ERP lead time before it releases orders late, and release long-lead items before the rest of the BOM.
Read lessonNeed date vs promise date: what to plan and score against
Keep need date, PO due date and promise date in separate fields, plan against the confirmed date, and score suppliers on their first promise.
Read lessonClear to build: kitting, shelf life and a CTB checklist
Know before the line starts whether a build is clear. Check on-hand status, shelf life against the build date, kitting timing, and what makes a CTB wrong.
Read lessonFAQ
Cartograph compares each open order's date with the next date its part is needed, using the demand on your records. By default, a readiness signal opens a task on Mondays when an order will land 14 or more days before that need. Your team sets when each readiness signal opens a task, and which orders it skips. Cartograph doesn't predict demand. It works from the schedule you already have.
Scout Agent follows your playbook for delaying or reducing an order. The starter playbook works out the new date, and any quantity to reduce, for each line, then asks the supplier by email to push the delivery out. A move of under about a week, or a line that was rescheduled recently, is held with the reason on the task.
The supplier's reason stays on the task, and the line stays as it is. If the supplier asks for a fee to move it, Scout Agent agrees to nothing and passes it to your team.
Yes. Once the new date is approved, it's updated on the order in your ERP. You choose which fields Cartograph may update, and every update is logged.
An out-of-date lead time on file places orders too early or too late. A “Verify a supplier’s lead times” task asks each supplier to confirm current lead times, starting with the parts that most need it, so the dates you plan against are current.
Readiness signals regularly open a “Review a supplier’s open orders” task, and Scout Agent sends each supplier the full list of open lines to confirm or correct in one email, so a date that drifted doesn't stay on your books.
Talk to us about freeing up cash tied up in early stock
We'll walk through your open orders, your ERP and the readiness signals you'd turn on first.