Procurement decisions and comparisons
Calendar Days vs Working Days: Compare Apparel Schedule Assumptions
Calendar-day and working-day schedules are comparable only after their counting rules are explicit. Identify the start event, applicable calendar, exclusions and end event. Do not convert one into the other using an assumed workweek or an unverified holiday list.
For brand operations teams reconciling supplier and buyer project calendars.
Define the interval before comparing its length
Write the event that starts the interval and the event that ends it. For example, a proposal measured from receipt of a file is not directly comparable with one measured from approval of that file. Label whether the start date is counted and how a partial day is handled in the proposed schedule. These are questions for the parties to settle, not rules supplied by the phrase working days. Keep the stated duration separate from the calculated target date so each can be checked.
Name the calendar used for each activity
Ask whose working calendar applies to the activity: the buyer office, the sample room, a proposed production location or another named participant. Record agreed closure dates and the source of that information. Do not presume that all teams use the same weekend or that a courier follows the factory calendar. If a project crosses locations, describe the handoff between calendars rather than merging them into a guessed global workweek. This keeps responsibility for an unavailable approval contact visible during planning.
Make waiting periods and cutoffs explicit
Ask whether the proposed interval includes buyer response time, external material confirmation and transit, or pauses while another decision is outstanding. Identify any cutoff time and its time zone where it affects the calculation. A file sent late in one location may be received on another local date elsewhere. Record the relevant interpretation rather than promising a universal rule. If the schedule is recalculated after a delay, show the changed assumption and revised date without silently replacing the original proposal.
Compare calculated dates with unresolved assumptions visible
Place each supplier’s duration, day basis, start event, exclusions and resulting proposed end date in the comparison sheet. Use an agreed calendar to check the calculation, and flag unanswered fields instead of treating them as zero. Then ask whether the resulting date is a target, a proposal or a contractual commitment under the actual agreement. This guide compares counting conventions; it does not decide what evidence triggers a payment milestone or how long an apparel project should take. Keep unsupported lead-time claims out of the RFQ.
Decision and evidence checklist
| Decision | Include in the brief | Review evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Interval | Start, end and inclusion rule | Written counting convention |
| Calendar | Named location and confirmed closures | Versioned calendar reference |
| Comparison | Duration basis and calculated end date | Assumptions shown alongside date |
What this brief does and does not establish
These are proposed schedule-comparison fields, not an asserted workweek, holiday calendar or production lead time. No MyOwnWear availability or dispatch promise is made. Confirm the actual calendars, event definitions and agreed commercial status before relying on any calculated date.
Include the proposed start event and day-counting basis when asking MyOwnWear to discuss a project schedule. Open the MyOwnWear RFQ form.
Buyer questions
Can working days be converted with a standard multiplier?
Not reliably without the actual working calendar and counting rules.
Is transport included in the factory interval?
Only if the proposed scope explicitly includes it; ask rather than infer.
Does a calculated date prove a delivery commitment?
No. The commercial status of the date must be established separately in the actual agreement.