How to Set Production Turnaround Times

Accurately setting production turnaround times is essential for managing customer expectations, keeping your team aligned, and avoiding last-minute rushes in production. In DecoNetwork, you can define how long production typically takes, which days you operate, when your shop is closed, and how orders are visually flagged as they approach their due dates.

In this article

• Prerequisites
• Why production & order pending times matter
• Step 1: Set production turnaround time
• Step 2: Configure production days
• Step 3: Add production blackout dates
• Step 4: Set a default production schedule date
• Step 5: Color-code orders in Business Hub
• Best-practice tips
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs
• Additional resources

Prerequisites

Why production & order pending times matter

• Ensure customers see accurate delivery or pickup expectations at checkout
• Prevent over-promising during busy production periods
• Automatically factor holidays and closures into turnaround times
• Help staff quickly identify urgent orders in Business Hub

Step 1: Set production turnaround time

1. Go to Admin → Settings → Production Order Settings → Production & Order Pending Times.
2. Enter your standard production turnaround time for each decoration process in business days.

A typical turnaround in the decoration industry is around 10 business days (2 weeks). However, if your shop is experiencing high volume, you may wish to increase this to 15 business days or more to avoid unrealistic commitments.

Step 2: Configure production days

1. In the same settings screen, choose which days your shop performs production.
2. Select either:
   • Monday–Friday (5 business days), or
   • Monday–Sunday, if you operate on weekends

Only the selected production days are counted when DecoNetwork calculates turnaround times.

Step 3: Add production blackout dates

Production blackout dates represent days when your shop is closed, such as public holidays.

1. In Production & Order Pending Times, add blackout dates for holidays or closures (for example, December 25 or January 1).
2. Save your changes.

Blackout dates ensure holidays are automatically excluded from turnaround calculations, even if they fall on a regular production day.

Step 4: Set a default production schedule date

1. In Production & Order Pending Times, set a default schedule offset (for example, schedule production 5 days before the due date).

This determines the default production start date for new orders. You can always adjust the scheduled date later within the order itself.

Step 5: Color-code orders in Business Hub

1. Go to Admin → Settings → Production Order Settings → Business Hub Order Display Settings.
2. Configure color rules based on how close orders are to their due date.

For example:

• Red for orders nearing or past due dates
• Green for newly received orders with plenty of lead time

This visual system helps staff instantly prioritize urgent work without needing to open each order.

Best-practice tips

• Review production turnaround times regularly during peak seasons
• Keep blackout dates updated annually for holidays
• Pair longer turnaround times with optional Rush Order Fees to offer flexibility
• Use order color-coding consistently so staff learn to trust visual cues

Troubleshooting

• Customers are seeing shorter turnaround times than expected: Confirm blackout dates and production days are correctly configured.
• Orders look overdue immediately: Check order color-coding thresholds in Business Hub display settings.
• Rush orders aren’t shortening production time: Ensure Rush Order Fees are configured and enabled separately.

FAQs

• Does production time include shipping?
  No. Production time is combined with the selected shipping method’s transit time to create the total turnaround shown to customers.
• Can I change the schedule date after an order is placed?
  Yes. The default schedule date can always be updated directly within the order.
• Do blackout dates affect quotes and invoices?
  Yes. They are included when calculating turnaround times shown on quotes, orders, and invoices.

Additional resources

• Production and Order Pending Times Review
• Configure production & order pending times
• Business Hub Order Display