OTIF – How To Meet Delivery Appointments

The SupplyPike Team

By The SupplyPike Team, Retail Rockstars

Last Updated May 24, 2024

4 min read

Learn about:

  • Walmart's Must Arrive by Date (MABD) Process

  • Walmart's Delivery Windows

  • Delivery Windows by Mode and Network

The Walmart OTIF compliance program has many nuances and can significantly impact your bottom line if unmet. It's all about delivering your products On Time and In Full to Walmart distribution centers. A key part of meeting the OTIF requirements for all prepaid suppliers is scheduling delivery appointments within the must arrive by date (MABD) window of the purchase order (PO).

What is a MABD?

Walmart will include a Must Arrive by Date (MABD) on each purchase order. This date indicates when your product must be delivered to Walmart to meet Walmart's on-time requirements for that PO.

If an order is delivered outside of this MABD delivery window, it will be seen as either early or late; this will affect your OTIF score and potentially incur fines from Walmart.

What are Walmart's Delivery Windows?

MABD is only a single date; however, the window by which the product must be delivered will vary based on the department of the product being purchased. There are four delivery windows:

  • MABD

  • MABD-1 Day

  • MABD-2 Days

  • MABD-3 Days

The MABD window means the product must be delivered on the exact MABD date.

The MABD-1 Day window means the product must be delivered the day before or the day of the MABD date.

The MABD-2 Day window means the product must be delivered up to two days before or the day of the MABD date.

The MABD-3 Day window means the product must be delivered up to three days before or the day of the MABD date.

Related Reading: OTIF Best Practices

Walmart's Delivery Windows by Mode and Network

Walmart's delivery window expectations are based on Delivery Type, Network, and Mode for all purchase orders (POs) with MABDs.

When combining POs into single shipments, your transportation team should take extra care to ensure that the shipment will arrive within the MABD windows of every PO on the shipment.

Keep track of these delivery windows when scheduling appointments or rescheduling appointments to ensure that your appointment time falls within the MABD delivery window, or else your OTIF score will be affected.

Related reading: 2024 OTIF Performance Metrics

Live Delivery Windows

For live appointment POs, the delivery windows are as follows:

The image shows a table titled "Delivery Type - Live," which outlines delivery information across formats, networks, merchandise alignments, and delivery windows. The "Format" column includes Stores and E-commerce. The "Network" column lists various distribution centers such as ACC, FDC, FSC, GDC, HVDC, Optical_DC, Pharmacy DC, and RDC. Merchandise alignments are specified as All, GM Areas, Consumables, Food, and Health and Wellness. The "Delivery Window" column specifies delivery timing, including "MABD and 1 day prior" or simply "MABD," depending on the format and network. E-commerce uses the "All" network and aligns with the "MABD" delivery window. Source: Retail Link > Academy > Analysis and Reporting > Walmart On Time In Full > Stores OTIF FAQ updated 5.2024

Drop Delivery Windows

For drop trailer POs, the delivery windows are as follows:

The image shows a table titled "Delivery Type - Drop," which provides information about delivery formats for stores and e-commerce. The "Format" column specifies Stores and E-commerce. The "Network" column includes options such as Perishable, GDC, HVDC, ACC, RDC, FC, FDC, Pharmacy, Optical, and Other. The "Mode" column lists All, Truckload, and LTL. The "Merch Alignment" column specifies All for all entries. The "MABD" column indicates delivery windows: MABD, MABD and 1 day prior, MABD and 2 days prior, and MABD and 3 days prior, depending on the network and mode. Source: Retail Link > Academy > Analysis and Reporting > Walmart On Time In Full > Stores OTIF FAQ updated 5.2024

Abbreviation Key:
ACCAutomated Consolidation Center
FCFulfillment Center
FDCFashion Distribution Center
FSCFresh Solutions Center
GDCGrocery Distribution Center
HVDCHigh-Velocity Distribution Center
LTLLess-Than-Truckload
RDCRegional Distribution Center

Meet Your Goals with SupplyPike

Need a little support staying compliant with Walmart? SupplyPike's Compliance Solution is tailored to help you meet your OTIF goals through data aggregation, detailed scorecards, and dispute tracking. Schedule a meeting with our team to see if SupplyPike is the right fit for your business!

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