ice-capades

Per Ford's announcement today to all Ford dealerships... The New Ford Customer Vehicle Order Tracking Website https://shop.ford.com/vehicleordertracking SUMMARY We are announcing the Customer Vehicle Order Tracking website has launched. Ford has developed an online order tracking application that will allow customers to check on the status of their Ford retail order. The website can track the order through five (5) statuses that align with the Primary statuses in Vehicle Visibility. The expectation is the customer can get on demand information about their order without having to call the Sales Consultant or the Customer Relationship Center. ORDER STATUS When the customer enters the VIN, they will see one of the following five (5) order statuses and corresponding information: In Order ProcessingYour order has been entered into the Ford Ordering System. It will then be scheduled and placed in the first available production week. Once scheduled, a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and estimated build date will be provided in the upper-left corner of the home page. Be sure to view the Vehicle Summary section and learn about the features on your vehicle. In ProductionYour order is being manufactured at one of our factories. This can take a few days. When you have a moment, tryout the link to your Window Sticker that is now available lower on the page. Awaiting ShipmentYour vehicle has been built and we are arranging shipment to your dealer. This step could take a few days to a week. Select the "Learn About Your Vehicle" link for information and videos about your new vehicle. In TransitYour vehicle is In Transit or on its way to your dealership. Transit times vary from an average of 12 - 28 days based on your location and the plant where the vehicle was built. This is a great time to explore "Ford Accessories" to see how you can personalize your vehicle. Don't forget to add comments to the short survey so we can enhance the Order Tracking Site. DeliveredYour vehicle has arrived at the dealership and should be ready for pick up in a few days. Your dealership will be able to provide the specific date and time for delivery. Website supports 2018 Model Year Ford vehicles (excluding Ford GT) and will pick up with 2019 Model Year Ford vehicles when they launch. KEY POINTS  Ford vehicles only – Excludes Lincolns  Retail orders only  2018 & 2019 Model Year vehicles as they are available  Excludes Ford GT vehicles  Requires VIN to track – a VIN that is not scheduled may produce an error message  Website link: https://shop.ford.com/vehicleordertracking

No information available from Ford that I've seen.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) below is the timetable for the 2021/2022MY Mustang. 10/01/2021 - 2021MY Final Fleet Order Due Date 10/14/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 12/23/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 10/11/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 11/18/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 01/03/2022 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Orders including the XLT Black Appearance Package won't start scheduling until after September 7th.

The "Ramp Code" is the final rail ramp destination.

Dealership ETA is a whole other matter!

The Production Week Scheduling Information is updated weekly either Friday night or Saturday morning with the latest update just made a few minutes ago.

SCHEDULING TOOLBOX - SCHEDULING PLAN This is the tentative scheduling plan for the production period. This is just a guide for scheduling. This information is tentative and may change at any time. THIS INFORMATION APPLIES TO UNSCHEDULED ORDERS ONLY. Blue Oval Forums_Production Week Scheduling_2021-07-26.pdf

Production week scheduling information for the week of May 28th. 2018 EcoSport - Clean up scheduling 2018 Edge - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Escape - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 & 2018-08-06 2018 Expedition - No Scheduling 2018 Explorer - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-150 - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-06-18 2018 Fiesta - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Flex - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Fusion - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 - Final 2018MY Fusion orders are due on Thursday, May 31st 2019 Mustang - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-Series Super Duty - 2018MY Super Duty has balanced out 2019 F-Series Super Duty - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 - Retail orders will begin scheduling on May 31st. Until the Okay to Buy has been achieved, orders will not ship 2018 Taurus - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Transit - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Transit Connect - Clean up scheduling Please let me know if this information is of interest!

That information is not from a Vehicle Visibility report.

I'll have the Production Week Scheduling Information updated later this morning but can tell you this... 2022 Super Duty - Scheduling will resume 08/12/2021

Ford may attach error notices to orders but in 35 years I've never had Ford contact us, either by phone or e-mail, about an order.

Changing your unscheduled order as mentioned won't affect anything unless you add restricted commodities/options or the Dealer changes your priority code.

You should have received the confirmation e-mail almost immediately. The Dealer should also have submitted a copy of your Driver's License and signed Buyer's Order to the COVP (Customer Order Verification Program) for expedited scheduling and incremental allocation when the commodity restraints clear. The XLT Black Appearance Package (17L) Late Availability date is 9/7/21. The Spray-In Bedliner is often a commodity restraint due to demand and capacity. The 5th Wheel Prep is also restricted at times.

Based on the Covid-19 impact and the more recent impact on production caused by the microchip shortage I though it might be appropriate to create a new forum dedicated to matters related to inventory in stock, shortages, etc.

2021 Edge Order Guide View File 2021 Edge Order Guide Submitter ice-capades Submitted 10/28/2020 Category Edge  

It's possible that the regional office could have re-prioritized your order at "01" but depending on when the priority code was changed, and your order specifications, it's unlikely taht it could have been at an "01" priority code for long without being scheduled by now. If you call Ford, they can confirm what your current priority code is. They'll need your Dealer name and location or Dealer Code and your order number.

The VIN number and scheduled production week are assigned at the same time the order is scheduled. Contact your Dealer for a copy of the Vehicle Visibility report for your order which will provide the information you want.

Your Dealer can check it. If the order is "locked in" the system won't accept the change when they try to submit it.

The initial production week is assigned at the same time as the order is scheduled and the VIN number assigned. If the order isn't locked in yet, changing the alternator should have minimal impact on the scheduled production week.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) below is the production timetable for the 2021/2022MY Lincoln Nautilus. 07/02/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Date 07/15/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 09/17/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 07/30/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 08/12/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 09/20/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Produced vehicles are released for shipping without regard to specific models, trim levels, etc. Vehicles are released for shipping independent of the type or status of any other vehicles.

Ford Dealers can submit vehicle orders via either the traditional CONCEPS ordering system or the newer WBDO (Web Based Dealer Ordering) system. Fleet orders and/or specification changes must be made via CONCEPS. The WBDO system only accepts stock (Dealer Stock, Demonstrator) orders and all variations of retail orders (Retail, A/X/D Plan, Etc.). Both ordering systems generate error notices and will not display pricing information until any errors are corrected. The CONCEPS ordering system requires the Dealer to manually enter all the order codes… Year, Body Code, Priority Code, Option Codes, etc. The newer WBDO system uses plain language descriptions, etc. and only displays options available for that vehicle’s Model Year, Body Code & Order Code. Retail orders using the WBDO system default to Priority Code “19”. Dealers assign priority codes to each order based on the Order Type. Stock orders are assigned priority codes 20-80, retail orders are assigned priority codes 10-19. Fleet orders are assigned special alpha numeric codes that represent a requested production week. The priority codes determine the order for which vehicle orders are to be selected and/or considered for scheduling. This overview doesn’t consider commodity issues (model, powertrain or option scheduling restrictions) that may be in place for a scheduling week. Commodity issues and/or restrictions can apply at either or both the regional and national levels. The highest priority that a Dealer can use for a retail order is 10. An order with a “10” priority code will schedule ahead of an order with an “11” priority code, etc. This allows Dealers to prioritize the order in which vehicles are scheduled, especially when a Dealer may have multiple retail orders in the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank). With the WBDO ordering system, retail orders default to priority code “19” so it’s important that a Dealer change the priority code to a lower number if they want the order to be considered for scheduling earlier compared to other orders. Ford provides Dealers with a schedule for vehicle allocation each week on Monday mornings which shows how many vehicles of each model line that the Dealer has allocation for scheduling that week. That same weekly allocation report also includes information on any regional commodity issues or restrictions. On Monday afternoons, the Scheduling Toolbox Report is released which provides more detailed information on commodity issues and scheduling availability on a national basis. On Tuesday mornings, the AM Scheduling Preview Report is available to show Dealers which vehicle orders have been selected or previewed, on an initial basis, to be selected for scheduling that week. The same report is updated and available on Wednesday morning to show any changes based on commodity issues that may have changed. On Wednesday afternoon, the Regional Scheduler issues a notice informing Dealers of the vehicle specifications available for scheduling for orders not already showing on the AM Preview Report. This provides Dealers with information on what vehicle specifications are available for scheduling should they have orders showing on the AM Preview Report that are not what the Dealer wants. Ford generates what are called “SIMS Orders” each week which are Ford’s suggested orders based on commodity information available at the time. If a Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling that week and has no Dealer orders in the USOB or orders that don’t meet the commodity restrictions in place for that week, the scheduling system will default to trying to schedule SIMS (Smart Inventory Management System) orders if they meet any commodity restrictions in place. The SIMS orders are available to Dealers online Monday mornings and in print form on Tuesday mornings. Dealers can enter their own vehicle orders or change the Ford generated SIMS orders. Ford Dealers earn vehicle scheduling allocation each month based on reported vehicle sales, current inventory, projected sales, etc. Each month, Dealers usually meet with their Ford Zone Manager to review the allocation offered for scheduling the following month. A Dealer can accept the suggested allocation per vehicle line or change their commitment. Should a Dealer want more allocation than offered for a vehicle line, they can submit a request for supplemental allocation which will be considered based on total allocation available and commitments from other Dealers in their Zone. There are times when Dealers accept less allocation than offered for a vehicle line which makes that allocation available to other Dealers that may be looking for additional inventory. At other times, a Dealer may want more allocation for a vehicle line than Ford has offered. A supplemental allocation request is how Dealers can get allocation for extra inventory. A Dealer needs allocation each week for scheduling for each vehicle line. Even without allocation for a vehicle line, Ford is pretty good at trying to schedule retail orders even when a Dealer doesn’t have allocation that week. When a Dealer knows that they don’t have scheduling allocation, it’s always a good idea for them to provide the retail order information (Body Code & Order Number) to their Ford Zone Manager and the Regional Scheduler. The Regional Scheduler can reprioritize the retail order to priority code “01” which basically forces the Ford scheduling system to schedule the unit ASAP unless extreme commodity restrictions prevent the scheduling. When a Dealer doesn’t have allocation, the Ford Zone Manager may try to get the allocation from another Dealer that is willing to give up their allocation. Ford scheduling is done on Thursday’s but at times scheduling may be carried over to Friday’s due to scheduling, commodity or other issues. Vehicle scheduling confirmations are available on Friday mornings for allocation scheduled on Thursday. With only a few exceptions (Focus RS, EcoSport, Transit Connect) VIN numbers are generated at the time that an order is “Submitted to Plant” for scheduling. The initial scheduling information will show an order scheduled for a production week. Afterwards, the information will be updated to show production for a particular date. Along the process, the vehicle order status information will be updated along with the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) at the dealership. Years ago, the ordering process was much easier, with few or limited commodity issues to deal with. Ford’s vehicle scheduling was mostly driven by scheduling and building vehicles based on Dealer orders to meet Market demands. For a number of years now, the ordering process has become more complex and time consuming based on the constantly changing commodity issues and restrictions. It is now not uncommon for allocation to roll over to the following week because manufacturing can’t accurately forecast how many vehicles can be scheduled for production. In many cases, it seems that either because of vendor supply issues or other factors that Ford skews vehicle scheduling to higher content models in order to maximize corporate profits rather than scheduling vehicle production to meet Dealers orders or Market demand. The overall vehicle order process, scheduling and status updates is listed below for reference. · Dealer places order into the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) · When Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling, orders are scheduled based on Order Type, Priority Code and commodity restrictions. o Scheduled vehicle orders display as “Submitted to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily schedule status report. o Vehicle orders are assigned a VIN number when scheduled except for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, Transit Connect) o The initial vehicle scheduling notice will include information for the scheduled week of production. The initial ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) is usually provided within a few days of the scheduling notice. o Dealers can change vehicle specifications for a scheduled vehicle up until the vehicle is “locked in” for production or about two weeks prior to the scheduled build date. Specifications for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, etc.) cannot be changed once scheduled. § Dealers are limited to making 6 changes to scheduled orders. § Dealers cannot change Order Type, Body Code, Order Code (Package/Trim Level) · Vehicle order is next updated with a scheduled production date. · Vehicle goes into production and shows as “Sent to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily status report. o Vehicle invoices and window stickers are generated and available to Dealers at about this time. · Dealer’s daily status report shows updates on production status. · Vehicle status updated to “Produced” · Vehicle status updated to “Released” meaning that the vehicle has been released for shipment. · Vehicle is loaded on rail car. Dealer is provided with carrier information (Canadian National, Norfolk Sothern, etc.) along with the actual rail car number. · Vehicle status is updated to show arrival at the final rail destination (Ramp 41/Newark, NJ) · Vehicle is received by the car carrier (Fleet Car, Diversified Automotive, etc.) for delivery to the dealership. · Vehicle is delivered to the dealership. Dealers have access to the “Vehicle Visibility” application which provides status updates on a 24/7 basis for any vehicle order. This information is provided to answer the most often asked questions about the vehicle ordering process by the Ford enthusiasts that are members of the Blue Oval Forums. I’ll update this information as conditions warrant.

At last, it appears that the problem with Window Sticker availability for 2022 Super Duty's has been resolved! I just uploaded Window Stickers for 4 members whose orders I've been checking on for some weeks.

Those notes are from the FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) and apply specifically apply to Fleet orders. The Spray-In Bedliner (96W) was a commodity restraint for scheduling Retail and Stock orders this past week but there's no other specific information regarding a delay for the option. It may be an issue of demand being beyond the off-site availability but Retail and Stock orders already scheduled should be produced without the extended delay. I'll try to post a notice if any other information becomes available.