Original Launch Timeline – Meeting Brief
Pre-check questions · HQ position on schedule · Options and decisions
Bottom line
- Pulling the launch forward by 1 month is not feasible given the required review steps.
- Earliest realistic design release: Week 4 of December. Compressing by 1–2 weeks is theoretically possible but raises risk significantly.
- If this is a must-win opportunity, product must go by air, which requires a senior decision including the Head of SYA.
1. Pre-check questions to align on
Q1. Why launch as a new item rather than with the current product?
Q2. Is the total sales forecast of 527K a net incremental effect?
Q3. If we cannot respond in time, is the full amount lost sales?
2. Why one month cannot be recovered
Formula lockPending
Ingredient review5 days
NF testingNutrition facts
Master spec2 weeks
Back-panel copy2 weeks
PLM review3 weeks
Design releaseOutput
- Ingredient review + NF testing + master spec takes about 1 month in total, followed by 2 weeks of copy and 3 weeks of PLM review: roughly 9 weeks from formula lock to design release.
- Working back from Week 4 of December implies a formula lock by about late October (our estimate from the durations above).
Try it: formula lock date vs. design release
3. Current blocker: formula is not final
- The cheese flavor of the box format needs improvement, so the current formula cannot be locked as is.
- Next step: HQ ships samples to SYA on Wednesday. After SYA confirms, HQ reports internally and then locks the formula.
4. Options
| Option | Feasibility | Notes |
|---|
| Pull forward by 1 month | Not feasible | Mandatory review steps cannot be skipped. |
| Standard schedule | Feasible | Design release in Week 4 of December at the earliest. |
| Compress by 1–2 weeks | High risk | Tight on every step; any rework or regulatory finding breaks the plan. |
| Air shipment | Needs senior decision | Requires alignment including the Head of SYA; justified only if the opportunity is large. |
Notes: The 527K figure is quoted as given; currency and basis should be confirmed. The calculator is illustrative and counts 9 weeks (4 + 2 + 3) from formula lock to design release.