My sales manager determines my build date?

[johnpbrewer]

Still haven't been scheduled. Just talked with Ford Chat. They inform me that my sales manager, in conjunction with the Ford scheduler, determines my build date. True? I have a 2022 with a VIN that has been changed to a 2023. Two constraints, hybrid and tow hitch. Just verified I am at priority 2. (Ford Chat told me priority 12 last week, then I went to my salesman. He checked and said it was 2. Verified it now with Ford Chat). Even with the constraints, I should be getting my truck scheduled and built. It was initially scheduled in 2022, so they have the parts. Why would the dealership be involved? Even because of allocations. I should be at the top of the list, ahead of all new 2023 orders. I don't understand. Comments from the chat below:

Certainly! That would be your dealership! All scheduling does occur through the dealership directly. If your sales representative is not able to assist, I would recommend speaking with the sales manager so they can obtain any information from their scheduler.

The vehicles get scheduled for production by the scheduler that works with the sales manager.

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[PlantMan]

The only worse info source than Ford chat would be your dealer salesman.

 

[BradnChristine]

If you are at Priority 2, as you state, then all is going as it is supposed to. You are essentially first in line to be looked at.

Your 2022 having been scheduled doesn't mean "they have the parts". They do seem to be scheduling a lot of higher end builds with Lux packages in January. Hopefully, you'll be in the next round of scheduling.

 

[Jatrax]

Even with the constraints, I should be getting my truck scheduled and built. It was initially scheduled in 2022, so they have the parts. Why would the dealership be involved? Even because of allocations. I should be at the top of the list, ahead of all new 2023 orders.

Should be, but not necessarily. Ford customer service is technically correct here, though I think their comment was slightly misleading.

Your sales manager DOES determine which vehicles from his dealership get built by adjusting the priority code. He has no influence on scheduling in general, only which order gets built from those that he has. So, if he has two identical orders and sets one to PC 10 and one to PC 19 the 10 will get built first.

So if your sales manager put you at 10 (as he should have per Ford's suggestion) he did all he was supposed to do by putting you ahead of new 2023 orders. Assuming those orders were placed at a higher number like 19. Ford was then supposed to watch for your order to be set to 10 and then pick it up and set it to PC 2. And it looks like that was all done. So: working as designed.

 

[Old Ranchero]

when you are at Priority #2 it was reviewed by the regional team and order locked to further changes. It can now be selected for building any time. IIRC, the Factory selects any given order from the list of PC 2 and locked. Your dealer is out of the loop at this time.

And as mentioned above, the factory doesn't stockpile parts for each scheduled order. They use Just In Time method and orders of parts, assemblies, and components are arriving constantly and used almost immediately as vehicles go down the line.

 

[johnpbrewer]

Thanks for all the replies. I have a better understanding now. Feel a little better. Even with my hybrid and tow hitch constraints I should get scheduled.

 

[KevCuRaoi]

Still haven't been scheduled. Just talked with Ford Chat. They inform me that my sales manager, in conjunction with the Ford scheduler, determines my build date. True? I have a 2022 with a VIN that has been changed to a 2023. Two constraints, hybrid and tow hitch. Just verified I am at priority 2. (Ford Chat told me priority 12 last week, then I went to my salesman. He checked and said it was 2. Verified it now with Ford Chat). Even with the constraints, I should be getting my truck scheduled and built. It was initially scheduled in 2022, so they have the parts. Why would the dealership be involved? Even because of allocations. I should be at the top of the list, ahead of all new 2023 orders. I don't understand. Comments from the chat below:

Certainly! That would be your dealership! All scheduling does occur through the dealership directly. If your sales representative is not able to assist, I would recommend speaking with the sales manager so they can obtain any information from their scheduler.

The vehicles get scheduled for production by the scheduler that works with the sales manager.

The person at the other end of the chat was not very clear at all with their explanation to you.
I think others have given helpful comments so that you have a correct understanding now....but in case someone still has some confusion, no, the sales manager (and anyone at the dealership) has almost nothing to do with scheduling, and nothing at all to do with the build date.

Someone at the dealership submits the order, and a priority code is assigned at the dealership. But that is about as much involvement that the dealership has in scheduling (other than monitoring which vehicles are scheduled, and checking constrained items and seeing if it may be beneficial for a customer to drop certain options). Your dealership will know how many remaining allocations they have for the current wholesale cycle (usually monthly, but Nov & Dec were combined), so that may give you a clue as to whether Ford will currently be looking to schedule it or not. You are at the top of the list at your dealership, but allocation and constraints still play a major roll in scheduling.

Priority 2 is great. Nothing you or your dealer can do now other than wait.

They may not have all the parts...that's why they had to cancel the 22.

I think that the chat is trying to imply that Ford isn't scheduling an order from you, but an order at the dealership. It may be possible for your dealer to contact the scheduler and get some more info on what is holding up an order.... (I have tried before at our dealership and have never gotten a helpful response, just something like "manage your order bank based on constraints")

Our small dealership had 1 cancelled 22. XL hybrid w/ hitch. It was scheduled the 1st week possible for the reordered cancelled orders (which pleasantly surprised me).

Good luck with yours!

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