Capture the order, job, promised window and latest supplier update, then assign one person to confirm the next reliable ETA. Record who supplied it and when. Route any impact on unloading, access or crew sequencing to the person authorized to change the plan; do not treat an estimated arrival as a guaranteed commitment.
What to take away
- Keep promised and newly estimated arrival times separate.
- Ask for the missing fact instead of restarting the whole phone chain.
- Assign a person to decide what the delay changes on site.
Start with the delivery reference
A late truck can create several conversations about the same uncertainty. The office calls the supplier, the foreman calls the driver and the project manager hears a third arrival time. Create one record with the order or load reference, supplier, job, delivery location and original window.
Record the latest update with a source and timestamp. “Dispatcher estimates 11:30, reported at 9:40” is more useful than changing the planned arrival to 11:30 without explanation. If the supplier cannot provide an ETA, say unknown and assign the next check. The purpose is to make uncertainty manageable, not remove it from the screen.
Ask a short set of operational questions
Illustrative situation: a material delivery expected before the morning crew starts has not arrived. Before notifying everyone, confirm whether the load is dispatched, whether the arrival estimate is current and whether site access or unloading arrangements have changed. Do not ask a driver to interact with a message while driving. Use the supplier’s appropriate dispatch channel.
| Question group | Ask |
|---|---|
| Identity | Which order or load and which job? |
| Status | Dispatched, held, partial or unknown? |
| Timing | Latest ETA, source and time of update? |
| Constraints | Access window, unloading resource or partial load? |
| Decision | Who decides the site response? |
Separate follow-up from a schedule decision
The person collecting an ETA may not have authority to resequence crews, extend equipment hire or accept a substitute material. Route those decisions to the project’s responsible owner with the facts and unresolved questions. A supplier’s estimate should not automatically update customer commitments.
Define a next-check time and a stopping rule. If the supplier has confirmed a reliable next update, repeated reminders add noise. If the agreed check passes with no answer, escalate to the named owner. When the delivery arrives, record the actual arrival and any discrepancy that belongs in the project record.
Test the exceptions around the ETA
Use a case with a partial delivery, a supplier who cannot commit and a delivery arriving at the wrong gate. Check whether the workflow keeps the order reference and original promise while updating the current status. Confirm that a new message from the supplier closes the correct open follow-up.
Buildalytic’s proactive-alerts page describes collecting answers and flagging unresolved work. In a demo, use a real delivery follow-up pattern and inspect what happens when no answer arrives. The useful result is an accurate record and a visible decision, rather than a larger count of outbound reminders.
Sources: Buildalytic: proactive alerts
Common questions
Should the ETA automatically change the crew schedule?
Only under a deliberately authorized rule. A reported estimate may require a project manager’s decision before changing assignments or customer commitments.
What if several suppliers use the same contact?
Require an order or load reference and project context. Do not match an update to a job solely from the sender’s phone number.
Sources and editorial notes
Prepared with AI assistance. Reference date: 2026-10-28. Worked examples are illustrative and are not customer results. Product details can change; confirm the current scope and terms before rollout.
How we prepare and update field notesNeed a blank worksheet? Get the free reporting template and receptionist evaluation checklist.
Try it on your own workflow.
Bring your current process and one difficult example. We will walk through the handoff, permissions and exceptions with you.
Start with the call, text or record your team already handles. Review the expected outcome and the human handoff before choosing a rollout.
Book a workflow demo Explore the relevant capability