Long-Lead Work Needs a Longer Horizon Than the PI

type: driver
for-domain: Charger ART
derived-from: Production Is Outside the Train's Horizon
status: addressed
created_at: 2026-10-02

The Charger ART needs tooling and ramp lead times inside its planning, or it will keep committing to PI objectives it cannot hold.

Current Situation

The train plans ten weeks at a time with the people who develop. Tooling (fourteen weeks) and ramp (five weeks) are owned by Supply Chain and Manufacturing, who are not in the room and have no board position in the train. Two PIs in a row, an objective moved because a mold arrived late.

Effect

PI predictability has fallen to 70% in two PIs — evidenced by the Inspect and Adapt measurements, not assumed. Customer units ship five weeks after the release date the Business Owners accepted at the System Demo. Sales has started adding a buffer to every date it quotes.

Need

The train needs to see and plan long-lead work one PI ahead, and the plant needs to hear about a release before it is released. The Release Train Engineer has the need on the train’s side; the Manufacturing Lead on the plant’s.

Consequences

Objectives the train can actually hold; a ramp that starts at the demo, not at the release; and the plant’s producibility feedback arriving while the design can still change.

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Long-Lead Work Needs a Longer Horizon Than the PI.md

---
type: driver
for-domain: "[[Charger ART]]"
derived-from: "[[Production Is Outside the Train's Horizon]]"
status: addressed
created_at: 2026-10-02
---

The [[Charger ART]] needs tooling and ramp lead times inside its planning, or it will keep
committing to PI objectives it cannot hold.

## Current Situation

The train plans ten weeks at a time with the people who develop. Tooling (fourteen weeks)
and ramp (five weeks) are owned by [[Supply Chain]] and [[Manufacturing]], who are not in
the room and have no board position in the train. Two PIs in a row, an objective moved
because a mold arrived late.

## Effect

PI predictability has fallen to 70% in two PIs — evidenced by the
[[Inspect and Adapt]] measurements, not assumed. Customer units ship five weeks after
the release date the [[Business Owner]]s accepted at the [[System Demo]]. [[Sales]] has
started adding a buffer to every date it quotes.

## Need

The train needs to see and plan long-lead work one PI ahead, and the plant needs to hear
about a release before it is released. The [[Release Train Engineer]] has the need on the
train's side; the [[Manufacturing Lead]] on the plant's.

## Consequences

Objectives the train can actually hold; a ramp that starts at the demo, not at the release;
and the plant's producibility feedback arriving while the design can still change.