The end is in sight. Your new store layout has been approved, your fixture prototypes have increased profits per square foot substantially in test stores, and you're now ready to roll the concept out across the country. You have nothing else to do. But wait! There's the small matter of making sure the fixtures are installed in all of the stores, on time, to meet that opening-day schedule.

While most trucking companies and fixture installers are willing to work with your delivery schedule whatever it is, there are steps you can take to avoid potholes in the road.

Six Weeks Out

At least six weeks before your fixtures are scheduled for delivery, it's a good idea to notify your logistics company about the project details. Whether your project is a single location or a complex rollout of 1,000 units, your carrier will need this lead time to schedule trucks, materials, and manpower to meet your delivery needs. At this point, you should be able to provide details:

• completion deadline
• date that the fixtures will be ready
• store locations
• installation priorities
• appropriate delivery and installation times (days and hours)
• warehousing requirements, if any

"We like to have as much detailed information as possible," explains Gary Zucker, director of sales and marketing for Bekins Distribution Services Co. Inc., a full-service logistical support company based in St. Louis. Zucker likes to see RFPs, shop drawings, locale specifics, material ready dates, and delivery hours, as well as a list of higher priority stores and what each store gets. Understanding a store planner's expectations of the process makes the process run more smoothly.

The final deadline controls the schedule."It's a reactive process," says Ed Byrne, regional sales manager for northAmerican Logistics, a Ft. Wayne, Ind.-based company that specializes in blanket-wrapping and shipping large, bulky fixtures and breakables. Zucker concurs: "We leave the timeframe to the fixture manufacturer and store planner. Based on their request, we'll devote the necessary resources."

Three to Four Weeks Out

Particularly on larger, national rollouts, the fixtures should ideally be finished and ready for shipping three to four weeks prior to the store opening. This gives the carrier an opportunity to move the fixtures to a regional hub and then transport them more efficiently to their final destinations.

Seven to 10 Days Out

Delivery and installation to the various stores should be taking place roughly seven to 10 days before the store is scheduled to open. It may sound obvious, but make sure that the logistics company has the most recent store addresses and construction status-this information may have changed since you last communicated it to your carrier. Are there some stores that you need completed before others? Let the carrier know. If the store is being renovated, is it open for business during the day or can the delivery and installation take place anytime? If installation can take place only during limited hours, can some of the fixturing be pre-assembled? Are all stores getting the same fixturing packages or are there variations? Do the installers have the most recent store plans? Keeping your carriers and your installers abreast of last-minute changes and minute details will help keep your project on time and on budget.

Opening Day

Relax, open that bottle of champagne, and thank everyone for making you look so good. Great job!