OTIF (On-Time In-Full)
Quick answer
Share of orders delivered on time AND complete. Critical KPI for modern retailer relationships.
Key takeaways
- Inaccurate stock - the picker finds 8 of 10 promised units
- Sub-optimal routes - the truck arrives after the delivery window closes
- Incorrect ASN - entire pallet rejected at receipt
- Unagreed substitutions - retailer refuses replacements
- No visibility - you learn you lost OTIF from the chargeback, not in real time
Definition
OTIF (On-Time In-Full) measures how many orders were delivered simultaneously on time and complete (all lines, all quantities). Formula: OK orders / total orders × 100. Below 95% triggers automatic penalties at most modern retailers.
Why it is the toughest logistics KPI
Unlike "on-time delivery" (OT) or "in-full" (IF), OTIF requires both conditions at once. An order delivered on time but missing one line = OTIF fail. A complete order one day late = OTIF fail.
Carrefour, Auchan, Kaufland, Lidl, Metro enforce OTIF >95-98% with penalties between 2% and 8% of order value for each point below target.
Causes of low OTIF
- Inaccurate stock - the picker finds 8 of 10 promised units
- Sub-optimal routes - the truck arrives after the delivery window closes
- Incorrect ASN - entire pallet rejected at receipt
- Unagreed substitutions - retailer refuses replacements
- No visibility - you learn you lost OTIF from the chargeback, not in real time
How to improve it
- WMS with continuous inventory and guided picking (eliminates stock errors)
- OMS that allocates reservations dynamically against the delivery window
- TMS with route optimization per retailer time slot
- EDI emitting DESADV automatically within 5 minutes of dispatch
- Live OTIF dashboard per retailer / category / distribution centre
Real-world example
An FMCG distributor lifted OTIF from 91% to 97.5% in 4 months: WMS with voice picking + native EDI for DESADV + OMS alerts on understock. Carrefour penalties dropped from €47,000/year to €6,200/year.
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Frequently asked
Is OTIF measured per line or per order?+
The strictest retailers measure it "all-or-nothing" per order: a single missing or late line invalidates the entire order. Some (Metro, Dedeman) measure per line - milder, but still strict.
What is a "good" OTIF?+
95% is the baseline modern retailers demand. 97-98% is the "preferred supplier" zone. Above 98.5% you can start negotiating better shelf pricing.
How do I track OTIF across 5 different retailers?+
Centralized in the OMS, with per-retailer rules (delivery window, quantity tolerance, ASN format). CRMconnect exposes a cross-retailer dashboard with order-line drill-down.
Where CRMconnect fits
Related terms
ASN / DESADV (Advance Shipping Notice)
EDI shipping notice sent before goods physically arrive at the retailer - describes pallet, batch, quantity.
TechnologyEDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Structured exchange of commercial documents between B2B partners, without emails or manual data entry.
B2B commerceVMI (Vendor Managed Inventory)
The supplier manages stock at the customer/shelf - orders are triggered automatically at threshold, not issued manually.
LogisticsFulfillment
The complete order fulfilment process: pick → pack → ship → tracking → delivery → returns support.