Receiving fewer CNC parts than ordered — with the supplier blaming scrap — creates immediate risk to assembly schedules, costs, and supplier trust.
If scrap was not agreed in advance, the supplier is typically responsible for the shortfall.
The sections below explain what a shorted CNC delivery means in practice, how missing parts can be recovered without restarting production, and when a scrap-related shortfall signals it’s time to change suppliers.
Table of Contents
Is a 20% scrap loss ever acceptable without prior agreement?
No. A 20% scrap loss is not acceptable if no scrap allowance was agreed in advance. Internal scrap is the supplier’s responsibility, not yours.
In CNC manufacturing, scrap is expected to occur inside the supplier’s process—not at delivery. Capable suppliers price, plan, and absorb reasonable scrap internally. What gets shipped must match the PO quantity unless a yield allowance was explicitly agreed beforehand.
When you order 100 parts and receive 80, that is not “normal scrap.” That is a short delivery. Calling it scrap after the fact does not change the commercial obligation.
The difference is critical:
- Scrap happens before delivery and stays internal
- Short shipment happens after execution and impacts you directly
If scrap was not discussed, approved, or documented prior to production, it cannot be retroactively used to justify delivering fewer parts. Accepting that explanation sets a dangerous precedent—one where execution failures are quietly pushed downstream.
At this point, the correct framing is simple:
No agreed scrap allowance means full quantity is owed.
Who is responsible when a CNC order is delivered short?
The supplier is responsible when a CNC order is delivered short—unless a scrap allowance or partial delivery was agreed in advance.
Responsibility does not depend on how difficult the machining was, how tight the tolerances were, or how many parts were scrapped internally. Those risks belong to the supplier once they accept the PO.
What makes this situation more serious is lack of notification. Delivering fewer parts without proactively informing you removes your ability to plan, respond, or mitigate downstream impact. That is not a production issue—it’s an execution failure.
From your side, responsibility is determined by three facts:
- the PO specified a fixed quantity,
- the delivered quantity was lower,
- and no prior agreement or warning was provided.
Under those conditions, the shortfall cannot be reassigned to you after delivery. Accepting shared responsibility here turns an internal supplier problem into your schedule and cost problem.
This early distinction matters, because every recovery discussion that follows depends on one question being settled first:
Who owns the missing parts?
Can a shorted CNC order be legally rejected after delivery?
Yes—if the delivered quantity does not match the PO, the order can be rejected or disputed. A short shipment is not a complete delivery.
This isn’t about being difficult. When the PO says 100 pieces and only 80 arrive, the supplier has not fulfilled the order. Acceptance of delivery does not automatically mean acceptance of the shortage—especially when the shortfall wasn’t disclosed in advance.
Many buyers hesitate here because the parts are usable and deadlines are tight. But using the parts doesn’t erase the short delivery. The obligation to supply the remaining quantity still exists unless you explicitly waive it.
What matters most is how the delivery was represented. If the shipment arrived without warning, explanation, or agreement, the supplier can’t later argue that the shortage was “understood.” Silence does not equal consent.
At this stage, you’re not rejecting the parts—you’re rejecting the incomplete fulfillment.
Supplier Calls Scrap “Normal” After Short Delivery
Is the supplier obligated to replace scrapped parts at their own cost?
Yes. If scrap was internal and no allowance was agreed, the supplier is responsible for replacing the missing parts at their own cost.
Scrap happens in machining. Capable suppliers expect it, plan for it, and absorb it. That’s part of running a shop. What isn’t normal is passing the loss downstream after the fact.
Replacing scrapped parts is not a favor or goodwill gesture—it’s part of completing the original order. Charging extra, asking for schedule extensions, or framing replacement as a “new order” shifts responsibility in a way that isn’t commercially reasonable.
This obligation becomes even clearer when the supplier failed to notify you early. If you weren’t told parts were being lost during production, you had no chance to adjust quantities, timing, or assemblies. The recovery burden stays with the supplier.
A reliable shop fixes internal scrap quietly. Problems only surface when that discipline is missing.
What leverage exists if the supplier refuses to replace missing parts?
Your leverage comes from the PO, the delivery record, and the lack of prior agreement—not from arguing about scrap rates.
If a supplier refuses replacement, the discussion should move away from explanations and toward obligations. The facts are simple: ordered quantity, delivered quantity, and no agreed allowance. That’s a strong position.
At this point, leverage usually includes:
- withholding final payment until fulfillment is complete,
- refusing to accept the order as closed,
- and making it clear that future orders depend on how this is handled.
What weakens leverage is getting pulled into technical debates about why parts were scrapped. Those explanations don’t change the obligation—and they often delay recovery.
If you’re unsure how to push for replacement without escalating the situation or damaging your schedule, you can share the drawing and order details with us. We’ll help you figure out the cleanest way to recover the missing parts without starting over.
This is the point where handling it correctly matters more than handling it politely.
When does a short shipment indicate an unreliable CNC supplier?
A short shipment indicates an unreliable CNC supplier when it is delivered without advance notice and later justified as “normal scrap.”
Scrap itself isn’t the issue. Every CNC shop scraps parts. What matters is whether scrap is handled internally or quietly pushed downstream. A capable supplier detects scrap early, adjusts production, and still ships the full quantity—or informs you immediately if there’s a risk to delivery.
When a supplier ships fewer parts than ordered without warning, it signals a breakdown in planning and communication. The problem isn’t that parts were lost. The problem is that the loss was allowed to reach you.
The explanation that “scrap happens” is especially telling. It reframes an internal failure as an external expectation. That mindset usually doesn’t appear once. It tends to show up again when schedules tighten or costs rise.
Reliability isn’t measured by whether mistakes occur. It’s measured by how completely those mistakes are contained before they affect the customer. When scrap shows up in your receiving count, containment has already failed.
At that point, you’re no longer evaluating machining capability alone. You’re evaluating whether this supplier can be trusted to protect your quantities, schedules, and downstream commitments when things don’t go perfectly.
That distinction matters far more than the missing 20 parts themselves.
Should recovery be handled by the original supplier or moved elsewhere?
Recovery should stay with the original supplier only if they immediately take responsibility and commit to replacing the missing parts at their own cost. Otherwise, moving recovery elsewhere is often safer.
This decision isn’t about loyalty or blame. It’s about speed and certainty.
If the supplier acknowledges the short shipment, explains what went wrong, and presents a clear plan to remake the missing parts—complete with timing—you may still be best served by staying. That response shows control and accountability.
But when replacement turns into negotiation, delays, or requests for additional payment, recovery risk increases quickly. Every day spent debating responsibility is a day your schedule slips further. In those cases, keeping recovery with the same supplier often compounds the damage instead of fixing it.
Moving recovery elsewhere isn’t an escalation. It’s a hedge against further loss. The goal is to get complete parts back into your system with the least disruption, not to preserve a relationship at all costs.
If you’re unsure whether letting the original supplier remake the missing parts will actually be faster than moving recovery elsewhere, you can share the drawings and order details with us. We’ll give you a straight assessment of which path minimizes delay instead of adding more risk.
This is one of those decisions where hesitation is usually more expensive than action.
When does a short shipment justify switching suppliers entirely?
A short shipment justifies switching suppliers when the behavior behind it breaks trust—not just when parts are missing.
If a supplier delivers short, explains it afterward, and treats the shortage as acceptable, the issue goes beyond one order. It reveals how they think about responsibility. Even if they eventually replace the parts, the underlying assumption remains: internal problems can be transferred to the customer.
That’s the real risk.
Many teams hesitate to switch because restarting feels painful. New drawings, new approvals, new timelines—it all sounds disruptive. But staying with a supplier who normalizes short delivery usually costs more over time, just in quieter ways: repeated firefighting, constant follow-ups, and growing schedule buffers to compensate for uncertainty.
Switching becomes the rational choice when confidence is gone. Not anger. Not frustration. Confidence.
A simple question helps clarify it:
If you placed the same PO again next month, would you trust it to ship complete without close supervision?
If the answer is no, then the short shipment wasn’t an exception—it was a warning.
How do you get the missing 20 parts without starting over?
You can recover the missing parts without restarting the project when the replacement is treated as completion of the original PO—not a new order.
The fastest recovery path is usually a focused remake of only the shortfall. That means the same drawing, same revision, same requirements—just finishing the quantity that was never delivered. When replacement is framed as “new work,” delays multiply because quoting, scheduling, and approvals restart from zero.
What matters most is how the supplier positions the fix. When a shop acknowledges the short delivery as its responsibility, replacement can move quickly because programs, tooling, and fixtures already exist. When responsibility is disputed, recovery slows immediately.
Be cautious if replacement comes with conditions—extra charges, revised lead times, or new terms. That usually means the supplier is trying to reset the transaction instead of finishing it.
At this point, the priority isn’t fairness—it’s time. The right question is whether the missing parts can be produced cleanly using what already exists, without reopening the entire job.
If it’s unclear whether replacement can stay lean—or whether the supplier is quietly restarting the project—you can share the drawing and order details with us. We’ll help you judge whether recovery can stay focused or whether another path will be faster.
Missing Parts Are Holding Up Assembly?
What’s the fastest you can get replacement parts?
Replacement is fastest when no new decisions are introduced and the scope stays frozen.
Speed rarely comes from urgency alone. It comes from clarity. When replacement parts follow the same geometry, tolerances, and finish that already ran, capable shops can often slot the work far faster than a brand-new order.
Delays usually appear when replacement turns into negotiation. Re-quoting parts that already exist, debating whether scrap was “acceptable,” or reopening tolerances all burn calendar time without producing parts.
In contrast, shops that handle this well don’t argue about theory. They confirm the shortfall, commit to a recovery quantity, and give a ship date. That’s the difference between problem-solving and stalling.
If timelines keep shifting or replacement is split into partial deliveries with vague promises for the rest, speed is already compromised. At that stage, predictability matters more than nominal lead time.
Fast recovery isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about removing uncertainty so machining can resume without friction.
How do capable CNC suppliers normally handle scrap internally?
Capable CNC suppliers plan for scrap before production begins and absorb it internally so delivered quantities remain intact.
Scrap is part of machining. What distinguishes a well-run operation is whether that scrap ever affects the customer. Professional shops expect losses, build margin into planning, and run extra parts when needed to protect delivery quantities.
When scrap exceeds expectations, correction happens inside the shop—before shipment. Customers should not have to track yield, debate scrap rates, or discover losses by counting boxes at receiving.
When scrap becomes visible through short delivery or post-shipment explanations, something broke earlier: process planning, capacity control, or cost discipline. The issue is not machining difficulty. It’s execution.
This is the standard Okdor operates under. Scrap is planned, absorbed internally, and never allowed to reduce delivered quantity without prior agreement. When that discipline is in place, customers never have to think about scrap at all.
When it isn’t, short shipments become “normal”—and that’s when reliability starts to erode.
When does a short shipment justify switching suppliers entirely?
A short shipment justifies switching suppliers when it reveals a breakdown in accountability, not just a one-time mistake.
Missing parts alone don’t always mean you should walk away. What matters is what happens after the shortage is identified. If the supplier acknowledges the issue, replaces the parts at their cost, and restores delivery without debate, the incident can remain contained.
The line is crossed when responsibility is avoided instead of owned. If scrap is framed as “normal,” if replacement becomes conditional, or if communication improves only after pressure, the problem is no longer this order—it’s how future orders will be handled under stress.
At that point, staying carries ongoing risk. Each new PO requires closer supervision, more buffer, and more follow-ups to prevent the same outcome. Over time, that hidden cost outweighs the disruption of switching.
This decision isn’t about emotion or punishment. It’s about predictability. A supplier who treats short delivery as acceptable has already shown how they will behave when margins tighten or capacity fills.
A simple test helps clarify the choice:
If you placed the same PO again tomorrow, would you expect full quantity to arrive without special oversight?
If the answer isn’t a confident yes, the short shipment wasn’t an exception—it was a signal.
Conclusion
Short shipments are not a normal cost of CNC machining—they’re a sign of broken execution when no scrap allowance was agreed. Reliable suppliers absorb internal losses and ship complete orders. If you’re dealing with missing parts and unclear responsibility, share your drawings with Okdor. We’ll help you recover fast and decide the safest next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A fixed-quantity PO requires full delivery unless a scrap allowance is agreed in advance. Drawing ambiguity does not excuse shipping fewer parts than ordered.
How the supplier handles scrap and communication. Early warning and replacement discipline matter more than promises or pricing.
No. Reliable CNC suppliers worldwide plan scrap internally and ship complete orders. Location does not justify undisclosed shortages.
As a supplier execution issue. The key facts are ordered quantity, delivered quantity, and lack of prior agreement or notice.
Yes. Recovery batches or parallel sourcing allow validation without disrupting the full supply chain.
Usually not. Professional suppliers expect quantity obligations to be enforced. Clear, factual pushback is normal in mature supply chains.
