Capacity, Geography and Timing in Supplier Matching
Product fit is only useful when supply is sufficiently available in the right geography and period.
Capacity, geography and timing are interdependent supplier-matching dimensions. Capacity must use comparable units and cadence, geography must describe feasible origin, destination or service area, and timing must align required dates with real availability. A supplier that fits only two dimensions may still be unusable. Preserve ranges and uncertainty instead of forcing every field into a false exact value.
The CGT feasibility triangle
A candidate is operationally plausible only when capacity, geography and timing can coexist under the same offer conditions.
| Dimension | What to examine | Decision rule |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Normalise quantity, unit, cadence and minimum available share. | Block supply below an approved feasibility threshold. |
| Geography | Compare origin, destination, service region and movement restrictions. | Clarify whether transport or cross-border support is part of the offer. |
| Timing | Align lead time, availability window and required cadence. | Do not treat future planned capacity as current. |
| Interaction | Test whether the stated capacity is available in the relevant place and period. | Avoid scoring each dimension as if the others did not constrain it. |
Example: enough capacity in the wrong window
A supplier can provide the full annual quantity but only after the buyer's production start date.
Annual capacity fit is strong, yet the combined CGT result is unsuitable unless the buyer can change the required window.
Illustrative scenario, not a customer claim or guaranteed outcome.CGT factors in FoundBefore
The current policy scores quantity, geography and timing separately and marks incomplete fields as uncertainty.
Human reviewers should inspect the combined scenario before expressing interest.
Limits and responsibilities
- Transport feasibility may need a separate role.
- Textual geography can be ambiguous.
- Capacity statements can change quickly.
FoundBefore does not guarantee a match, buyer, supplier, partnership or completed deal. Identity disclosure requires mutual consent, and the controlled pilot does not replace procurement, contracting or human review.
Evaluate capacity in the exact geography and time window where the buyer needs it—not as an isolated headline number.