An OEM electric toothbrush timeline should be built from approvals and dependencies, not from a single promised number of weeks. The schedule changes with the chosen product route, the degree of customisation, sample iterations, tooling, document scope, buyer response time and shipment readiness.
Relish publishes a 12–16-week project reference for an OEM route with the published stage references below. Treat them as planning references for the stated route—not as universal industry durations or delivery guarantees. Product route, configuration, sample revisions, tooling, documentation, buyer response time and shipment readiness may change the plan.
Supplier selection belongs before a schedule commitment. Use the electric toothbrush OEM manufacturer guide to assess the supplier route before committing to a project plan.
Project stages and the decisions that unlock them
| Stage | Published Relish planning range | Buyer input / approval | Dependency and common delay trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiry, specification and factory selection | Weeks 1–2 | Approve the brief, target market, product configuration, quantity and priority trade-offs | Complete requirements and a selected supplier route; delay when key requirements keep changing after quotation |
| Mould creation and design review, where applicable | Weeks 3–6 | Approve the tooling-dependent design and the documented change/ownership terms | Approved design; delay when a design change is requested after tooling release |
| Prototype and sample approval | Weeks 7–8 | Use written acceptance criteria and issue one consolidated feedback decision | Controlled sample revision; delay when feedback conflicts or triggers a further iteration |
| Mass production | Weeks 9–12 | Approve the product definition, packaging direction, quality criteria and issue-disposition route | Released product/sample and resolved open items; delay when changes remain open at release |
| Shipping and customs clearance | Weeks 13–16 | Confirm shipment-readiness documents, receiving instructions and release authority | Packaging, labels, documents and destination arrangements; delay when any is unresolved |
What can run in parallel
Parallel work can shorten waiting time without bypassing approval gates. While a sample is being evaluated, the buyer can prepare packaging information, collect market/document questions, align internal stakeholders and plan receiving requirements. Parallel preparation is useful only when the team records which decisions remain conditional on the approved product revision.
What must be approved before the next stage
- Before sampling: the brief, intended market, configuration assumptions and sample objective.
- Before tooling or final development release: the approved revision and the impact of requested changes.
- Before pilot: acceptance criteria, inspection approach, packaging direction and unresolved-document plan.
- Before mass production: final product definition, change-control authority, issue disposition and shipment-readiness requirements.
Keep the project plan connected to the supply-chain risk register so component changes, documentation gaps and shipment-readiness issues have an owner before they become schedule surprises.
Questions to ask when accepting a timeline
- Which stage is this date based on, and what configuration assumptions does it include?
- Which buyer approvals are on the critical path?
- Which activities can start in parallel, and what would make them need rework?
- How will sample, specification or documentation changes be assessed and approved?
- What evidence confirms that the project is ready to move from pilot to mass production?
Next step: Request an OEM timeline review using your target launch date, configuration and decision owners.
