Update: Reason for T61 shipping delay on Lenovoglogs

[gator]

This is the latest update from Tim Supples on this issue:

Lenovo customers: here’s the story as we know it now.

Because of a data entry error, the bezel – the frame that surrounds the LCD panel – was omitted from the bill of materials for certain T61 & R61 14.1” widescreen orders which is sent to our factories to specify how to build the products. This omission caused a majority of the orders taken between May 9th and May 24th to “hang” or get rejected by the manufacturing process. The missing part problem was discovered and we began to work with manufacturing to fix the rejected orders and get them fulfilled ASAP.

We are now working to resubmit the orders and get them built and fulfilled. If we cannot resubmit them efficiently, we will have to manually re-enter the orders. Until we resolve the rebooking issue, we’re not able to provide any updated shipment dates.

An additional set of T61 orders with the 15.4” WXGA screen were constrained by shortages of those screens. They will be built by June 20th, but I don’t have any more specific information at this time.

These issues address 97% of the T61 orders in our backlog. The remaining backlogged orders are delayed for various individual reasons separate from the overlying issues. Two examples of these issues would be something common like a credit hold or something like the previously referenced NVIDIA and Windows XP configuration validation, but the point is that these remaining 3% of the orders have individual, unique issues that are not due to the two larger issues previously discussed.

I pledge to keep you informed of all developments as I learn them. Customers will be contacted by email as soon as we have a definitive solution. If you wish to cancel your order, please email websales@ca.lenovo.com and provide your order information. Our telephone support staff currently has a large number of calls coming in and email is the most efficient communication method at this time.

To say we are sorry is not enough. We intend to conduct a thorough post-mortem of this incident to ensure it does not happen again. Thank you for whatever patience you have left.

Tim Supples