Timeline surprises are the most common source of frustration in first co-packing runs. Brands assume production happens faster than it does, don't account for film lead times, or discover that a 14-day scheduling lead time means something different from when their materials ship.
Here's the complete, honest timeline for a sachet filling run at Overgang — every step, every dependency.
The Full Timeline
| Step | Who Does It | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Initial inquiry and quote | You + Overgang | 1–3 business days |
| Formula finalization | You | Variable — must be done before scheduling |
| Film supplier selection and die line artwork | You | 1–2 weeks for artwork |
| Film printing and shipping | Your film supplier | 10–12 business days after artwork approval |
| Ingredient ordering and delivery | You | Varies by supplier — typically 1–3 weeks |
| MSA signing and documentation | You + Overgang | 1–3 business days |
| Materials arrive at Overgang | You ship, we receive | Must arrive before run date |
| COA verification | Overgang | 1–2 business days |
| Production scheduling lead time | Overgang | ~14 days from confirmed specs |
| Blending | Overgang | Run day (same day as filling) |
| Production run | Overgang | 1 day (up to 20,000 sachets) |
| Packout and pallet prep | Overgang | Same day or next day |
| Outbound shipping to your warehouse | Carrier | 1–5 business days depending on location |
The Most Common Bottleneck: Film Lead Time
The step that surprises brands most consistently is film printing lead time. Your roll stock film isn't a commodity item you order from a shelf — it's a custom-printed, custom-sized product manufactured specifically for your brand and your pouch dimensions.
The process:
- You contact a film supplier and request die lines (the template for your pouch dimensions)
- Your designer uses the die lines to create artwork
- You submit artwork for film supplier approval (they check bleed, safety zones, bar codes)
- Artwork gets approved
- Film goes into production — 10–12 business days from approved artwork
- Film ships to Overgang
If you start the film process on Day 1, your film is unlikely to arrive before Day 30–35. That's before you've scheduled a production run. Brands who call us expecting a run in two weeks — when they haven't ordered film yet — are going to be disappointed. The film is the critical path.
Planning Your Timeline Backwards
The most reliable way to plan a co-packing run is to start with your desired finished goods date and work backwards:
- Finished goods in hand: Target date
- Minus shipping time from Minneapolis: 1–5 days
- Minus production and packout: 1–2 days
- Minus scheduling lead time: 14 days
- = Materials must arrive by: ~17 days before target date
- Minus film transit time: 3–5 days
- = Film must ship: ~22 days before target date
- Minus film production: 12 business days
- = Artwork must be approved: ~36 days before target date
- Minus artwork creation: 5–10 days
- = Film supplier must receive die line request: ~46 days before target date
In other words: if you want finished goods in hand on a specific date, you need to start the film process roughly 6–8 weeks before that date. Most brands don't account for this and end up pushing their timeline by 4–6 weeks on their first run.
What Overgang's 14-Day Lead Time Means
Our 14-day scheduling lead time means: once your specs are confirmed and your materials are on-site, we can schedule your production run within approximately 14 calendar days. It doesn't mean 14 days from when you reach out, or 14 days from when you order ingredients.
The clock starts when:
- Your MSA is signed
- Your spec sheet and blending instructions are submitted
- Your allergen declaration is on file
- Your bulk ingredients are received at our facility
- Your roll stock film is received at our facility
- COAs for all ingredients are on file and verified
The fastest path to a short lead time is having all of those things in order before you reach out. The most common cause of delayed scheduling is one missing document — a COA that hasn't arrived, an allergen declaration that hasn't been submitted, an MSA that hasn't been returned.
The fastest possible timeline
A brand that has an established MSA with Overgang, pre-blended product ready to ship, existing film on hand from a previous run, and all documentation in order can go from "ready to run" to "production day" in as few as 7–10 business days. This is the repeat-customer scenario. First-time runs take longer simply because the onboarding documentation needs to be completed.