From another forum:
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Picked from an article on Audiworld posted by a VW/AUdi dealer.
I will try and explain how the factory orders are processed to my knowledge. We have a family-owned VW-Audi dealership here in Finland, and I believe that the factory's NEWADA (Neuwagen Dispositions- und Abwicklungs) distribution system works. The system is used by the factory and the dealers (I do not know if dealers in US have NEWADA access).
When I place an order on NEWADA, the vehicle will automatically get an order number (NW KOM), which will follow the car from placement of order to delivery to customer. This helps dealers/importers/factory track cars, and we often give it to the customer at the time of order to avoid any qustion of switching cars if orders are delayed.
When first entered into NEWADA, the order will go to FAVAS (Farzeug Auftragsverwaltungs und Abgleichsystem) where the production planning/co-ordination and any build restrictions are sorted out. At the time of order into NEWADA, the dealer needs to know his allocation, if in use, and request for build from weeks that he has available allocation. FAVAS will inform NEWADA of the planned production week for the order which may or may not be the original requested week. At this time, the lack of available allotment or any option availability/restrictions etc. can push the order further.
Once NEWADA informs the dealer of the planned week, the wait begins. The order gets confirmed approximately 3 weeks before the actual build week, ie. cars built on week 12 would get confirmation on week 9. At the time of cofirmation the car gets a production number, 7 digits long, of which the first two digits signify the production week, and the third the day of the week. At this point, the odds of the car actually getting built get pretty good.
The first relief to the wait is seen on the NEWADA terminal once the car is completed at the factory, and finally a VIN is attached to the order. Now the car exists, and if trucks/trains/ships dont crash/derail/sink your car should be on its way!
One must remeber that at ANY point of the process, an order may get delayed due to production restrictions, but if the dealer has allotment and gets the order in, the order number (NW KOM) should be attached to a customer number/name at NEWADA.
Also, this article on CAR WOW
Different variations, gearboxes or engines of a car can make a significant difference to the time it takes for delivery. Even a particular option that you choose can make a big difference, for example when the Mk7 Golf was launched if you chose the rear view camera there were longer delays than the manual due to supply chain delays.
How accurate are the delivery times?
Dealers are generally very hesitant to give an exact delivery time as they are hard to predict. Car factories are complicated processes and a delay in just one part can set the whole production line back. Car manufacturers may also choose to prioritise a particular type of car or engine for supply chain or demand reasons.
As a result itâs not recommended to take the delivery time as gospel and it can be a good idea to order as early as possible, you can always leave the car at the dealership unregistered if it does arrive too early for you.
Why are the lead times so long?
Itâs mainly because cars are such a complicated product to build and lots of consumers want one built to their exact configuration.
Unlike a standardised product, such as a mobile phone, most models of new car can be built in thousands of different combinations. For example the Mini is available in over 10 million combinations!
How can I get quicker delivery?
Delivery times can vary between dealers. Each dealer will be allocated a certain amount of factory build slots which may delay delivery depending on how full their order book is.
