GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 22, 2026

call-off system

A call-off system is a procurement arrangement in which a buyer requests deliveries not through individual purchase orders but via demand-driven call-offs placed against a pre-agreed framework contract.

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Last updated: 22 June 2026Published: 19 June 2025

Source: https://wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de/definition/lieferabruf-42571

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Definition & Explanation

A call-off system is a procurement arrangement in which a buyer requests deliveries not through individual purchase orders but via demand-driven call-offs placed against a pre-agreed framework contract. The contract fixes prices, terms, and total quantities in advance; each call-off then specifies the exact quantity, delivery date, and sometimes the delivery point at short notice. The model is especially prevalent in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, where just-in-time (JIT) and just-in-sequence (JIS) supply concepts aim to minimize stockholding at the buyer's facility. The key distinction from a standard blanket order is flexibility: a call-off system leaves quantity and timing firmly in the buyer's hands, whereas conventional framework contracts often lock in fixed delivery schedules. For freight forwarders, this typically means short-notice transport assignments and close coordination with the customer's production planning.

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