The time between when a customer places an order and when he expects delivery of that order is referred to as:

The time referred to in this context is indeed known as customer demand lead time. This term highlights the duration a customer anticipates from the moment they place an order until the expected delivery. This time frame is crucial for businesses to understand, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction and the overall perception of service quality.

Understanding customer demand lead time helps organizations better manage their supply chain operations, optimize inventory levels, and align production schedules to meet customer expectations. By tracking and analyzing this lead time, businesses can identify areas for improvement in their processes, potentially reducing lead time and enhancing customer relations.

In contrast, terms like customer confirmed lead time and customer committed lead time generally refer to the specific timeframes communicated or promised to the customer, which might not fully capture the broader concept of customer expectations. Cumulative lead time typically involves the total time taken for all stages of production and delivery processes, rather than focusing specifically on the customer's perspective of their order.