Partial shipment or hold complete: which is safer for a project order?

Split when the early items unblock installation, testing or another trade. Hold complete when the missing pieces make the delivered material unusable and there is no schedule benefit. The decision should be made against the project sequence, not only freight cost.

If you do split, document which line items and quantities are in each shipment. Packing lists and tracking numbers should be tied back to the original purchase order so receiving can reconcile the order cleanly.