Commitments are made without a view of capacity
Sales commits to dates the team can’t meet. Operations finds out when the order is in – and starts late.
Function · Operations
Less friction between commitment and delivery.
Operations is responsible for delivering what was sold – with the team that is there. Capacity, onboarding, standard workflows, acceptance and rework decide whether that succeeds.
Analyze my shop
Initial consultation – we look at where the most time is lost between commitment and delivery.
How you'll notice
Three problems that cost operations every day
Onboarding new customers is different every time
What information you need, who the contact is, how the start works – reinvented for every customer. The first weeks are clarification instead of delivery.
Rework isn’t counted
Corrections, fixes and follow-up questions cost time but show up nowhere. Margin falls without anyone being able to say why.
Accountability
What operations is accountable for – and what not
Friction often arises because responsibilities are unclear at the edges. An example of a clear separation:
Operations is accountable for
- Capacity overview: what is committed, what is free
- Standard workflow for the main order type
- Onboarding checklist for new customers
- Acceptance criteria and rework tracking
Others are accountable
- Sales: commitments only against the capacity overview
- Management: priority in conflicts between orders
- Finance: invoicing milestones from acceptance
- Technology: systems in which workflow and capacity are maintained
What you hold in your hands
Workflows that connect commitment and delivery
Capacity overview
A simple, maintained view of commitments and free capacity – visible to sales and operations alike.
Standard workflow (SOP) for the main order type
Steps, responsibilities, acceptance points – short enough to be read.
Onboarding checklist
What is needed from the customer before the start and who collects it.
Rework tracking
A simple log of corrections and follow-up questions per order – the basis for margin view and standard improvement.
Assessment
SOPs are not an end in themselves.
We document only the workflow that repeats, and only as detailed as it is used in daily work. A standard nobody reads is not a standard.
Frequently asked questions
Clearly answered.
How do we get sales to respect capacity?
By keeping the overview simple, current and visible – and management no longer accepting commitments without a view of capacity. That is a leadership decision, not a tool problem.
We already have process documentation. What is different?
We check which of them is used in daily work. Usually a short standard workflow for the main order type remains – the rest is merged or dropped.
What does rework tracking give us?
It shows which order types or customers cost margin. That is the basis for improving standards or adjusting quotes – without guesswork.
