Illustrative logistics hall with connected conveyors and clear handoff points

Illustrative work / 02

Operational workflow map

A current and proposed quote-to-order workflow showing accountable owners, handoff requirements, exceptions and a practical pilot review.

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Fictional scenario · Not client work
Actual deliverables follow evidence and agreed scope.

The scenario

A fictional B2B distributor receives quote requests through email. Sales, pricing, supply planning and order management share responsibility, but use separate records. These are scenario assumptions, not findings from client work.

  • Follow the work across teams before deciding where the constraint sits.
  • Give each handoff a receiving owner, required information and a return path.
  • Preserve commercial controls while testing a more usable operating routine.
01

Current state to investigate

Sales receives the request
Customer requirements arrive by email; missing information returns to the customer.
Pricing and planning check the quote
Commercial terms and availability are reviewed in separate records. Approval context may not follow the active quote version.
Sales confirms; order management enters
Customer changes reopen earlier reviews. Accepted details are entered again and discrepancies return to sales.
02

Proposed flow and control points

  1. 01

    Sales: log one request

    Capture customer, product, quantity and requested date; resolve missing inputs before release.

  2. 02

    Pricing: approve terms

    Record the approver, price version and disposition of any exception.

  3. 03

    Planning: confirm the promise

    Record the availability source and validity; changes return for customer agreement.

  4. 04

    Sales: capture acceptance

    Link acceptance to the quote version. A customer change reopens affected approvals.

  5. 05

    Order management: validate and release

    Reconcile the order to the accepted quote and resolve differences with the accountable control owner.

03

Handoffs and exceptions

  • The receiving team accepts the handoff or returns it with a reason.
  • Sales retains customer communication; the operations lead resolves unowned or cross-team issues.
  • Open exceptions remain visible until an owner records their disposition.
04

Pilot review and continuation gate

  • Capture lead time, backlog age, first-pass completion and employee feedback using agreed definitions and a baseline.
  • Extend only when representative orders reconcile, exceptions have owners and affected roles can use the process.
  • Pause for an unapproved price, an unsupported promise or lost customer acceptance.
05

How to read this example

  • Illustrative example. Fictional scenario. Not client work.
  • The current state is a working hypothesis to validate, not an observed client finding.
  • Actual engagement deliverables depend on evidence and agreed scope.

Bring your context

What would this look
like in your business?

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