A building materials distributor promises to deliver roofing sheets before a contractor’s crew arrives on site. Sales can see the sheets in stock and confirms the delivery. When dispatch receives the order, it finds that the stock is already reserved for another job and the truck is fully booked. The contractor hears about the delay after the crew has arrived.
The breakdown began when stock on hand was treated as stock available to promise. Sales needed a way to check what was unreserved and whether dispatch had room on the route. Operations needed to know the customer’s deadline while there was still time to offer a workable option.
Give each team a clear role in the promise
Sales records what the customer needs, where it must go and when it must arrive. Operations confirms stock and delivery capacity, then reserves them against the order before sales confirms the commitment. Keep the confirmed date, scope and named owner in a shared record that both teams can see.
If the original plan becomes impossible, operations flags the risk as soon as it knows. The customer-facing owner explains the options, such as a split delivery or a revised date, and records what the customer accepts. Keep the original commitment visible so a revised date does not erase a missed promise from the report.
Measure where commitments break down
· Commitments confirmed before quoting a firm date. Track the share of firm promises backed by an operations check before they are sent to the customer.
· Orders fulfilled as originally promised. Track the share of orders due in the period that were delivered in full by the original confirmed date.
· At-risk orders without an owner. Count open orders flagged as at risk that have nobody assigned to resolve the issue or update the customer.
· Customers warned before a missed deadline. Track the share of missed commitments where the customer was informed before the original deadline.
Review missed commitments across sales and operations. If failures cluster around stock reservations, fix the availability check. If teams spot delays early but customers still hear late, clarify who makes the call and when.
M&J Africa can help you map the handover from quote to delivery, clarify who owns each commitment and build reporting that shows where promises break down. Get in touch to discuss your process and enquire for a tailored quote.
