Enquiry and sales
- Call handling
- Qualification
- Customer record
- Sales targets and bonus
Executive summary
1. What the review found
Enquiries arrive mostly by phone, but the sale requires a visit: without a survey no price can be quoted. Between the survey and the contract sits a gap that the company pays for in lost deals.
The order of events accepted in this market runs: survey at the customer, measurements returned to the office, pricing by a salesperson, a callback, agreement — and if the customer agrees, a second journey, now theirs, to the office to sign. Between survey and contract lie days and at least two extra contacts, during which the decision goes soft.
The review found this is not a problem of sales speed. It is a structural break: pricing physically cannot happen where the decision is made, because the price lives in the office and the customer is at home. Everything else — transcription errors in the measurements, lost enquiries, arguments about dates — follows from that break.
| Finding | Statement |
|---|---|
| Primary constraint | The price is calculated somewhere other than where the decision is made. Between survey and contract stand days and two extra contacts, each of which costs part of the customers. |
| Recommended first step | Move pricing to the point of survey: a digital survey with required parameters and a pricing engine built on the factory’s production parameters rather than on a price list. |
| Expected effect | Survey, a binding price and the contract coincide in time and place. Transcription errors in the measurements disappear along with the transcription itself. Quantitative effect is assessed after rollout. |
Areas reviewed
Survey and pricing
- Survey scheduling
- Product parameters
- Price calculation
- Contract and deposit
Production and logistics
- Factory handover
- Production stages
- Delivery
- Completeness
Installation and closure
- Installation order
- Crew
- Sign-off and photos
- Complaints
Starting position
2. Baseline capture of current work
The review starts by capturing how an order travels today. For each operation we record who performs it, how often, which carrier holds the data, and whether the same data is moved again. Everything else in this document rests on this table.
| Operation | Who performs it | Frequency | Where the data lives | Re-keyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answering the call | Salesperson | Continuously | Phone separate from the database, a note on paper | Yes — contact and content are entered by hand after the call |
| Scheduling the survey | Salesperson or dispatcher | Per enquiry | Shared calendar or a verbal arrangement | Yes — territory and surveyor load are estimated from memory |
| On-site survey | Surveyor | Per site | Paper survey form | Yes — measurements and configuration are copied out in the office |
| Returning measurements to the office | Surveyor | After every visit | A photo of the form, a call, hand delivery | Yes — this is the transcription itself |
| Price calculation | Salesperson | Per survey | Price list and a spreadsheet calculator | Yes — parameters are entered again |
| Callback and agreement | Salesperson | One or several rounds | Phone, correspondence | Yes — quote versions are not numbered |
| Signing the contract | Salesperson | Per deal | The customer visits the office | Yes — the data is entered into the contract again |
| Handing the order to the factory | Salesperson | Per contract | The factory’s form, email | Yes — the specification is entered in the factory format |
| Chasing production status | Salesperson | Regularly | A call to the factory | Yes — the stage is obtained by hand |
| Installation planning | Installation manager | Per order | A separate schedule | Yes — address, units and customer are copied into the job order |
| Closure: sign-off and photos | Installation crew | Per installation | Paper sign-off, photos on a phone | Yes — documents are linked to the order by hand or lost |
What follows from thisIn eleven operations out of eleven the data is moved again. The fourth row — returning measurements to the office — is not one of the problems but the root of most of the others: it creates the delay, produces the transcription errors and requires two extra contacts with the customer.
Diagnostic panel
3. State of the operational system
Losses occur in the stretch between survey and contract, and between contract and confirmed readiness for installation.
47/100average process maturityManual reconciliation risk high
11points of re-keyingCandidates for removal
7critical data handoversNeed an owner
2priority pilot flowsDigital survey + pricing
Process maturity
Expert assessment on a 0–100 scale. Higher means a more resilient process.
Structure of operational risk
Distribution of recorded observations by type.
16observations
40% — scattered data32% — losses at handover28% — unclear ownership
The numbers on this demonstration panel are illustrative. In a paid review the assessments are derived from interviews, a sample of deals, accompanying a survey visit and an agreed 0–100 scale.
Process map
4. Current process and handover points
The chain describes the typical path of an order from enquiry to closure. It is a process model, not a snapshot of any particular client system.
Enquiry
The customer calls or leaves a request.
Survey
The surveyor travels to the site.
Pricing
The price is derived from the product parameters.
Contract
Terms agreed, deposit taken.
Production
The order goes to the factory in its own format.
Delivery
Readiness confirmed, a date assigned.
Installation
The crew carries out the work on site.
Closure
Sign-off, photos and complaints attach to the order.
Risks at the handover points
| Handover | What can be lost | Consequence | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call → customer record | Contact, source, what was agreed | The enquiry never becomes a record; the second call starts from scratch | High |
| Survey → pricing | Measurements, configuration, peculiarities of the opening | A transcription error reaches production | Critical |
| Pricing → customer | The current version of the quote | Different versions are discussed and the decision is deferred | High |
| Contract → factory | The specification in production format | Re-keying and divergence from what the customer signed | Critical |
| Specification change → factory | The fact and content of the change | Manufactured to an outdated specification | Critical |
| Factory → installation planning | Production stage and delivery date | Installation is planned without confirmed completeness | High |
| Installation → closure | Sign-off, photos, customer remarks | The order is closed without a pack, and a complaint has no basis | High |
Risk heatmap
| Area | Likelihood | Impact | Detection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey parameters transcribed into pricing by hand | High | Critical | At installation | Critical |
| Specification change does not reach production | Medium | Critical | At delivery | Critical |
| Installation planned without confirmed readiness | Medium | High | On the installation day | High |
| Photos and sign-off not linked to the order | High | Medium | On a complaint | High |
| The customer is lost between survey and contract | High | High | In funnel analysis | Critical |
Root causes
5. Why this happens
Lost deals, repeat visits and arguments about dates share the same structural causes.
A. Decision and pricing are separated in space and timeThe customer is ready to decide at the moment of the survey, while the surveyor is standing at the opening. The pricing happens in the office days later. Everything in between works against the sale.
B. Enquiry, site, survey and order have different identifiersThe enquiry, the site record, the survey form and the contract exist as separate entries. They can only be connected through a surname and the salesperson’s memory.
C. The specification is not versionedA configuration change after signing is passed on by message. The factory ends up with the version that arrived last and was noticed.
D. Production and installation use separate plansThe production stage is obtained by phone while the installation schedule is built separately. So the crew travels to the customer without any guarantee that there is anything to fit.
E. Complaints do not feed back into qualityThe cause is captured in conversation and stays with the service desk. No analysis of defects by product type and crew accumulates.
Decision principleThe main effect here comes not from speeding up the existing process but from deleting two of its steps entirely: pricing in the office and the customer’s second visit. Optimising what should disappear is the most expensive form of automation.
Responsibility zones
6. Who does what — and how much of it is moving data
A deal travels through the office, the site, the factory and installation, and at every transition the data is entered again. Below is where work is duplicated and where a role does not decide anything but moves information from one carrier to the next.
| Role | What it does today | How much of that is moving data | Review observation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesperson | Taking calls, pricing from someone else’s survey, callbacks, contract | Pricing from another person’s form and re-entry into the contract and the factory form | Pricing moves to the survey; the role keeps qualification and difficult deals |
| Survey dispatcher | Assigning a surveyor, agreeing a time | Selection from memory about territories and load | Assignment becomes a rule from territory, calendar and workload |
| Surveyor | Measuring, filling in the form, handing it to the office | The form is kept on paper and copied out in the office | The survey is captured in structured form immediately; the role gains pricing and the contract on site |
| Factory work preparation | Order intake, checking correctness | Re-entry of the specification into the production format | The order arrives in the factory format with no manual entry |
| Installation manager | Crew schedule, allocation across sites | Manual transfer of address, units and customer into the job order | The job order is generated from the delivery date; the role keeps crew selection by skill |
| Installation crew | Fitting, sign-off, collecting the balance | Paper sign-off and photos with no link to the order | Closure is completed on site and attached to the order |
The organisational conclusion stays with the companyThe review shows which part of the work is moving data and which part is deciding. What happens with the time freed up — redistributing tasks, retraining people or changing the structure — is the owner’s call. There is a particularity here: the surveyor role is not cut but widened — it takes on the sale, and that requires training and a revised incentive.
A price as a commitment, not an estimateThe essential condition for moving pricing to the survey is a calculator built on the factory’s production parameters rather than on a price list. Otherwise the surveyor quotes an estimate that gets corrected in the office, and the company gets the worst of both: the gap remains and trust is lost. The price quoted on site must be the same one that goes into production.
Target operating model
7. States, boundaries and rules
The order passes through explicit states attached to the site rather than to the customer’s surname. Each defines an owner, the required data and the condition for moving on.
| State | Owner | Required information | Transition condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry | Salesperson | Contact, site address, source, nature of the request | Record created from the call, survey scheduled |
| Survey done | Surveyor | Measurements, configuration, peculiarities of the opening, photos | Required parameters filled and validated |
| Price quoted | Surveyor on site | Specification, price by factory parameters, lead time | The customer has a binding price, not an estimate |
| Contract signed | Surveyor or salesperson | Contract, deposit, specification version | Documents produced, deposit taken |
| In production | Factory | Specification in production format | The factory confirmed intake and returned a stage |
| Ready for installation | Logistics | Completeness, delivery date | Readiness confirmed, job order generated |
| Installed | Crew | Sign-off, photos, checklist, customer remarks | The closure pack is attached to the order |
Boundaries of automation
The system should determine
- Which surveyor fits by territory, calendar and workload
- Whether the survey parameters are complete enough to price
- What the price is under the current production parameters
- Whether completeness is confirmed before installation planning
- Which specification version went to the factory
The system should not decide
- Whether to grant a discount beyond the approved rules
- Whether to accept an order with a non-standard opening
- Whether a complaint counts as a warranty case
- Whether a return visit is at the company’s cost
- Which crew is sent to a difficult site
Rules, deadlines and escalation target
A rule without a deadline and an addressee does not work. Below is the minimum set that makes a stalled deal visible while it is still a deal.
| Rule | Deadline | Escalates to |
|---|---|---|
| An order cannot be saved without the required survey parameters | At the moment of entry | Blocking rule, no escalation needed |
| Enquiry received, survey not scheduled | 1 working day | Head of sales |
| Survey done, the customer’s decision not recorded | 2 working days | Salesperson, then head of sales |
| Contract signed, order not handed to the factory | 1 working day | Salesperson, then management |
| Specification change after factory handover | At the moment of change | Factory work preparation and sales, confirmation mandatory |
| Installation scheduled without confirmed completeness | At the moment of planning | Blocking rule, escalation to the installation manager |
| Installation done, closure pack missing | 2 working days | Installation manager, then management |
| Complaint registered without a cause and type | At registration | Service desk |
Priorities and sequence
8. What to do and in what order
The sequence is built so that each stage delivers value on its own and does not require the next one to be finished.
| No. | Recommendation | Why now | Acceptance criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digital survey with required parameters | Removes the re-entry of measurements and configuration — the root of most errors | Measurements are entered once and reach pricing without being rewritten |
| 2 | Pricing on production parameters | Makes it possible to quote a binding price at the survey itself | The price quoted on site matches the one that goes to the factory |
| 3 | Contract and deposit on site | Deletes the customer’s second visit and the waiting days | The deal closes in the same visit and documents are produced on site |
| 4 | A site and order record | Connects enquiry, survey, contract, production and payment | The order is traceable under one identifier from call to sign-off |
| 5 | Two-way exchange with the factory | Removes re-keying and calls chasing production status | The order goes across with no manual entry and stages come back into the system |
| 6 | Installation order from the delivery date | Prevents installation being planned without confirmed completeness | The job order is generated automatically and the crew receives the data electronically |
| Later | Complaint analysis by type and crew | Useful once closure is documented in full | Complaint causes accumulate in structured form |
Do not start with a CRM in generalA general-purpose CRM laid over the existing process records the gap between survey and contract as a handsome funnel. The place to start is where the gap physically arises — at the tablet in the customer’s home.
Rollout plan
These durations are indicative for a demonstration sample. A real estimate is formed after access to the survey forms, the factory’s pricing and production model, the exchange formats and the integration constraints.
| Stage | Duration | Outcome | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture and order model | 2–4 weeks | States, roles, required survey parameters, pricing rules | Sales, survey and production approve the model |
| Digital survey and pricing | 4–6 weeks | Mobile parameter entry, a calculator on factory parameters | The surveyor quotes a binding price on site |
| Contract and deposit on site | 3–4 weeks | Documents, signature, deposit, printing on site | The deal closes in one visit |
| Factory integration | 3–5 weeks | Order handover and production stage feedback | Re-keying of the specification disappears |
| Installation and closure | 2–4 weeks | Job order, crew, checklist, sign-off and photos on site | Orders close with a full pack and no paper catch-up |
Measuring the outcome
9. Metrics, reporting horizon and next step
This sample claims no numeric effect. In a real review the baseline is recorded first, then the metrics are compared after an agreed period of use.
| Metric | How it is calculated | How to capture the baseline | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of orders closed during the survey visit | Contracts signed on site / surveys carried out × 100 | A sample of deals over a quarter by survey and contract dates | Up |
| Time from survey to signed contract | Mean in days across closed deals | Comparing dates on survey forms and contracts | Down |
| Errors after the survey handover | Orders with a measurement discrepancy / all orders × 100 | Analysis of complaints and rework over a quarter | Down |
| Number of quote versions before contract | Mean number of re-pricings per deal | A count from correspondence and calls over two weeks | Down |
| Variance in the installation date | Actual date − scheduled date, in days | A sample of orders over a quarter | Down |
| Return visits | Return visits / installations carried out × 100 | The visit log over a quarter | Down |
| Share of orders with a complete closure pack | Orders with sign-off, photos and checklist / all orders × 100 | A sample of closed orders over a month | Up |
Horizon: from the call to the annual report
A review does not end at a signed sheet. Deal data has to reach management and annual reporting without being entered again — otherwise the performance of channels, crews and product types remains a matter of opinion.
| Level | What must arrive without manual assembly |
|---|---|
| Day | Scheduled and completed surveys, signed contracts, crew visits |
| Week | Orders in production by stage, planned installations, open complaints |
| Month | Conversion by channel and surveyor, target attainment, bonus, payments |
| Quarter | Profitability by product type, defects by crew and supplier |
| Year | Management reporting across sales, production and installation on one data model |
If a marketing channel is judged by the number of calls rather than by signed contracts, the cause is usually that the enquiry and the order are not connected by a shared identifier.
Questions to settle before development
- Which survey parameters are mandatory in order to price without the office?
- Who approves the production pricing model, and how often is it updated?
- What discount authority passes to the surveyor, and within what limits?
- In what format does the factory accept orders and return production stages?
- What counts as confirmed completeness before installation planning?
- Which operations must work on site with no connectivity?
Recommended next decisionCapture twenty deals from call to sign-off, recording the date of every step and the number of customer contacts. Separately, ride along with a surveyor to two sites. Output: required survey parameters, pricing rules, a data model and a pilot scope for one survey team.
This document demonstrates the structure and level of detail of the deliverable of the “Process review” service. It is based on the mechanics of a delivered, anonymised platform for a window business, is not legal, tax, construction-engineering or industry advice, and contains no confidential client information. Maturity scores are illustrative. Whether an order can be handed to production without re-keying depends on whether the specific factory offers a suitable exchange format.