Editorial note: This article is a fictional reconstruction of situations businesses may face. Its purpose is to inform and raise awareness about possible risks and responses. People, events, data and outcomes should not be interpreted as actual cases, verified facts or results achieved by LC. Each organization needs its own assessment.
At Rebeca's company, preparing an order takes two days of work, but the customer receives it ten days later. The team maps the process: one real request from intake through delivery, including tasks, decisions, waits and owners. They begin with what actually happened, not an idealized diagram.
Follow one case and its handoffs
Rebeca brings sales, warehouse and finance together with a recent order history. They note when it arrived, who handled it, what information was missing and when it moved again. The map shows four days waiting for an approval nobody knew who could grant. The process also exists in those empty spaces.
Change one observable rule
The team names a backup approver for orders under an agreed limit and a cutoff time for incomplete requests. They test the rule for two weeks on one order type. When an exception appears, they record it instead of ignoring it. The map remains useful because it can be revised.
Measure waiting separately from work
Rebeca compares total time, active time and orders returned for missing information. If approval improves but inventory remains a problem, the next step is different. She does not need a prettier diagram; she needs a map that helps reduce waiting and make decisions explicit.
Map real cases and look for waits, exceptions and ownerless decisions.
BRING IT TO YOUR BUSINESS
Three questions to get started.
- Where does work wait without moving?
- Who can decide at each step?
- Which exception keeps recurring?
Does this sound like a challenge in your business? We can start with a conversation.
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