1. The tempting shortcut
You manage a small consultancy. A retailer wants a workshop to turn a service idea into a delivery specification. A cheaper shared template promises faster preparation and lower fees. The tempting assumption: completed fields mean a usable plan. Yet a finished document can leave your customer unable to act.
2. A date needs agreement
In this hypothetical example, the retailer agrees to pay your consultancy €600 for a workshop and completed template. The specification says “Delivery window: Friday” and “Owner: Operations.” Your facilitator records the customer's preference but never asks Operations to accept the deadline.
After handover, the retailer's manager asks Operations to schedule the work. The team has no agreed capacity for Friday. A preference has become an apparent commitment. Your facilitator must reopen the discussion. Revenue remains €600, but extra staff hours reduce margin. An unpaid invoice also leaves cash uncollected.
3. Check who has agreed
The missing step is coordination: agreement between the requester and the team doing the work. A template can capture a date without securing that agreement. Like a checkbook entry, a completed field records something; it cannot make the underlying event happen.
Before accepting the handover, the retailer's manager should inspect “Delivery window” and “Owner,” then ask the delivery lead to confirm the date and available capacity. Compare the reply with the specification. No confirmation or a different date fails the check. Mark the deadline “proposed,” resolve capacity, and obtain acceptance before scheduling. Your consultancy should include that work in its scope and price.
4. When the simpler option fits
Consider a second hypothetical case: the retailer supplies an approved specification and buys only a planning discussion. If the delivery lead's acceptance covers the same scope and date, the cheaper template may suffice. If either changes, repeat the check. Pay for coordination where commitments remain unresolved; use the simpler workshop where they are already settled.