Section 03 · Build · How should the work be designed?
Operations
6 modules · How work flows from order to delivery.
Part of the BUILD curriculum. Access all BUILD modules: USD 118.80. See BUILD access →
Everyone does their part, but no one can draw how the work actually flows from request to result.
Why it mattersA process map makes work visible, and visible work can be discussed, questioned and improved. The map creates a common language for fixing handovers, training staff, designing systems and assigning ownership.
You leave withA current-state map of one core process.
Related: M11 Diagnosing a Process · M13 Standard Operating Procedures · M14 Workflow Design · M26 ERP: What It Can and Cannot Fix
Open M12 →Each person does the job their own way. Quality depends on who is on shift.
Why it mattersProcedures make good work repeatable. They shorten training, reduce errors and support delegation, because a manager can hand over a task with confidence when the standard is written down.
You leave withA usable SOP for one critical, repeated task.
Related: M12 Process Mapping · M17 Quality Control · M21 Delegation · M54 Scaling Operations
Illustrative teaching case: The Second Branch
Open M13 →Work moves by phone call, WhatsApp and memory. Things fall through the gaps between people.
Why it mattersA designed workflow, with defined stages, owners and rules for entering and leaving each stage, makes work visible and predictable. Problems are seen while they are still small, and managers can spend their time on exceptions rather than on status updates.
You leave withA redesigned workflow with clear stages, owners and rules.
Related: M12 Process Mapping · M28 Automation · M48 Pipeline Management · M27 CRM
Open M14 →The shelves are full of the wrong stock while the right items run out.
Why it mattersBetter inventory control tends to produce three benefits at once, which is unusual in management. It releases cash that was tied up in slow stock. It reduces write-offs of obsolete and expired items. And it improves availability of the items customers actually want.
You leave withA stock classification with reorder rules for fast-moving items.
Related: M16 Procurement · M34 Working Capital · M33 Cash vs Profit · M26 ERP: What It Can and Cannot Fix
Open M15 →Buying happens informally, by whoever needs something, on whatever terms the supplier offers.
Why it mattersProcurement discipline protects margin, because the business pays consistently fair prices. It protects cash, because it pays only for what was ordered and received. It reduces the risk of fraud. And it builds supplier relationships that are grounded in reliable terms, which matters when the business needs supplier support in a difficult period.
You leave withA purchasing policy with approval limits and supplier criteria.
Related: M36 Payables and Supplier Terms · M15 Inventory Management · M20 Decision Rights · M58 Governance
Open M16 →Errors are found by customers, not by the business. Every complaint is handled as a one-off.
Why it mattersPoor quality is expensive twice: once in rework, and again in customers who quietly take their business elsewhere. The second cost is often much larger and is almost never measured.
You leave withQuality checkpoints and an error log for one core process.
Related: M07 Finding the Root Cause · M13 Standard Operating Procedures · M49 Customer Retention · M39 KPIs That Drive Decisions
Open M17 →
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