Customers change orders after we start

At the enquiry register and order book, the sales coordinator can usually see the earliest warning. Changes in quantity, size or date accepted on a call, never confirmed in writing. Check it before staff spend time correcting work that has already moved on.

What it looks like

• The sales coordinator has to search the enquiry register and order book before answering a routine question.
• Changes in quantity, size or date accepted on a call, never confirmed in writing.
• Staff cannot locate the accepted quotation or customer confirmation for the latest case.
• People spot the gap after a customer gets a commitment that nobody has checked.
• The open case has no documented owner, due date or proof of closure.

Why it happens

The specific failure is left unchecked. Changes in quantity, size or date accepted on a call, never confirmed in writing. If there is no recorded owner for that condition, the effect travels to the next team.

The work and its evidence move separately. Requests enter through several people and channels. Without one accepted commercial record, sales cannot reliably distinguish an enquiry from an order.

A later hand-off exposes the gap. Prices, terms and commitments are often confirmed by conversation while the approved record remains unchanged.

The less obvious cause: A control may exist on paper but still fail in practice. Test whether someone actually performs this check: compare each change to the released job card and remaining material requirement.

Find the first failed hand-off before changing staff targets. A completed register alone cannot prove that physical work happened.

What to check first

1. Find changed customer quantities in email and WhatsApp after order acceptance. Compare dates, quantities and references. Mark an unconfirmed difference as unverified. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
2. Compare each change to the released job card and remaining material requirement. Record the affected item or party and the person who can verify the detail. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
3. Check whether sales sent a revised confirmation to the customer. Mark each exception open, waiting for evidence or resolved, with a named next owner. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.

How to fix it

1. Start with one live case. Find changed customer quantities in email and WhatsApp after order acceptance. Keep the source reference before changing the record.
2. Make the control explicit. Give every accepted change a revision number and clear effective date. Put the rule in the register or sheet that staff already use.
3. Set a second guardrail. Hold irreversible production work until specification changes are checked. Check the customer terms, item specification, rate and delivery promise before treating an enquiry as a firm order.
4. Assign the next decision. The sales coordinator records the action and its due date. A separately authorised person signs off changes affecting money, safety or customer terms.
5. Review the open list. Start with items affecting today or tomorrow. Keep third-party commitments separate from completed actions.
6. Check whether the rule holds. For four weeks, count requests or accepted orders left without a recorded next action. Reopen repeat cases and identify where the control failed.

Copy this enquiry and order exception register into a register or sheet:

Retain the source reference and limit access to authorised staff.

A worked example

Illustrative example only. A customer changes 180 brackets to 240 after cutting starts and ₹9,600 of extra material is needed. Start by locating the source that would verify these amounts or quantities. The sales coordinator records the exact exception, gives it an owner and checks the next relevant event. This example shows how to structure the decision. It does not claim that a business achieved a saving or avoided a loss.

How you know it is fixed

• Completeness: Count requests or accepted orders left without a recorded next action at the same time every week. Record the count and the oldest item, rather than just saying things are better.
• Timeliness: Check whether the assigned person took the next action before the agreed cut-off. Keep missed dates visible instead of replacing them silently.
• Proof of closure: Sample three closed cases and locate the accepted quotation or customer confirmation. A tick without supporting evidence is still an open control gap.

When it is more serious

Safety-critical or regulated specifications change without written approval. Hold irreversible decisions until the material facts are verified. For contracts, tax, wages or legal rights, retain source documents and consult a qualified adviser. Repeated exceptions after four reviews may require changing the control.

This works if someone does it every day. In most businesses, that someone is you.

Questions people ask

What should we check before taking action?

Find changed customer quantities in email and WhatsApp after order acceptance. Keep its date and reference. Then compare it with the accepted quotation or customer confirmation; if they disagree, record the difference before changing either one.

Who should own the next action?

The sales coordinator should own the open item. The person authorised to change money, a technical standard or a customer commitment must still approve that decision.

Can we run this control without new software?

No. Start with a shared sheet or register containing the reference, owner, promised date, status and evidence. Once those fields are reliable, decide whether a system connection is worth setting up.

When is the issue serious enough to escalate?

Safety-critical or regulated specifications change without written approval. Keep supporting records and get specialist help where relevant.