Send back

A leader's response to a figure that cannot be checked: an average where the table has rows, a percentage with no denominator, a claim with no identity, a portfolio described by its manager from memory. The table is requested instead. Each role page on this site lists the answer to send back beside the table that replaces it.

DefinitionA leader's response to a figure that cannot be checked: an average where the table has rows, a percentage with no denominator, a claim with no identity, a portfolio described by its manager from memory. The table is requested instead. Each role page on this site lists the answer to send back beside the table that replaces it.

The commonest ones

Supplier-level where the site matters; retention as one number; compliance on the mapped subset; penetration on a stale estate.

Not a refusal to listen

The judgement goes on top of the table, in a dated box. It does not replace it.

How it is used

When a figure arrives that cannot be checked, such as an average where rows exist, a percentage with no denominator, or a claim with no identity, the reader asks for the table behind it.

Example

Told that coverage is good, a director asks for the accounts not covered, ranked by revenue. The answer is a list of forty with three large accounts at the top.

Where it goes wrong

Accepted. The average is repeated upward and the three accounts stay uncovered.

Articles that use this term

Coverage and territory · Telecoms and connectivity

Ten questions a B2B telecoms sales director asks, and the table that answers each

The ten questions a business telecoms sales director puts to the account managers, what is site penetration and is the estate current, which sites are near their capacity, which contracts end in the notice window untouched, which orders are stuck in provisioning and where, which customers' estates have closed sites still billed, what is product attach per site against the norm, which customers could co-terminate, which sites went quiet, which account managers cover at cadence, and what changed, each with the table from billing, the estate file, the contract register and the usage export, and the answer to send back.

16 Sept 20263 min read Wallet share and penetration · Construction and building materials

Ten questions a builders' merchant managing director asks, and the table that answers each

The ten questions the managing director of a builders' merchant puts to the branch managers, which trade accounts buy below their trade's norm, which accounts were opened and never used, which good payers are stuck at their credit limit, which contractors won projects nearby and have no account, which accounts lapsed against their own cadence, what is category share per branch, which branches have not typed their accounts, which counter customers deserve an account, what is contribution per account after drops and returns, and what changed, each with the table from the ledger, the account master, the credit file and the project data, and the answer to send back.

16 Sept 20263 min read Board and management reporting · Supply chain

Ten questions a chief operating officer asks about supply and service, and the table that answers each

The ten questions a COO puts to the supply chain and service functions, which suppliers are deteriorating, where is single-source risk, what is the lead time really, where is inventory ageing, which sites are short and which are long, is the demand plan biased, what are we paying early for nothing, which accounts consume the most service, are we meeting the SLAs we signed, and what changed, each with the computed table, the identity behind it, and the answer a COO should send back.

16 Sept 20263 min read Board and management reporting · Consulting and advisory

Ten questions a consulting firm managing director asks, and the table that answers each

The ten questions the managing director of a consulting or advisory firm puts to the practice leads, which clients use one practice, will the sold work fit the bench, which consultants are busy and unprofitable, which proposals cost more than they win, whose book depends on one client, which fixed fees overran, which practices hire while their neighbours bench, what is realisation per client, which clients have gone quiet, and what changed, each with the table from the time entries, the proposal log, the roster and the bills, and the answer to send back.

16 Sept 20262 min read Wallet share and penetration · FMCG and CPG brands

Ten questions a CPG commercial director asks, and the table that answers each

The ten questions a consumer goods commercial director puts to the sales and trade marketing teams, where are the distribution voids, which stores stopped selling a SKU on a Tuesday, which promotions moved volume and which moved it forward, which retailers are building inventory in the channel, which chargebacks are disputable, what is range penetration by channel, which accounts are under the range norm, what is the weekly gap list per store, what did trade spend buy per net unit, and what changed, each with the table from the sell-out, shipment and deduction files, and the answer to send back.

16 Sept 20263 min read Wallet share and penetration · Distributors

Ten questions a distributor's commercial director asks, and the table that answers each

The ten questions a distributor's commercial director puts to the branch and sales managers, which accounts are dormant and worth what, which branches leak category share, which accounts earn least after cost to serve, which take too many drops, which lines were lost to stock-outs, where is private label under-penetrated, which reps cover their books, what are the unagreed discounts, which counter customers deserve an account, and what changed, each with the table from the invoice lines and the delivery log, and the answer to send back.

16 Sept 20263 min read