The situation
One definition of on-time, a promise date the customer can trust, and a weekly look at the exceptions.
All work
AnalyticsCX OpsOperating Model
A single definition of on-time
Helped the operation agree what “on-time” means and put promise-date adherence in a weekly review customers can actually feel.
Figures are illustrative; client details anonymized. A 24-hour reply is a target, not a result.
- Organization
- A global industrial manufacturer
- Role
- CX partner to operations and analytics
- Timeframe
- 2025 – 2026
- Tools
- Power BI, ERP snapshots
What I found
The reports disagreed about on-time performance. Daily snapshots could not show how long an order sat between stages.
What was in the way
Each team had a reasonable local definition. None of them was the customer’s definition. Without stage timing, delay and late promise-setting looked the same.
What I did
A single OTD dashboard, a documented reporting requirement, a weekly review, and the same numbers in the CX conversation.
Why it mattered
Customers experience a promise date, not an internal report. If four dashboards disagree, the review becomes an argument.
Summary
The operation had several versions of on-time delivery and snapshots that could not show where an order sat between stages. The work was to agree one definition, put it in a dashboard, and give the exception list a weekly home — including in the CX review.
Context
Delivery is a customer-experience number, not only an operations number. The two reviews should not tell different stories.
The problem
- Multiple non-standard on-time reports were in circulation.
- Snapshots could not show stage-to-stage timing.
- The CX conversation about delivery had no shared baseline.
The approach
- 01Kicked off a single OTD dashboard with executive sponsorship.
- 02Documented a minimum reporting requirement.
- 03Put a weekly exception review on the calendar.
- 04Used the same figures in the customer-experience review.
Illustrative figures
Figures are illustrative; client details anonymized. A 24-hour reply is a target, not a result.
Definition of on-time
Illustrative
The teams now use one definition of on-time.
Promise-date adherence
Illustrative
Promise-date exceptions have a weekly review customers can feel.
What exists
OTD dashboard
One definition, with exception visibility.
Weekly review cadence
A standing look at promise-date misses.
Takeaways
- If four reports disagree, the review becomes an argument.
- The customer experiences a promise date, not an internal definition.
- Do not publish an on-time percentage until the dashboard and the definition match.
Bring a problem
Tell me where customers are waiting.
A short note is enough: what is breaking, what you have already tried, and what a good month would look like. If I am the wrong person, I will say so.