How process accountability charts fix cross-department breakdowns

Executive overview

Breakdowns between departments — not within them — are where most operational problems occur. Handoffs between functions generate miscommunication, errors, and dropped work.

The fix is a Process Accountability Chart (PACE): identify core business processes, assign clear owners, and set metrics. Once ownership and a standard menu of options exist, ad-hoc variation disappears.

The core insight: most breakdowns happen at handoffs, not inside departments — owning the handoff fixes the problem.

The quote-to-cash example

• A fast-growing company had hundreds of staff operating idiosyncratically across teams
• Their "quote to cash" process spanned lead gen through invoice collection and bank deposit
• Sales team was excellent at problem-solving but created custom deals impossible to implement consistently
• Assigning one owner to the end-to-end process surfaced where breakdowns occurred
• Solution: replaced infinite ad-hoc options with a defined menu of client-problem tools
• Contracts became consistent; invoicing and implementation problems were quickly resolved

Applying the PACE framework

• Identify the big core processes of the business
• Assign an owner and metrics to each process
• Use process work to surface breakdowns and drive improvements
• Free download available at ScalingCoach website