Level 6 · In Practice

6.2Recurring issues (playbook)

Goal: Diagnose a common purchasing/supply problem in under 5 minutes and apply the right corrective sequence.

Estimated time: 12 min · If you only have 5 min: read “The essentials in 30s” + the diagram.

The essentials in 30 seconds

Reflex: one symptom = probable causes = a sequence of actions — diagnose before acting, in order.
Root: a recurring incident is not a run of bad luck, it is a design flaw (need, CDC, threshold, contract) to fix.
Order: start with the most frequent cause: most cases settle in the first two lines of the table.

Nadia thread — 1 year on: the playbook on the wall

One year on, Nadia keeps this playbook near her weekly review. Verdict: three lines served her most — price drifting after signature, OTIF below 80% and invoices blocked at each closing. For each, she ended up fixing the root (complete PO, real lead time, three-way match) instead of handling the incident.

Observed symptom, causes checked against facts, actions in order: the reflex holds in three steps.

How to use this playbook

Each entry starts from the observed symptom, lists the probable causes then gives the actions in order. Start with the most frequent cause: 80% of cases are settled in the first two lines.

Keep it within reach for purchasing reviews and weekly logistics check-ins: it stops you handling the same incident ten times instead of fixing its root.

Symptom	Likely causes	Actions
Price drifting after signature: +5 to 10% over 6 months with no amendment	Price not locked in, vague price-review clause, transport/customs billed as extras, discount missed at invoicing	1) Require written confirmation with firm price and TCO scope (transport, franco, customs). 2) Put an indexed, transparent price-review clause under contract. 3) Systematic three-way PO/delivery-note/invoice match; block and request a credit if there is a gap.
Stockout while the system stock still shows available	Theoretical vs physical stock misaligned, unreliable count, reservations not deducted, late entries	1) Cycle-count A-critical items, clear gaps. 2) Fix the outbound process (scan, delivery note). 3) Recalculate the reorder point on physical stock + inbound, automatic threshold alert.
Supplier OTIF below 80%: late and incomplete deliveries	Catalogue vs real lead time confused, supplier capacity saturated, order with no confirmation, transport hazards not buffered	1) Measure real lead time and variability. 2) Require confirmation with binding lead time and OTIF penalties. 3) Qualify a 70/30 second source on critical items and share 4-week forecasts.
Blocked invoices: PO / delivery-note / invoice gaps at each closing	Incomplete or verbal PO, unchecked delivery note, catalogue price invoiced instead of negotiated price, different units	1) No purchase without a written PO (references, quantities, price, lead time). 2) Check the delivery note at receipt with precise written reservations and photos. 3) Three-way match before any payment; fix the source (PO or delivery note) before the invoice.
MOQ forcing 4 to 6 months of consumption into stock	Imposed MOQ never challenged, supplier lot sized for itself, no alternative, grouped order never considered	1) Negotiate MOQ vs price (tier) and franco. 2) Propose a staggered schedule with an annual volume commitment. 3) Source a low-MOQ alternative for C items, pool with a peer.
Single supplier raising prices every year: no credible alternative	Sourcing not maintained, qualification never started, technical or personal dependence, market never tested	1) Run ongoing sourcing (2-3 candidates a year) even with no immediate need. 2) Qualify a second source on a small test run. 3) Periodic re-tender with a weighted grid and TCO.
Transport cost wiping out margin: 15 to 25% of landed price	Vague INCOTERMS (imposed EXW), franco rarely met, express shipments, trip-by-trip transport	1) Clarify INCOTERMS (target delivered DAP/DDP). 2) Consolidate to reach franco, plan rounds. 3) Transport tender on identical TCO scope, KPI of cost per kg delivered.
Non-conformity at receipt: variable quality, frequent returns	Vague CDC, missing acceptance criteria, showroom sample differing from series, rushed receipt check	1) Write verifiable acceptance criteria before buying (tolerances, tests). 2) Systematic receipt check against delivery note/PO + immediate written reservations. 3) Supplier action plan with a series sample, not a showroom sample.
Everything turns urgent: express orders, permanent stress	Need defined too late, under-calibrated reorder point, forecasts not shared, no safety stock on critical items	1) Bring the need definition forward (real deadline vs comfort). 2) Recalculate thresholds on real lead time + variability, early alert. 3) Weekly forecast + order ritual, share forecasts with key suppliers.

Common misinterpretation: "the playbook replaces diagnosis". No. The table gives probable causes, not a verdict: check against facts (PO, delivery note, invoice, physical inventory, measured OTIF) before applying the action sequence.

Ready-to-say script — name the symptom in review (2 min)

"We have the symptom [stockout / price drift / low OTIF]. My hypothesis #1: [most frequent cause in the playbook]. I check [fact to verify] then we apply the sequence in order. Review in two weeks."

Copy-paste template — express diagnosis sheet

Observed SYMPTOM (facts): ...
Since when / frequency: ...
Probable CAUSES (playbook 6.2): ...
Check (PO, delivery note, invoice, physical inventory, OTIF): ...
ACTIONS (in order): 1) ... 2) ... 3) ...
Corrected ROOT (need, CDC, threshold, contract): ...
REVIEW in 2 weeks: improved? stable? worse?

Small business / tight budget

No formal table: a frank talk around the symptom, one checked cause, one action noted in the notebook.

Algeria SME

Include real constraints (port lead times, short staff, payments) in causes before concluding a will problem.

Import / distant

Add transport, customs and INCOTERMS to probable causes: half the symptoms come from the journey, not the supplier.

Multi-site

Compare the same symptom across sites before acting: a local cause is not handled like a network cause.

48h challenge — apply tomorrow

Spot 1 current symptom in your purchasing or inventory, fill the express diagnosis sheet above and test the 1st action.

Section exit checklist

I can link a symptom to its probable causes.
I filled (or scheduled) an express diagnosis sheet.
I know the root to fix for my case.

Self-rating 1-5: diagnosis before action?fix at the root?

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Check your understanding

A supplier OTIF drops below 80%: which reflex applies the playbook?

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Golden rule: a recurring incident is not a run of bad luck — it is a design flaw (need, CDC, threshold, contract) to fix at the root.