6.4Toolbox
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Order with no risk: challenged need, written CDC, TCO-compared, complete PO, required confirmation, checked receipt, match before payment.
- Monthly 30-min review: OTIF both sides, rotation and dormants, landed cost, disputes, risk panel, forecasts, one improvement action.
- Rule: a short respected checklist beats a long ignored procedure — checked by two if possible.
Nadia thread — 1 year on: checklists at hand
One year on, both checklists below are posted at Nadia's: the order one on the second screen, the monthly review one in the shared file. "What saved me," she says in substance, "is not knowing the procedure, it is ticking each line every time — especially on rush days."
Adapt thresholds to your context, keep the structure: it is what avoids disputes and stockouts.
Checklists to display
Print them or keep them on a second screen for orders and the monthly review. Tick every line: a short checklist that is followed beats a long procedure that is ignored.
Adapt thresholds to your context, but keep the structure: it prevents 90% of avoidable disputes and stockouts.
Checklist — Risk-free ordering (locked P2P)
- Challenged need: what, how many, when (real deadline), quality, budget — restated as expected outcome where possible
- CDC and written acceptance criteria (tolerances, receipt checks, tests) before tendering
- 3 to 5 offers on identical TCO scope, weighted grid fixed before opening, best-value choice recorded
- Complete written purchase order (references/SKU, quantities, firm price, lead time, INCOTERMS, franco, place) sent
- Supplier confirmation required (binding price + lead time) before treating the order as committed
- OTIF follow-up: preventive chase at mid-lead time, alert if slipping, plan B ready on critical items
- Receipt: check against the delivery note, immediate precise written reservations + photos if gap, dated signature
- Three-way match PO = delivery note = invoice before payment; block and request a credit if gap, same-day notification
- Payment on the agreed due date (neither early nor late), file archived PR → PO → delivery note → invoice for audit
- Anti-fraud: any bank-details change checked by calling the known number, never via the message announcing it
Checklist — Monthly purchasing & supply review (30 min)
- Supplier OTIF by supplier and by family (target ≥ 95% on critical items) — 3-month trend
- Customer OTIF / service rate: on time and complete, causes of the 5 largest gaps of the month
- Inventory rotation and cover (days) by ABC: alert on dead stock (>90 d) and MOQ overstock
- Full landed cost per kg/delivery: price + transport + customs + warehousing — drift vs budget
- Disputes and credits of the month: count, resolution lead time, recurring supplier → action plan
- Panel risk: single-source dependence (%) on A items, second source qualified yes/no, supplier health
- Shared forecasts: forecast/actual gaps, bullwhip effect seen, reorder-point adjustment
- Actions of the month: 1 TCO renegotiation, 1 challenged MOQ, 1 watch sourcing even with no immediate need
Ready-to-say script — require confirmation (30 s)
"Please confirm in writing firm price, lead time and INCOTERMS before I treat the order as committed. Without confirmation, I launch nothing on production side."
Copy-paste template — order tracking (1 line per order)
ORDER no. ... — Supplier: ...
PO sent on: ... — Confirmation received (price + lead time): yes / no
Preventive chase planned on (mid-lead time): ...
Receipt on: ... — Delivery-note check: OK / reservations: ...
Match PO = delivery note = invoice: OK / gap: ...
Payment on: ... — File archived (PR → PO → delivery note → invoice): yes / noSmall business / tight budget
Checklists on one wall-posted page: the essentials (PO, confirmation, check, match) are enough.
Algeria SME
Plan real channels (phone, messaging) in follow-up: who chases whom, on which channel, at mid-lead time.
Import / distant
Add a forwarder + customs line to tracking: shipping notice received, compliant documents, pickup scheduled.
Growing team
Split roles (order vs receipt) and tick by two: separation halves error risk.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Take 1 real order in progress, open the tracking above and tick where it stands. Complete the missing line this week.
- I ticked the checklist on a real order.
- I ran the monthly review (or dated its next session).
- I did the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.
Before launching production on a critical order, what must Nadia require?
Tip: keep these checklists in your shared purchasing file and tick them in pairs (order + receipt): separating roles halves error and fraud risk.