Questions & answers

What we asked, what we understood, and what it changes about the Diagnostic.

The answers below are synthesised for the demonstrator. They are not quotations, and no real person is represented.

5 questions out of 15

The questions that decided the Diagnostic

These are the ones that determined the loop retained, the conditions of the decision and the assumptions behind the numbers.

Q-01

How long does it take today to recover the context of an opportunity?

Value & measurementTo measure

Why we ask it — This is the engagement's headline metric. Without it, no gain can be demonstrated after the Build.

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Several hours depending on the case, with no formal measurement. The duration varies widely with who handles the opportunity and how old the account is.

Source : Sales lead interview · never timed

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

The business case rests on a 3.5-hour assumption that has never been measured. This is the first thing to time before any Build.

See the assumption

Q-02

How do you find a comparable project today?

Preparation processInterview synthesis

Why we ask it — Determines whether capitalisation can be systematised, or whether it depends entirely on individuals.

Synthesised demonstrator answer

From memory, then by browsing folders. Rarely by query. Comparable projects exist, but only a handful of project leads actually know about them.

Source : Head of projects interview

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

The link between a CRM account and its historical projects has to be rebuilt: that is condition 2 of the decision.

See the missing link

Q-03

Who decides whether to bid, and on what criteria?

Decision & governanceTo confirm

Why we ask it — Without a designated owner and written criteria, a recommendation produces no action.

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Sales management decides, drawing on a project lead's opinion. The criteria are not written down.

Source : Executive and sales lead interviews

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

Conditions 3 and 4 of the decision: formally name the business owner and write the qualification rules.

See the conditions

Q-04

What do your clients specifically choose you for, rather than another engineering firm?

Differentiation & positioningHypothesis

Why we ask it — Determines which evidence deserves to surface first on the action sheet.

Synthesised demonstrator answer

The combination of structure, MEP and energy on a single project, plus experience of comparable sites. This perception has not been checked with clients.

Source : Executive interview · not tested with clients

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

The differentiation shown in the working profile remains a hypothesis. It is deliberately not used as an argument in the business case.

See the differentiation

Q-05

What happens when the person who knows the comparable project isn't available?

Preparation processInterview synthesis

Why we ask it — Measures the dependency on experts, which is the main risk identified during the Diagnostic.

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Preparation is postponed, or the bid is handled without the reference. In the second case, the pricing is rebuilt from scratch.

Source : Head of projects interview

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

This justifies the priority loop: it is exactly the “starting from scratch” the Diagnostic sets out to remove.

See the priority loop

Activity & model

Q-06

What share of your activity comes from clients you already serve?

Activity & modelTo measure

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Not established within the Diagnostic scope. The CRM holds the necessary history, but no calculation was requested.

Source : CRM · calculation not run

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

A high share would strengthen the loop's value. Worth computing before the Build — it is a simple CRM query.

Q-07

Which engagement type is most profitable for you?

Activity & modelNot disclosed

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Not disclosed. Margins by engagement type were not shared within the Diagnostic scope.

Source : —

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

The action sheet therefore does not prioritise by profitability, only by available context. This is an accepted limitation of the first loop.

See the prototype

Data & tooling

Q-08

Which CRM do you use, and since when?

Data & toolingNot disclosed

Synthesised demonstrator answer

A CRM is in place and used daily by the sales team. The name of the tool was not disclosed within the Diagnostic scope.

Source : Sales lead interview

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

CRM integration stays conditional in the build plan until the tool is identified.

See the build plan

Q-09

Do your archived projects follow a common naming convention?

Data & toolingObserved fact

Synthesised demonstrator answer

No. Naming vocabulary varies across periods and teams, and the engagement type is missing on part of the projects.

Source : Project archive analysis · 186 projects

Confidence levelHigh

What it changes

Condition 1 of the decision: standardise six project description fields before building.

See the source matrix

Q-10

Can a task be created in your CRM from an external system?

Data & toolingTo confirm

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Access and integration options were not verified. No integration is delivered as part of the Diagnostic.

Source : —

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

If writing back proved impossible, the loop would stop at the documented decision. The value would remain real but reduced.

See the “CRM task created” step

Preparation process

Q-11

At what point do you commit expert time?

Preparation processInterview synthesis

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Case by case, with no formal threshold. The decision mostly depends on whether the expert is available at that moment.

Source : Sales lead interview

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

The action sheet shows the level of context recovered to support that judgement, without making it for the team.

See an action sheet

Q-12

Who writes a proposal, and starting from what?

Preparation processInterview synthesis

Synthesised demonstrator answer

The sales owner writes it, with a project lead supporting the technical part. The starting point is usually an earlier proposal found by hand.

Source : Sales lead and head of projects interviews

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

Action sheet evidence therefore includes commercial proposals, not only engagement reports.

Decision & governance

Q-14

Who can validate that a recommendation becomes an action?

Decision & governanceInterview synthesis

Synthesised demonstrator answer

The sales owner of the opportunity. That responsibility is exercised in practice but not formalised as a role.

Source : Executive interview

Confidence levelMedium

What it changes

Condition 3 of the decision: formally name the business owner before the Build.

See the conditions

Q-15

What do you do today with a lost bid?

Decision & governanceTo confirm

Synthesised demonstrator answer

No usable trace was identified within the scope analysed. Loss reasons are not systematically captured in the CRM.

Source : CRM · field empty on most closed opportunities

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

Out of scope for the first loop. To revisit in a second loop, once the first one has been measured.

Value & measurement

Q-13

How many opportunities do you actually handle per quarter?

Value & measurementTo measure

Synthesised demonstrator answer

Not established. The CRM holds 48 opportunities over twelve months; extrapolating to 24 per quarter is a working assumption.

Source : CRM · unvalidated extrapolation

Confidence levelLow

What it changes

If the real volume were half that, no scenario would reach the decision threshold. This is the most sensitive assumption in the business case.

See the economic assumptions

See the working profile See the decision it leads to

Questions & answers

The questions that decided the Diagnostic

How long does it take today to recover the context of an opportunity?

How do you find a comparable project today?

Who decides whether to bid, and on what criteria?

What do your clients specifically choose you for, rather than another engineering firm?

What happens when the person who knows the comparable project isn't available?

Activity & model

What share of your activity comes from clients you already serve?

Which engagement type is most profitable for you?

Data & tooling

Which CRM do you use, and since when?

Do your archived projects follow a common naming convention?

Can a task be created in your CRM from an external system?

Preparation process

At what point do you commit expert time?

Who writes a proposal, and starting from what?

Decision & governance

Who can validate that a recommendation becomes an action?

What do you do today with a lost bid?

Value & measurement

How many opportunities do you actually handle per quarter?

Executive management

Sales lead

Head of projects

What the three interviews say together