Start with the handoff essentials
Use this page to align the intended outcome, agreed boundaries, decision roles, and first delivery discussion.
Promised outcome
Scope and open questions
First delivery meeting
Transfer the promise, context, and next decision
Northstar Foods is a fictional multi-site company. Its example—a phased inventory-planning rollout—shows how sales and delivery can align on the intended outcome, distinguish agreed scope from open requests, and prepare a useful first meeting. This page supports coordination; it is not a customer commitment, policy, or system of record.
Decide what the handoff needs to carry
Use the handoff when delivery needs to act on what sales and the customer have discussed.
- Defined outcome and scope The agreed outcome is a phased inventory-planning rollout across three Northstar Foods distribution sites. The delivery lead can plan the first meeting around site sequence, data readiness, and decision roles.
- Request still under discussion A request to add automated supplier ordering came up in a sales discussion, but no scope decision was made. Keep it as an open question; do not present it as an included commitment.
- Material context changed If the expected outcome, customer stakeholders, or delivery assumptions changed after the sale, state what changed and which role should clarify it before planning proceeds.
Worked example: what is agreed and what remains open
Illustrative Northstar Foods handoff. This authored reference is not a system of record or live work queue.
| Handoff topic | Northstar Foods example |
|---|---|
| Promised outcome | Support a phased inventory-planning rollout across three distribution sites. |
| Included scope | Initial planning covers site sequence, inventory data needs, and a first delivery plan. |
| Exclusions | Automated supplier ordering was discussed but is not included in the agreed example scope. |
| Assumption to test | The three sites can provide inventory data in a format the delivery team can assess. |
| Open question | Which site should be used to work through the initial planning approach, and which customer role can confirm its data context? |
Prepare a handoff the next team can use
Keep unresolved items visible instead of presenting them as commitments.
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1
State the intended outcome
Write the customer outcome in plain language. In the example: plan a phased inventory-planning rollout across three distribution sites. -
2
Separate commitment from discussion
List what is included, what is excluded, and what remains undecided. Keep the supplier-ordering request open until its scope is resolved. -
3
Transfer useful context
Summarize the customer’s stated priorities, relevant decisions, and known assumptions. Include enough context for delivery to understand why the outcome matters without retelling every sales conversation. -
4
Name decision roles and open questions
Identify the sales owner, delivery lead, and customer sponsor by role. For each open question, state what needs clarification and which role should bring the answer. -
5
Prepare the first delivery meeting
Bring together the roles needed to validate the outcome, scope boundaries, assumptions, and first planning decision. Record meeting decisions in the organization’s approved working system.
Who carries which part of the handoff
These role descriptions show accountability in the fictional example without naming actual employees or replacing an organization’s approved ownership model.
Use the first meeting to confirm shared understanding
Start with the promised outcome, then test boundaries and assumptions before turning discussion into a delivery plan.
- Sales owner explains the agreed outcome and flags requests that remain undecided.
- Delivery lead tests the assumptions and identifies the next planning questions.
- Customer sponsor confirms business priorities and the roles needed to resolve open points.
Record decisions and ownership in the organization’s approved working system. This page does not submit, approve, or track the handoff.