The Fix Library
Mess builds slowly. Small gaps appear. Workarounds creep in. New tech gets added.
Before long, you start to feel the frustration. When the messy bits underneath aren’t visible, you can’t fix them.
The good news is they’re often simpler and quicker to fix than you might think. The key is doing something. Starting with one area.
If nothing changes, the problems just stay.
One of the fixes below might be your first step. If you’re not sure, let’s have a virtual coffee and work it out together.
People were chasing quotes and proposals that had already been signed because there was no clear way to track it.
Fix: Added a visible Accepted / Not Accepted status field in their CRM that everyone could see it.
Change: Clear ownership, no duplicated effort, and instant visibility of what’s been signed off.
Clients were asked to print, sign and photograph PDF forms to send back, with no updates or clear next steps, so they were left unsure where things had got to.
Fix: Replaced PDF forms with a simple digital solution. Added clear stages and automated updates so clients could see progress.
Change: Fewer client chasers, clearer expectations, reduced admin for the team. A calmer, more professional client experience delivered.
A project to digitise fundraising risked delivering the wrong solution. Expectations were unclear and there was no agreed definition of “done”.
Fix: Started with a cross-team review to define a clear, shared project scope, then created simple testing so everyone could check functionality.
Change: Functionality aligned across all teams, no last-minute surprises, zero grumbling and an on-time, on-budget go-live.
Directors wanted to put the business on the market but most operations were held in their heads.
Fix: Built a full operational manual covering all areas, showing the business could run without the owners.
Outcome: Buyer concerns disappeared, negotiations became straightforward and the sale completed above the expected price.
Sales pipeline stages were undefined, follow-ups were missed and some leads were contacted after sales had converted.
Fix: Designed a sales pipeline with defined stages and clear ownership so follow-up happened in a steady, consistent way.
Outcome: A predictable pipeline, zero duplicated effort and a double-digit uplift in conversions and profit.
New enquiries were captured on a single paper-based form that also held project scope, dates and actions. Follow-ups were inconsistent and mistakes sometimes led to refunds or discounted work.
Fix: Mapped the real sales steps, separated early qualification from live enquiries and built a clear board where each step and ownership sat in the right place.
Outcome: Proper lead qualification and consistent bookings gave the team a shared, visible, error-free sales process, reducing refunds and discounts.
Rollout of a new case management system risked operational disruption because there was no visibility across remote sites.
Fix: Ran discovery sessions with all sites and departments to surface the real requirements for specialist outreach teams and to minimise downtime.
Outcome: Site-specific needs were identified early so teams were heard. The go-live schedule was shared early so people could plan properly. A smooth, low disruption rollout.
Jobs were completed successfully but the relationship quietly ended. Past customers were never contacted again, so satisfied clients drifted away and repeat work was missed.
Fix: Added a simple post-job follow-up step, introduced light-touch reminders and set up basic automation to prompt future contact at the right time.
Outcome: More repeat bookings without extra marketing effort, stronger customer relationships and a steadier pipeline of work.
One spreadsheet was used to manage prospects, clients and actions. There was no clear view of what needed doing next and important follow-ups were missed.
Fix: Introduced a free CRM so notes were stored centrally and next actions sat clearly in a list or calendar.
Outcome: Follow-ups are clear, nothing gets forgotten and both actions and pipeline now run without hiccups.
A previous laptop rollout had caused downtime and stress, and this needed to be avoided for 800 new staff laptops.
Fix: Created a booking system giving each person a 30-minute handover with a user-friendly engineer - including a checklist to ensure each person’s laptop worked as expected.
Change: Personalised handovers meant staff knew exactly what to expect. Post-rollout checklists scored in the high 90s, with no disruption to service delivery.
No shared plan for introducing the new CRM created confusion across teams and fear about the upcoming change.
Fix: Held a company-wide introduction to the implementation plan and set up weekly drop-in calls for updates, questions and issue resolution.
Outcome: Regular, open communication brought teams into the process, built trust in the change and meant the CRM went live with no surprises.
Everyone had bits of prospect details in their emails or heads, which meant things were repeated and important details got lost.
Fix: Implemented an entry-level CRM with structured fields and an easy way for the team to record insights after each interaction.
Outcome: Everyone could see the latest conversations and background in one place, showing who was in touch and where strong relationships could be developed.
Everyone used their own version of the sales process, so deals moved inconsistently and forecasting was unreliable.
Fix: Defined four pipeline stages with clear criteria and added a central dashboard the whole team could use.
Outcome: Sales started closing in the month forecasted, the team used the same language for each stage and deals moved through the pipeline without errors.
Remote flower arranging workshop kits kept going out wrong. Items were missing, evenings were spent fixing mistakes and the team were always scrambling at the last minute.
Fix: Mapped the real steps, created a clear visible checklist and added a verification check at the end.
Outcome: Kits go out right every time. Prep time is predictable, no overnight courier costs and evenings back.
The owner had put real effort into refining his tech and processes but felt several areas were still broken.
Fix: Reviewed all processes and systems and confirmed everything worked well apart from one outdated spreadsheet.
Outcome No fixes were needed. The owner felt reassured everything was in good order and could focus on tidying the one remaining scruffy spreadsheet.
Sales happened in fits and starts. Some days it got done, other days it disappeared once client work, emails or admin took over. By the end of the day, it wasn’t always clear if anything had actually moved things forward.
Fix: Scheduled dedicated daily sales slots so selling happened first, not just after everything else. Non-negotiable unless client or prospect meetings were already booked.
Outcome: Sales activity became consistent and predictable, with momentum building without pressure or burnout.
Everyone was busy and working hard, but it wasn’t clear what had actually been fully done. Actions drifted, priorities blurred and progress was hard to see.
Fix: Agreed a set of light-touch daily expectations, measuring outcomes rather than tasks done and introduced a central tracker for agreed meeting actions and owners.
Outcome: Defining what “fully done” meant helped the team finish work properly, with meeting actions clearly owned and completed without chasing.
A new system was ready to go, but the team didn’t feel confident testing it. They weren’t sure what they should be checking or how to tell if things were right.
Fix: Adapted and configured an online quiz solution using real client records and familiar scenarios so the team could test functionality and data with confidence.
Outcome: User testing became familiarisation, so the team understood what to expect day to day from the new system. Issues were flagged and fixed before go-live.
The owner was pulled into constant decisions and approvals, becoming the default for everything. Progress slowed whenever they were unavailable.
Fix: Defined clear decision ownership across the team and agreed which decisions could be made independently, with simple escalation rules when needed.
Outcome: Decisions moved without bottlenecks, interruptions dropped significantly and the owner could focus on higher-value work instead of constant approvals.
New starters struggled to get up to speed, relying on colleagues for basic questions and slowing everyone else down.
Fix: Captured core processes and expectations in simple, usable formats and clarified who owned onboarding support in the first few weeks.
Outcome: New starters became productive faster, asked fewer basic questions and settled into their roles with far less disruption to the wider team.
Suppliers and partners chased for updates, unclear on timelines and next steps, creating unnecessary noise and frustration.
Fix: Introduced clear milestones and simple update points so suppliers and partners knew what was happening and when.
Outcome: Chaser emails dropped, expectations were clear and external relationships became easier to manage without constant follow-up.
There was concern that introducing new systems would disrupt frontline services and day-to-day delivery.
Fix: Planned changes around live service delivery, agreed protection points and clearly communicated how business-as-usual would continue throughout.
Outcome: Day-to-day work continued as normal, services were unaffected and changes were introduced quietly in the background.
