IK Systems
The Predictability Framework™
Doc. 04 / Template
- Pillar
- Predictable Operations
- Format
- Template
- Reading time
- 2 min read
One-page role and ownership map
In most owner-led businesses, the org chart is accurate on paper and wrong in practice. This maps who actually owns what.
01Section
The rule
Every function has exactly one owner. Not a committee, not 'the office', not 'me and my brother'. Shared accountability is the most common reason things fall through in a 15 to 30 person company — everyone assumes the other person picked it up.
02Section
The map
List the functions your business actually performs. The list below fits most operational service companies; add or remove to match yours.
| Function | Owner (name) | Backup | Owner's definition of done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiry intake and response | — | — | — |
| Estimating and pricing | — | — | — |
| Proposal follow-up | — | — | — |
| Scheduling and dispatch | — | — | — |
| Crew assignment and readiness | — | — | — |
| Job quality and sign-off | — | — | — |
| Equipment and fleet maintenance | — | — | — |
| Materials and supplier orders | — | — | — |
| Safety and compliance | — | — | — |
| Invoicing and collections | — | — | — |
| Hiring and onboarding | — | — | — |
| Client communication after the job | — | — | — |
03Section
Then run the owner audit
Highlight every row where the owner's name appears. That highlighted set is the real constraint on the business's capacity. Sort it into three groups.
- Must stay with the owner — genuine judgement, key relationships, final pricing on unusual scopes.
- Could transfer with a documented process — most scheduling, intake, ordering, and follow-up work.
- Could transfer with a hire — the functions that are full roles, not tasks.
- 01Pick one function from the middle group each month.
- 02Document it to the new-hire standard.
- 03Hand it over with a 30-day check-in, not a permanent open door.
- 04Remove the owner's name from that row and do not put it back.
04Section
Warning signs in a completed map
- One person owns more than four functions. That person is a bottleneck regardless of their title.
- A function has no backup. One vacation or resignation stops the business.
- 'Definition of done' is blank. The function is not really owned, it is just assigned.
- Two names in one cell. Choose one.
Do this first
Fill the map, highlight every row with the owner's name, and transfer one of them each month.
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