Route live orders clearly while two sites are operating

Topic
Phased moves and business continuity
Reading time
3 minutes
Last reviewed
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  1. Record the complete fulfilment route
  2. Control a reassignment
  3. Follow the order to its actual end

Give every live order one clearly identified fulfilment owner while the business operates from two sites. Work may pass between locations, but responsibility for getting it to the agreed outcome should not disappear between them.

Use a current order-routing record that the relevant people can access. A change of physical location should not silently change the person responsible for the customer's order.

Record the complete fulfilment route

For each affected order, record its present state and the next responsible function. A fictional record could look like this:

Order Current work Production location Quality decision Despatch owner Open point
R101 Accepted, not started Old site Old-site quality lead Old-site fulfilment lead Planned route unchanged
R102 In progress New site Agreed inspection route between sites Named fulfilment lead Inspection slot needs confirmation
R103 Technical query Undecided Depends on authorised answer Named order owner Route cannot be assigned yet

The third order still has an owner even though it has no production destination. That person must obtain the missing answer and communicate the accepted route. Leaving it in an “either site” category risks both sites assuming the other will act.

Use only the information needed for the people performing the work. Keep confidential customer and technical material within the business's authorised systems.

Control a reassignment

If a phase changes, identify the orders affected rather than redirecting everything associated with an address. Ask the responsible operational and quality people whether each order can follow the proposed new route.

In a fictional case, an unstarted order can be considered for the new operation while another job is already part-way through an accepted route. They need separate decisions. The fact they share a customer does not make them operationally interchangeable.

Record who approved the new route, what information was passed and how the receiving owner acknowledged it. Check the job-version handoff so the destination works from the current authorised instruction.

Follow the order to its actual end

Production location and despatch responsibility may differ. Use the despatch-control guide to establish who can release accepted work and prevent both sites arranging a shipment.

Check incoming deliveries where purchased material belongs to a reassigned order. Updating the order board will not automatically change a supplier's delivery instruction or the receiving arrangements.

Review the routing record at the appropriate point in the move's daily coordination. Concentrate on orders whose state or route changed. A complete printout that nobody updates can quickly contradict the actual work.

Tell UK Auction Group if a remaining order affects equipment availability. The commercial enquiry needs the release condition and expected update, not confidential order details. Keep equipment with an unresolved business role outside the confirmed surplus scope until the authorised decision changes.

The phased moves hub covers related control of work between locations.

Sources

This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.

Releasing surplus equipment?

UK Auction Group surveys the surplus, values it item by item and runs the sale around your operation, so the working site keeps working while the surplus is sold and collected.

Send a list of what you have, where it is and your deadline. Decisions that are still open can be included.

Surplus asset disposal after mergers and restructuring Contact UK Auction Group

Business Closure Guide is part of the UK Auction Group portfolio.

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