Nine people are trained on the system. Escalations go to the same two.

The skills matrix says the capability is spread across the team. The work routing says otherwise, and the gap shows up as lead time long before it shows up as risk.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for Nine people are trained on the system. Escalations go to the same two.

A skills matrix is one of the more comforting documents a business produces. Rows for people, columns for capabilities, a satisfying density of ticks. It suggests resilience: if someone leaves, someone else steps in. Then a difficult job arrives, and it goes to the same person it always goes to, and the matrix turns out to have been describing something other than capacity. The gap is not dishonesty. It is that competence is recorded as binary while work is distributed. Nine people can operate the system. Two can operate it…

Keep reading for free

Create an account to read the rest.

The whole library is free. No card, no subscription, no trial that quietly ends. An account simply lets us know who we are writing for, and opens every article from here on.

  • Every article, in full, at no cost
  • New articles published every weekday
  • Takes about twenty seconds
Create a free account I already have one

Free means free. We will not charge you for the library, and you can read as much of it as you like.

Important: General information only. Rialto Bridge articles describe patterns and considerations that may apply to a business; they are not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice, and they take no account of your particular circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a qualified professional before acting.

More on Operations

Scroll to Top