Carlos EscasainCommercial Systems & Process Architect
ENES

Process case / 03 · Analytics → process → action

Designing a commercial performance recovery process

A fictional case about the step after the dashboard: classification, ownership, recovery plans, review cadence and escalation—analytics turned into operational action.

Fictional scenario8 min readUpdated 28 Sep 2026
Fictional scenario

Independently created. Contains no employer or client implementation detail, internal names or figures.

01The outcome

Every signal that matters creates an obligation with an owner, and every obligation ends in a recorded outcome—recovered, escalated or accepted.

The reality

Underperforming accounts are visible every month—and nothing is obliged to happen next.

Key dimension

Analytics → process → action

Key decision

Make classification a rule, and give each class an explicit obligation, owner and review cadence.

ContextA B2B company tracks sales against account targets. The analytics are sound: underperforming accounts are identified every month. What is missing is the process that turns a signal into an owner, a plan, actions and a decision.

Disciplines involvedProcess ArchitectureRevenue OperationsData & Integrations
Systems and partiesData platformCRMPlanning

02The reality · current state

What actually happens today.

  • Underperforming accounts appear on a dashboard, but nobody is obliged to act
  • Each manager defines ‘at risk’ differently
  • Recovery plans live in slides, without owners or dates
  • Monthly meetings discuss totals, not accounts
  • Accounts drop off the list without anyone deciding they recovered
  • Nobody can say which actions actually recover an account

03Target process

7 stages, 3 roles, 2 systems.

Each stage sits in the lane that owns it and shows what happens in each system at that moment. Select a stage for its anatomy; read the model through controls, exceptions or automation fit.

Operating model / swimlaneCommercial performance recoveryMonthly performance signal → Plan closed with a recorded outcome

Stages, owners, system touches and handoffs.

Account managerOwns the account and its plan
Sales managerAgrees, reviews, escalates
RevOpsClasses, thresholds & cadence
Data platformComputes the signals
CRMClass, plan, actions & reviews
Lane / stage
RevOps → Account manager
Account mgr → Sales mgr
Signal on accountClass rulesClass & reasonReview taskPlan recordTasks & activitiesSignal refreshReview recordPlan outcomeClass history
Human actionSystem actionDecisionApproval gateLifecycle stateSystem touchHandoffAuthority transferException return
Stage anatomy · 02 / 07

Account classification

DecisionAutomate
  1. Trigger

    Signals published

  2. Decision

    Which class applies—on track, underperforming, at risk or no sale?

  3. Owner

    RevOps (rules) — applied automatically

  4. System action

    Rules assign the class; the CRM shows the class, the reason and the rule version

  5. Data state

    Account · Classified

  6. Next stage

    03 Owner review

Information required
  • Gap to target
  • Trend over consecutive periods
  • Order activity
Controls
  • Thresholds are owned by RevOps and changed only with Sales management consent
Exceptions
  • Known seasonality or one-off event — Class overridden with a reason and an expiry date—never silentlyDetected: Account manager · Owner: Sales manager · Override with a reason and an expiry
Automation suitability

Automate. Classification is a rule. Overrides are human, and they expire.

    1. Trigger

      Signals published

    2. Decision

      Which class applies—on track, underperforming, at risk or no sale?

    3. Owner

      RevOps (rules) — applied automatically

    4. System action

      Rules assign the class; the CRM shows the class, the reason and the rule version

    5. Data state

      Account · Classified

    6. Next stage

      03 Owner review

    Information required
    • Gap to target
    • Trend over consecutive periods
    • Order activity
    Controls
    • Thresholds are owned by RevOps and changed only with Sales management consent
    Exceptions
    • Known seasonality or one-off event — Class overridden with a reason and an expiry date—never silentlyDetected: Account manager · Owner: Sales manager · Override with a reason and an expiry
    Automation suitability

    Automate. Classification is a rule. Overrides are human, and they expire.

04Key dimension · Analytics → process → action

Four classes, four different obligations

A class is only useful if it changes what someone must do. Each one carries an owner, an obligation and a review rhythm.

  1. On trackAt or above target and trend
    Trigger
    Gap within tolerance
    Owner
    Account manager
    Obligation
    Nothing required—no plan, no report
    Review
    Quarterly
  2. UnderperformingBelow target, trend stable
    Trigger
    Gap beyond tolerance for one period
    Owner
    Account manager
    Obligation
    Owner review; a plan is optional
    Review
    Monthly
  3. At riskBelow target and declining
    Trigger
    Gap widening over consecutive periods
    Owner
    Account manager · Sales manager
    Obligation
    A recovery plan is mandatory
    Review
    Monthly, plan by plan
  4. No saleNo orders in the period
    Trigger
    No invoiced sales where a target exists
    Owner
    Sales manager
    Obligation
    Review within the cycle; a plan or a documented exit
    Review
    Monthly until resolved

The dashboard shows the class. The process decides what the class obliges someone to do—and what happens when they don’t.

05Ownership & decision rights

One accountable role per decision.

Decision rights for Commercial performance recovery
DecisionAccount mgrSales mgrSales directorRevOpsFinance
02Define classes and thresholdsNot involvedC ConsultedA AccountableR ResponsibleC Consulted
02Override a classificationR ResponsibleA AccountableNot involvedI InformedNot involved
03Require a recovery planR ResponsibleA AccountableNot involvedNot involvedNot involved
04Agree the planR ResponsibleA AccountableI InformedNot involvedNot involved
06Escalate an accountC ConsultedR ResponsibleA AccountableNot involvedNot involved
07Declare the account recoveredR ResponsibleA AccountableNot involvedC ConsultedNot involved
  1. 02Define classes and thresholds
    AAccountable
    Sales director
    RResponsible
    RevOps
    CConsulted
    Sales mgr · Finance
  2. 02Override a classification
    AAccountable
    Sales mgr
    RResponsible
    Account mgr
    IInformed
    RevOps
  3. 03Require a recovery plan
    AAccountable
    Sales mgr
    RResponsible
    Account mgr
  4. 04Agree the plan
    AAccountable
    Sales mgr
    RResponsible
    Account mgr
    IInformed
    Sales director
  5. 06Escalate an account
    AAccountable
    Sales director
    RResponsible
    Sales mgr
    CConsulted
    Account mgr
  6. 07Declare the account recovered
    AAccountable
    Sales mgr
    RResponsible
    Account mgr
    CConsulted
    RevOps
AAccountableRResponsibleCConsultedIInformedExactly one A per decision

06Exceptions & failure paths

8 exception paths, each with an owner and a destination.

01 Performance detectionNo target for the account

Flagged ‘no target’—never silently classed as on track

Detected by
Data-quality check
Owner
Sales manager
Route
Held until a target exists
02 Account classificationKnown seasonality or one-off event

Class overridden with a reason and an expiry date—never silently

Detected by
Account manager
Owner
Sales manager
Route
Override with a reason and an expiry
03 Owner reviewCause outside our control

Documented with evidence; the account is watched without a plan

Detected by
Account manager
Owner
Sales manager
Route
Documented; no plan required
04 Recovery planPlan not credible

Back to review, with what is missing

Detected by
Sales manager
Owner
Account manager
Route
Returns to 03 Owner review
05 ActionsAction overdue

Raised in the monthly review—not chased by email

Detected by
Due date
Owner
Account manager
Route
Shown in the monthly review
06 Monthly reviewNo actions taken

Escalated, with the account manager’s explanation

Detected by
Action completion
Owner
Sales manager
Route
Escalates to the sales director
06 Monthly reviewGap widening

The plan is revised and agreed again

Detected by
Signal
Owner
Account manager
Route
Returns to 04 Recovery plan
07 Resolution / escalationRelapse after closure

A new review, linked to the previous plan

Detected by
Signal
Owner
Account manager
Route
Returns to 03 Owner review

07Process ↔ system

The process question first. Then the system question has an answer.

StageAccountableSystem actionData stateAutomation
01Performance detectionRevOps (definition) · Data platform (computation)The data platform compares actuals with target and trend, account by accountSignal · ComputedAutomate
02Account classificationRevOps (rules) — applied automaticallyRules assign the class; the CRM shows the class, the reason and the rule versionAccount · ClassifiedAutomate
Accountability transfers — RevOps → Account manager
03Owner reviewAccount managerThe CRM creates a review task with the signal, the class and the account contextAccount · Under reviewKeep human
Accountability transfers — Account mgr → Sales mgr
04Recovery planSales managerThe CRM stores the plan: cause, actions, owners, dates and expected effectPlan · AgreedKeep human
05ActionsAccount manager and the named action ownersActions are tracked as CRM tasks and activities linked to the planPlan · In progressAssist — person confirms
06Monthly reviewSales managerA review view compares each plan’s expected effect with the new signalPlan · ReviewedAssist — person confirms
07Resolution / escalationSales manager closes · RevOps defines ‘recovered’The plan closes with its outcome; the class history is kept for analysisPlan · Closed (recovered, escalated or accepted)Assist — person confirms
Process question: P1What triggers an intervention?
System question: S1Which signal, computed where, reaches the CRM—and how often?
Process question: P2When is a recovery plan mandatory?
System question: S2Which class creates a plan requirement, and how is a missing plan shown?
Process question: P3What is reviewed each month?
System question: S3Which view compares expected and actual effect, plan by plan?
Process question: P4When is an account recovered?
System question: S4Which rule sets ‘recovered’, and where is the class history kept?

08The second layer

Questions that change the design.

Classification

  1. Who owns each classification—and who may override it?
  2. What triggers intervention: one bad month, or a trend?
  3. Is ‘no sale’ a sales problem, a customer event or a data problem?

Obligation

  1. When is a recovery plan mandatory?
  2. Which actions are expected—and who decides they are enough?
  3. What happens if no action is taken?

Closure

  1. What is reviewed each month, account by account?
  2. When is the account considered recovered?
  3. Who closes the plan, and how is accountability measured?

09Measurement

Process health, defined by owner and action.

No values are shown: in a design, the definition is the deliverable.

ControlStages 02 → 04
Plan coverage

Accounts classed at risk or no sale that have an agreed plan

Owner
Sales management
Triggers
Chase missing plans, not missing numbers
LeadingStage 03
Review timeliness

Owner reviews completed within the cycle, by manager

Owner
Sales management
Triggers
Rebalance portfolios where reviews slip
LeadingStage 05
Action completion

Planned actions completed by their due date

Owner
Account managers
Triggers
Discussed account by account in the monthly review
LaggingStages 04 → 07
Recovery rate

Plans closed as recovered, by class and cause

Owner
Sales director
Triggers
Reuse the actions that recover accounts; drop those that do not
ControlStage 07
Relapse rate

Recovered accounts classed again within a set window

Owner
RevOps
Triggers
Revisit the definition of ‘recovered’

10What the work produces

Outputs and connections.

  1. 01Intervention process
  2. 02Classification model & thresholds
  3. 03Action model
  4. 04Escalation model
  5. 05Review cadence
  6. 06KPI-to-process linkage
Disciplines involvedProcess ArchitectureRevenue OperationsData & Integrations