Our customers frequently dispute invoices and scope creep after project delivery, but neither Finance nor Account Management wants to own the Post-Delivery Billing Resolution seat. How do we place an orphaned seat that both teams reject?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When two departments point fingers at a messy operational problem, owners often compromise by leaving the seat unassigned or dumping it onto an executive assistant. That guarantees cash collection delays and damaged client relationships. You resolve an orphaned seat by focusing strictly on the root operational leverage, not who feels like doing the work.

First, look at the five core roles of the seat. If post-delivery billing resolution requires parsing contracts, managing change orders, and negotiating scope expectations with clients, it is an account management function. If it requires adjusting ledger entries, reissuing invoices, and managing credit terms, it belongs in finance. Do not split the baby. Determine where the ultimate breakdown occurs.

In most service and project businesses, post-delivery disputes are caused by loose scope control during delivery. Therefore, accountability belongs under the delivery or account management seat. The leader of that seat must own the measurable for post-project billing friction on the weekly Scorecard.

If the current seat holder lacks GWC, meaning they do not Get it, Want it, or have the Capacity to do it, that is a People Analyzer issue to address. It is not an excuse to let the seat remain vacant or floating between departments. Pick the seat that controls the root cause, assign one name, and hold them accountable in your Level 10 Meeting.