Our sales and fulfillment teams constantly blame each other when a customer onboarding process fails, and we cannot figure out how to represent this shared process on our Accountability Chart. Who should own the seat that bridges the gap between these two departments?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Shared processes are a breeding ground for finger-pointing and dropped balls. When everyone is responsible for a transition, nobody is. On your Accountability Chart, you must establish a single point of accountability for the entire onboarding experience. This handoff cannot live in a vague grey zone between Sales and Operations. You have two distinct options to resolve this structural issue. The first option is to place the entire onboarding seat directly under your Operations department, making the Operations Leader fully accountable for receiving the client from Sales and managing the transition. The second option is to create a dedicated Customer Onboarding seat that reports directly to the Integrator if the volume and complexity warrant a standalone function. Whichever path you choose, the key is that one single seat must own the metrics and outcomes of that bridge. The person in that seat must have the authority to hold both the sales reps and the fulfillment staff accountable to the agreed-upon process. Use your Level 10 Meeting to IDS the friction points and document the exact handoff checklist. By defining a single owner on your Accountability Chart, you eliminate the finger-pointing and ensure a seamless, high-quality experience for your clients.