Operational Friction Diagnostic

This diagnostic helps you surface friction in key workflows — especially the ones that slip between teams. No prep needed. Just answer based on how things actually work today.

⏱ Takes ~4–5 minutes

Name*

First NameLast Name

Email*

example@example.com

Company Name*

How did you hear about us?

If referred by a person, please include that individual's name.

Company Stage

Just getting started - still building foundationMoving fast - adding clients, people, or revenue quicklyStable - the team and client base are consistentOptimizing - we're focused on improving how we operate

Team Size

≤ 5051-250251-10001001-5000+

Tooling Maturity

Everything lives in spreadsheets, Slack, or emailWe use a few tools, but nothing feels connectedWe have systems, but our workflows still rely on manual effortWe have a process and tools, but we’re ready to optimize

How to Answer

For each question, choose the option that best reflects how this part of your business currently operates:

🟢 Good – This process runs smoothly and consistently
🟡 OK – It works, but it’s not perfect — there’s room for improvement
🔴 Bad – It’s frustrating, unreliable, or creates friction
❌ Not Applicable – This doesn’t apply to our business

There are no wrong answers — be honest so we can help highlight your biggest opportunities.

Client Lifecycle*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How reliable are handoffs from Sales into onboarding or delivery?
How consistently do clients receive the intended experience?
How well are intake steps or required documents managed?

Client Lifecycle Score

Client Lifecycle Grade

What client lifecycle workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Billing & Contract Operations*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How smooth is your billing process from quote to invoice?
How easily can billing be updated mid-contract without extra effort?
How well is commission or contract logic handled without manual work?

Billing & Contract Operations Score

Billing & Contract Operations Grade

What billing & contract operations workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Status & Service Communication*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How effectively do clients receive proactive updates on work status?
How streamlined is your process for sharing updates (email, text, etc.)?
How clearly do clients and team members know when work is complete?

Status & Service Communication Score

Status & Service Communication Grade

What status & service communication workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Data Collection & Processing*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How reliable is your process for collecting data from clients or systems?
How well does your current process for gathering input (e.g. spreadsheets, inboxes) work?
How efficient is your process for formatting, cleaning, or preparing data?

Data Collection & Processing Score

Data Collection & Processing Grade

What data collection & processing workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Internal Approvals & Reviews*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How dependable and timely are internal approvals or sign-offs?
How consistent is the approach to document or scope reviews?
How easy is it to track what’s been approved or is still pending?

Internal Approvals & Reviews Score

Internal Approvals & Reviews Grade

What internal approvals or reviews workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Cross-System Syncing / Updates*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How automated are updates across your core tools and systems?
How reliably are workflow triggers or syncs handled between tools?
How much do processes depend on team memory or tribal knowledge?

Cross-System Syncing / Updates Score

Cross-System Syncing / Updates Grade

What cross-system syncing or updates workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Audit & Quality Checks*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How consistently are important steps documented or validated?
How centralized and accessible are your audit trails or task history?
How well are checklists or review steps followed in key processes?

Audit & Quality Checks Score

Audit & Quality Checks Grade

What audit or quality check workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Reporting & Insights*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How automated and reliable is your reporting process?
How clearly defined and trusted are your reported metrics?
How well does your reporting support decision-making?

Reporting & Insights Score

Reporting & Insights Grade

What reporting or insights workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Payouts & Fulfillment*

Rows	🟢 Good	🟡 OK	🔴 Bad	Not Applicable
How timely and accurate are your vendor payments?
How efficiently do you track completed work for payment or delivery?
How frequently do fulfillment or payout errors disrupt the process?

Payouts & Fulfillment Score

Payouts & Fulfillment Grade

What payouts or fulfillment workflow feels most painful or important to fix?

Operational Friction Diagnostic

SECTION 1: Business Context

SECTION 2: Category-Based Friction Scan