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// Case #02
“I said” ≠ “He understood”
01Situation
On-site guidelines communicated verbally. Nobody asks the contractor to paraphrase what they heard. 'I said' is treated as synonymous with 'he understood' — until the work turns out different from intention.
02Where Margin Escaped
In the difference between what was sent and what was received. This difference materializes days later as rework — and then it is expensive. Tolerance assumed based on 'common sense', overlaps laid the wrong way, detail made from memory — each case starts with an unconfirmed message.
03Root Cause
Lack of proof of understanding. Verbal message evaporates from memory after two hours, and its receipt was never verified.
!How the Loop Closes It
Confirmation of understanding as a mandatory part of task flow: contractor echoes back key parameters — in seconds, not in a form. Instead of hoping the message 'entered', the system forces proof that it did. Who, when, what confirmed — recorded.
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