Trackline
Closing a case that is going nowhere
When to stop chasing, how to close it, and why leaving it open is worse.
Some cases will never close: the supplier no longer works with you, the project fell through, the person changed jobs. Leaving them open just in case has a concrete cost: the list fills with noise and stops being looked at.
When to close
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The supplier no longer works with you | Close as not applicable |
| The project was cancelled | Close stating the reason |
| Three months stalled with no reply | One last attempt by phone; failing that, close |
| Something is missing you know they will never provide | Decide whether it really blocks; if not, unmark it and close |
Important
Closing an incomplete case is a decision, and it is recorded as one with its reason. That beats leaving it open: a year from now, "closed because the supplier ceased trading" makes sense; an open, dead case does not.
What is kept
Everything delivered stays, with its dates. Closing is not deleting; it is ceasing to wait.
Worth knowing
Reviewing quarterly whatever has been stalled over two months, and closing what is going nowhere, keeps the list at a size someone will actually look at.
›Can it be reopened?
Yes, if the supplier reappears.
›Is the third party notified?
You can, and it is usually right to if something had been asked of them.
›Does it count as a breach in a report?
Closed-with-reason is distinguished from simply incomplete.
A real case
The situation
A list holds 140 open cases and nobody looks at it any more.
What you do
- Filters those stalled over two months
- Closes 60 with their reasons
- Phones the 12 that are genuinely live
What you get
68 real cases remain and the list becomes a working tool again.
The situation
A file has been open for months without moving.
What you do
- Closes it, stating the reason
What you get
The open list becomes true again.
The situation
It is left open in case the supplier comes back.
What you do
- Closes it and reopens if they return
What you get
The metrics stop being contaminated.
The situation
It is closed with no record of why.
What you do
- Notes the reason for closing
What you get
Months later the decision can be explained.
The situation
The supplier comes back after it was closed.
What you do
- Reopens the file with its history
What you get
Nothing already delivered is lost.
The situation
Nobody knows when to stop chasing.
What you do
- Sets a closing criterion by reminders or elapsed time
What you get
The decision stops being taken case by case.
This article answers
- cancel a case
- the supplier is never going to deliver
- close an incomplete process
- clean up old processes