Chic Alpine: Reducing the risk in complex, bespoke orders
When every order is different, keeping measurements, specifications and decisions connected is essential to getting the details right.
Chic Alpine
Challenge
Bespoke orders involve detailed measurements, pricing calculations, supplier requirements and production decisions. Information moving between separate tools created duplication, manual checking and opportunities for inconsistencies.
What we did
Redesigned the workflow around a single job record, connecting measurement, quoting, ordering and production while preserving the business's existing pricing expertise.
Outcome
A connected system designed to reduce repeated administration, improve control over job information and lower the risk of errors as orders move towards production.
The broader pattern this reveals
In businesses delivering bespoke products, complexity isn't an exception. It's part of every job.
Measurements vary. Specifications change. Customers consider alternatives. Suppliers have different requirements.
As information moves between sales, quoting, purchasing and production, each handover creates another opportunity for something to be missed, copied incorrectly or left out of date.
The consequences can be significant: wasted materials, additional work, delays or disappointed customers.
The challenge isn't eliminating complexity. It's making sure important information stays accurate and connected as the work progresses.
Why replacing the spreadsheet wasn't the answer
Chic Alpine creates bespoke curtains, blinds and other window treatments, managing projects from site measurement through quoting, sourcing, production and installation.
Much of the business relies on a sophisticated Excel workbook containing detailed pricing rules, calculations and production requirements.
That workbook represents years of practical experience. It isn't simply an administrative spreadsheet.
But the information it needs comes from several places.
Measurements are captured during site visits. Photographs, notes and decisions are recorded separately. Details are then transferred into the workbook to prepare quotes and production documents.
Further information is copied into supplier orders as the job progresses.
The obvious solution might have been to replace the spreadsheet with new software.
But replacing a trusted calculation system could introduce new risks without solving the disconnected process around it.
We needed to preserve the expertise while changing how information moved.
The real problem
Job information was fragmented
Measurements, photographs, product choices and client decisions weren't consistently held together in one current record.
Every transfer introduced risk
Information had to be copied between the measurement app, spreadsheet, quotations and supplier documents.
Changes created additional complexity
Revised measurements and alternative quotes could require separate records or workbooks, increasing the effort needed to keep information consistent.
Production depended on manual coordination
Supplier orders, material availability and workshop progress were tracked separately, making it harder to maintain a shared view of each job.
The underlying issue wasn't the quality of the existing tools. It was the number of places where information needed to be transferred, checked or updated.
How we approached it
We started by understanding how Chic Alpine manages a bespoke order, rather than assuming the business needed an entirely new way of working.
1. Followed the complete job journey
Working with Jackie and Ruth, we mapped the process from initial measurement through quotation, ordering, production and installation.
We identified where information changed hands, where decisions depended on individual knowledge and where inconsistent records could create problems later.
2. Designed one current job record
The central decision was to organise information around the job itself.
Measurements, photographs, notes and product choices would be connected by room and window, rather than held across separate applications.
Revised measurements would update the same record while preserving the original information and change history.
This creates a clearer basis for every subsequent document and decision.
3. Preserved the existing pricing expertise
Rather than immediately rebuilding Chic Alpine's calculations, we designed the system to use the existing workbook's pricing logic.
That allows the business to retain trusted methods while improving the processes around them.
Calculations can move into the new system progressively, once tested and approved.
4. Connected the downstream processes
We extended the design beyond quoting to include supplier ordering, materials and workshop planning.
The system also supports early cost estimates and alternative quotations without requiring separate job workbooks.
AI can assist with extracting information and preparing documents, while the team retains control over specifications, pricing and production decisions.
What it looks like in practice
From site measurement to quotation
Jackie visits a property, measures the windows and discusses the client's requirements.
Previously, measurements, photographs and notes were captured separately before information was transferred into the pricing workbook.
In the redesigned workflow, everything is organised against the relevant room and window.
Back at the office, the information is ready for review. Fabric choices, hardware and recommendations are added to the same record.
The system can then prepare quotes and supporting documents using the current job information.
From approved quote to production
Once a quote is approved, the same job information supports supplier ordering and workshop planning.
Supplier orders are prepared from approved specifications rather than recreated manually.
Materials ordered, expected and received can be tracked against the job.
The team can see progress while Jackie retains control over production allocation and important decisions.
What changed
One current source of job information
Measurements, photographs, specifications and decisions connected throughout the order.
Fewer manual handovers
Quotations, supplier orders and production documents designed to use the same approved information.
Greater control over changes
Revisions, alternative quotes and production updates managed within the job rather than across disconnected copies.
These describe the redesigned system and its intended benefits. Operational results will be assessed following launch.
Why this worked
The initial challenge appeared to be the amount of administration involved in managing bespoke orders.
But simply automating individual tasks wouldn't have removed the risks created when information moved between separate systems.
By mapping the complete process, we identified how to maintain a consistent record while preserving the specialist calculations Chic Alpine already trusted.
The biggest improvement comes from connecting the work, not replacing everything that already works.
AI supports specific activities, but accuracy and control depend on the underlying process.
What this proves
Reducing operational risk isn't always about adding more checks. Sometimes it's about designing a process where there are fewer opportunities for information to go wrong.
Facing a similar challenge?
If your business manages complex jobs across spreadsheets, specialist applications and experienced team members, keeping everything accurate can become increasingly difficult.
At The Foundry, we help businesses connect those processes, reduce unnecessary handovers and build systems that make complex work easier to control.
Let's talk about where complexity is creating risk in your business.