Field note · 2026-01-08
What to Ask Before Commissioning a Network Review
A practical checklist for operations leads who want a branch network review that answers real decision questions.
A useful network review begins with questions, not with a wish for more charts. Decide whether you need to compare cost intensity, staffing load, service mix, or regional balance — and write the decision that will follow the brief.
Confirm branch identifiers match across volume, cost, and HR extracts. In Thai financial groups this is often where weeks are lost: one file uses old codes, another uses current names, and a third still carries closed sites.
Name the audience for the findings workshop. A pack written for regional managers differs from one written for a board committee. Agree that audience before analysis starts so the narrative stays at the right altitude.
Ask the provider what they will refuse to invent. Gaps in cost allocation should appear as gaps. Substituting peer averages without labeling them creates false confidence that surfaces later in budget debates.