Purpose
This SOP governs how Sea Cool's leadership team (owners and managers) reviews business performance, makes decisions, allocates resources, and manages risk. This document is not for distribution to general staff. It exists to preserve compartmentalization, maintain internal controls, and protect sensitive business information.
Access & Confidentiality
Who May Access This SOP
- Alberto Regalado (Owner) — Full access to all sections
- Juan Carlos (Owner/Partner) — Full access to all sections
- Operations Manager — Limited access (Sections 3-5, not Sections 6-9)
What Information Stays Owner-Only
- Owner-level financial data — Net income, personal draws, profit distributions
- Pricing authority & margin floors — Competitive pricing strategy
- Customer disputes & claims — Sensitive legal/financial matters
- Personnel matters — Compensation decisions, disciplinary actions, terminations
- Strategic opportunities & risks — Market entry, acquisition targets, major threats
- Vendor & contractor negotiations — Confidential pricing and terms
Leadership-Only Dashboards & Files
- Mission Control (Leadership View) — Profit by project, by division, by customer
- HubSpot (Admin Access) — Deal values, pipeline, win rates by source
- Financial Reports — Stored in shared drive, password-protected folder
- Internal Memos — Owner communication, strategic plans, risk assessments
Leadership Review Cadence
Leadership meets on a regular schedule to review business performance, identify risks, and make strategic decisions. This is non-negotiable. Leadership reviews cannot be skipped or rescheduled without explicit owner decision.
| Review Type | Frequency | Duration | Attendees | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipeline Review | Weekly | 30 min | Owners + PM | Proposals aging, win/loss, forecast |
| Financial Review | Monthly | 60 min | Owners only | Revenue, expenses, margin, cash position |
| Install Schedule Review | Weekly | 20 min | Owners + PM | Backlog, crew utilization, delays |
| Project Risk Review | Monthly | 45 min | Owners + PM | Problem projects, disputes, insurance claims |
| Hiring & Staffing Review | Monthly | 30 min | Owners only | Vacancies, performance issues, compensation |
| Strategic Planning | Quarterly | 120 min | Owners + Partner | Market, growth, competitive threats, initiatives |
Review Meeting Standards
- Same day and time — Consistency builds discipline
- Agenda prepared in advance — No winging it
- Data-driven discussion — Decisions based on facts, not feelings
- Action items documented — Who, what, when
- Decisions made and owned — Not endless debate
KPI Ownership
Every key performance indicator (KPI) has an owner. That person is responsible for tracking it, explaining variance, and recommending actions to improve.
| KPI | Owner | Target | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal Win Rate | Owner | 35% minimum | Weekly |
| Average Deal Size | Owner | Varies by division | Monthly |
| Gross Margin by Project | Owner | 35-45% depending on project type | Monthly |
| Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) | Owner | 45 days or less | Monthly |
| Install Productivity (revenue per crew member) | PM | $15K+ per month | Monthly |
| Customer Satisfaction / Callbacks | PM | Less than 2% callback rate | Monthly |
| Quote-to-Close Cycle Time | Owner | 30 days or less | Monthly |
KPI Variance Escalation
- 5-10% below target: Discuss in weekly review, recommend action
- 10-20% below target: Owners meet with KPI owner, develop recovery plan
- 20%+ below target: Emergency meeting, immediate action required
Financial Oversight
Monthly Financial Review
Owners review monthly financials within 7 days of month-end. Review includes:
- Revenue by division — Film, shades, motorization, labor
- Gross profit by project — Identify losing projects early
- Operating expenses — Labor, materials, overhead, equipment
- Net income — Bottom line for owners
- Cash position — Bank balance, receivables aging, payables due
- Variance to budget — Why did actual differ from forecast?
Project-Level Margin Review
Every project over $50K gets reviewed individually. If a project is underperforming or has risk exposure, it's escalated:
- Project margin below 30%: Flag for review, discuss why
- Project has known issues (disputes, delays, rework): Escalate to owners immediately
- Project is likely to lose money: Owners decide on mitigation (negotiate change orders, adjust scope)
Cash Management
- Weekly cash position check — Do we have cash to cover payroll and expenses?
- Collections review — Which invoices are 30+ days overdue? Owner personally calls major accounts
- Payment scheduling — Owners approve all payments over $5K
- Line of credit monitoring — Track available credit if cash runs low
Pricing & Approval Authority
Not all pricing authority is delegated. Certain decisions require owner approval to protect margins and maintain strategic consistency.
| Decision Type | Authority | Approval Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard pricing for projects under $50K | PM / Estimator | None | Use standard templates and margins |
| Projects $50K-$150K | PM | Owner approval if margin below 35% | Owner reviews high-value opportunities |
| Projects $150K+ | Owner | Owner signs off on price | Strategic importance justifies owner time |
| Discount requests | PM | Owner approval if discount over 5% | Protects margin floor |
| Change orders / scope additions | PM | Owner approval if price impact over 10% | Prevents scope creep without compensation |
| Preferred GC pricing adjustments | Owner | Always owner decision | Strategic relationship protection |
Margin Floors (Non-Negotiable)
- Direct Sales: Minimum 40% gross margin
- GC Projects (Bid Work): Minimum 25-30% gross margin depending on project complexity
- Preferred GC (Negotiated): Minimum 30% gross margin
- Exception: Projects below margin floor require owner written approval, documented with business justification (e.g., "strategic relationship," "forecast filler," "local market penetration")
People Decisions
People decisions have outsized impact on company culture and profitability. These are owner decisions, not delegated.
Hiring Authority
- Owner approval required for all new hires before offer extended
- PM may conduct interviews and recommend, but owner makes final decision
- Offer approval includes title, compensation, start date
Compensation Changes
- Raises: Owner approval required. Discuss in monthly staffing review.
- Bonus / incentive changes: Owner decision. Must be formalized and documented.
- Role changes (promotion, demotion): Owner approval and communication.
Performance Issues & Disciplinary Action
| Issue Severity | Action | Approval |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (attendance, attitude) | PM documents conversation with employee | PM decides, informs owner |
| Moderate (performance gap, missed deadline) | PM puts employee on 30-day improvement plan | Owner informed in monthly review |
| Major (safety violation, theft, insubordination) | Owner and PM meet with employee, document in writing | Owner decision on continuation |
| Termination | Owner decision and communication. Consult legal if needed. | Owner only |
Risk, Claims & Exceptions
Certain events trigger owner escalation immediately. Do not wait for monthly reviews if these occur.
Immediate Escalation (Call Owner Directly)
- Safety incident or injury on a job — Call immediately
- Customer complaint or threat of lawsuit — Call immediately
- Major project loss or dispute with GC — Call immediately
- Insurance claim filed against Sea Cool — Notify owner and insurance broker same day
- Key employee resigns without notice — Call owner immediately
- Equipment failure or major operational issue — Assess impact, call if revenue-affecting
Major Project Risk Review
Monthly risk review covers:
- Projects with known disputes — Who, what, financial exposure?
- Projects with significant delays — Impact on crew schedule and cash flow
- GC payment issues — Late payments, retention disputes, payment holds
- Quality or rework issues — Customer dissatisfaction, callback costs
- Scheduling conflicts — Crew availability, competing deadlines
Systems & Information Control
Leadership information is protected. Sensitive data must be compartmentalized and accessed only by authorized people.
System Access Levels
| System / Data | Access | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot (Admin View) | Owners only | Deal values, margins, win rates, customer data |
| HubSpot (PM View) | PM & owners | Deals, contact info, communication history. No pricing view. |
| Financial Reports (P&L, balance sheet) | Owners only | Stored in password-protected folder on shared drive |
| Project Profitability | Owners + PM (by project) | PM sees project costs and revenue, calculates margin. No view of other projects. |
| Crew Payroll & Costs | Owners only | Sensitive compensation information |
| Mission Control Dashboard | Owners & PM | Two versions: Staff (pipeline, backlog) and Leadership (margins, profitability) |
Access Removal
When a manager or PM leaves the company:
- Final day: Revoke access to HubSpot, financial systems, shared drives
- Collect all equipment: Laptop, phone, keys, access cards
- Document termination: Date, reason, who performed handoff
- Transition projects: Transfer project ownership to new PM or owner