Organize a fair maker-market application process
Process more applications than available tables with clear decisions, ownership and a waitlist.
Business operations, support and community teams or organizers.
Your approach: Use a checklist, responsibility table, work estimate or written workflow. Existing tools and manual processes are valid choices.
The problem
Design the operating process for a fictional neighborhood maker market with 60 tables and 120 applications. Organizers need a consistent way to review applications, offer places and handle cancellations. Use a checklist, table or written workflow; a new software system is optional.
- Two coordinators have 18 combined hours over three weeks for reviewing, contacting applicants and preparing the final list.
- Some applications are incomplete or duplicated; applicants can reply by email or phone.
- Selection must follow published event-fit criteria. A declined offer frees a table, and late cancellations currently disappear into personal inboxes.
Work within these constraints
Declare the total coordinator-hours required; include follow-up and cancellation handling.
Required target: ≤ 18 staff-hours
Declare the maximum number of simultaneously confirmed table offers.
Required target: ≤ 60 tables
Use event-fit criteria published before review; do not rely on personal connections or unrelated personal characteristics.
Maintain a minimal record of status, decision reason and next owner without publishing private contact details.
What to deliver
Statuses and ownership
Define intake, duplicate checking, incomplete follow-up, review, offer, confirmation and waitlist handoffs.
Work plan
Estimate time per activity and reserve some capacity for exceptions; explain what to simplify if the estimate exceeds 18 hours.
Exception walkthrough
Trace a duplicate application, an offer with no reply and a cancellation after the final list is sent.
Quality and communication
Give a sample applicant update, a decision-check method and a signal that the process needs intervention.