Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 390

The next day, while I was overseeing the shoe business, a few of the new officials asked if they could show me their plans.

Sara had filled me in the night before on how things were going, and they seemed quite confident.

So I headed over to the lecture space in the corner of the new workshop, where I found wooden boards spread across the floor.

I crouched down, picked one up, and read it aloud. “Cart survey and procurement, Task number 1. Can you explain what this means?”

As I asked, a board labeled with a name shifted forward.

“Each board has a number written on it,” Rikku explained. “It shows the task, who’s responsible for it, and how many people are needed. My family runs a business, so I was assigned to calculate and procure the number of carts required for the project. It’s a task I can finish alone in a day, so I wrote down ‘1’.”

“I see. Now explain to me why this particular task—cart procurement—is positioned here.”

Rikku looked a bit puzzled. “Positioned…?”

“I mean not the physical location, but the timing and order of the task.”

“Ah, I understand now. I thought it would be best to determine how many carts we need after we’ve figured out the total cargo volume for the project. So I placed this job right before we’re scheduled to leave for the territory.”

“Got it. If I may suggest something—consider running a trial.”

“A trial?”

“Yes. This plan is quite well-constructed. Honestly, I’m impressed. But these numbers are just estimates, aren’t they? I doubt even the person who wrote them is completely certain.”

At that, all the new officials lowered their heads slightly.

It takes experience to make accurate estimates. I appreciated their enthusiasm, but theory alone can’t replace hands-on knowledge.

“There are two ways to improve the accuracy of your numbers.” I held up two fingers, and immediately felt their attention sharpen. “First, the trial run. Take the cart example—actually try hauling cargo to the territory. You’ll learn how much it can carry, the condition of the roads, where repairs might be needed, and which sections are difficult to navigate. That kind of data helps you determine the exact number of carts you’ll need. Plus, when it comes time to rent, you’ll know which companies offer carts that are sturdy, affordable, or whether you should commission a custom one.”

In short: test with a small group first.

Trial runs make your planning more accurate.

“Also,” I added, “if you’re completely new to this, you won’t even notice if a company rips you off.”

“That’s true,” Rikku said with a smile. “I remember when noble families suddenly rose to power, they paid generously—they made great customers.”

The second method was simpler.

“If you don’t have experience, ask someone who does. There might not be many people who understand the whole picture, but there are experts for every individual task. Take the board and consult one of them.”

If you don’t know the answer, go to someone who does.

It was basic advice, yet the new officials looked genuinely startled.