1 min lesson
The translation gap, in detail
Answer "What is the 'translation gap' in O2C, why is it dangerous and where in the process should it be closed?" Use the clue you found.
Step 1 of 2
The translation gap, in detailthe one that catches CPQ teams
Sales and Legal can write any term they can imagine into a contract. The billing engine can only enforce the constructs it actually supports. When a quote promises a pricing structure the rater cannot model - a bespoke tier curve, a cross-product discount, a custom true-up cadence - someone ends up hand-billing it in a spreadsheet and that is exactly where leakage and audit findings breed.
The fix is a feedback loop, not heroics at invoice time. Every novel commercial construct gets validated against the billing engine's capabilities during deal desk, before signature. Part of this role is being the engineer in that loop who says "the rater can't do that as written, here's what it can do" while the deal is still negotiable.