Templates
Workflow specifications and protocol blueprints. Start from a structured foundation — not from scratch.
SDLC Friction Map Template
Map every handoff in your software delivery process. Identify where context is lost and where delays compound.
Create a spreadsheet with the columns below. Complete one row per handoff in your primary feature delivery workflow. Start from requirements intake and end at production deployment.
Columns
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Handoff ID | Text | Sequential ID (H01, H02…) |
| From | Text | Role or team sending work |
| To | Text | Role or team receiving work |
| Medium | Select | Jira / Email / Slack / Meeting / Doc / Other |
| Context Fidelity | 1–10 | How much original intent survives (10 = 100%) |
| Avg Delay (Hours) | Number | Average elapsed time at this handoff |
| Compounds Downstream? | Y/N | Does a 1-hour delay here cause >2 hours downstream? |
| Root Cause Class | A/B/C/D | A=Missing info, B=Wrong medium, C=Approval bottleneck, D=Tool gap |
| Friction Score | Formula | Formula: (10 - Context Fidelity) × (Avg Delay / 8) — normalize to 0–100 |
Example Row
| ID | From | To | Medium | Fidelity | Delay(h) | Compounds | Class | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H03 | BA | Dev | Jira | 6 | 18 | Y | A | 54 |
Usage Notes
Sum the Friction Score column for your Workflow Friction Index. Sort by Friction Score descending to identify top intervention targets. Revisit this map monthly — scores should trend down after interventions.
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
Calculate Your Friction Score→Human-AI Protocol Spec
Define the exact protocol for every human-AI interaction in your workflow. Suggest, verify, execute — documented.
Copy this template for each AI-assisted workflow in your organization. Fill in all fields before deploying any AI task. This document is versioned — increment the version number whenever any field changes.
Protocol Header
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol ID | Text | Unique identifier (e.g., PROTO-SDLC-001) |
| Version | Text | Semantic version (1.0.0) |
| Owner | Text | Person responsible for this protocol |
| Last Updated | Date | Date of last change |
| Operating Mode | Select | Mode 1 (Suggest/Verify) / Mode 2 (Execute/Review) / Mode 3 (Autonomous) |
| Workflow | Text | The specific workflow this protocol governs |
Task Definition
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Task Description | Text | What the AI is doing in plain language |
| Input Required | Text | What data/context the AI receives |
| Output Expected | Text | What the AI produces |
| Success Criteria | Text | Measurable definition of a correct output |
| Failure Criteria | Text | Conditions that constitute an unacceptable output |
Escalation Protocol
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Escalation Triggers | List | Conditions that require human intervention |
| Escalation Path | Text | Who receives escalation, in what order |
| Response Window | Text | SLA for escalation response (e.g., 2 business hours) |
| Default on Non-Response | Text | What happens if escalation is not resolved in time |
Review Cadence
Review this protocol every 30 days for the first 90 days after deployment, then quarterly. Any change to the AI model, tool, or workflow invalidates the current protocol and requires re-validation.
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
View AI Protocols Library→Friction Score Baseline Template
Establish your baseline Friction Score across key workflows. Track improvement over time with structured measurement.
Complete one row per workflow per measurement period. Take your first measurement before any intervention to establish a true baseline. Subsequent measurements show improvement trajectory.
Columns
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Date | Measurement date |
| Workflow | Text | Specific workflow measured |
| Domain | Select | SDLC / Operations / Management |
| Friction Score | 0–100 | Score from Friction Score Calculator or manual audit |
| Handoff Count | Number | Total handoffs in this workflow |
| Avg Delay (h) | Number | Average delay per handoff in hours |
| Rework Rate (%) | Number | Percentage of work items requiring revision |
| Interventions | Text | Changes implemented since last measurement |
| Delta | Formula | Current Score minus Baseline Score (negative = improvement) |
Targets
10ˣ targets: Sub-20 Friction Score within 90 days of systematic intervention. 60% entropy reduction (Friction Score delta) as primary KPI. Track at workflow level, not just organization level — aggregate scores hide local improvements.
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
Run Your Friction Score Assessment→Executive Signal Dashboard Template
Structure your executive dashboard around signals, not data. Pre-built signal taxonomy aligned to the 10ˣ ontology.
Use this spec to rebuild or audit your executive dashboard. Each row defines one signal. Aim for 5–7 signals maximum. Remove any metric that does not have a signal threshold — it is noise.
Signal Registry
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Signal ID | Text | Unique ID (SIG-001) |
| Signal Name | Text | Plain language name |
| Metric | Text | The underlying data point |
| Source System | Text | Where the data lives |
| Threshold (Red) | Value | Trigger for immediate attention |
| Threshold (Amber) | Value | Trigger for monitoring |
| Update Frequency | Select | Real-time / Daily / Weekly |
| Owner | Text | Who is accountable for this signal |
| Decision Required | Text | What decision this signal enables |
Starter Signal Set
| ID | Name | Metric | Source | Red | Amber | Freq | Owner | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIG-001 | Friction Index | Workflow Friction Score | Friction Tool | >60 | 40–60 | Weekly | COO | Intervention priority |
| SIG-002 | Delivery Cycle Time | Median days per work item | Jira/Linear | >14d | 8–14d | Daily | CTO | Sprint adjustment |
| SIG-003 | Decision Latency | Avg hours to decision | Decision Log | >48h | 24–48h | Daily | CEO | Process escalation |
| SIG-004 | ROAI Progress | Actual vs projected ROI | Finance | <50% | 50–80% | Weekly | CFO | Investment adjustment |
| SIG-005 | Alignment Drift Score | Sprint goal delta | OKR tool | >30% | 15–30% | Weekly | CEO | Direction realignment |
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
Score Your Enterprise Readiness→Workflow Automation Blueprint
A step-by-step template for digitizing and automating an operational workflow — from current state to automated state.
Complete this blueprint before any automation project begins. The goal is to fully document the current-state manual process before designing the automated version. Automating an undocumented process produces automated chaos.
Current State Documentation
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Process Name | Text | Plain language process name |
| Trigger | Text | What initiates this process |
| End State | Text | What 'done' looks like |
| Frequency | Text | How often this process runs |
| Steps (manual) | List | Ordered list of manual steps |
| Systems Involved | List | Every tool/system touched |
| People Involved | List | Roles involved at each step |
| Avg Cycle Time | Hours | Total elapsed time per cycle |
| Human Hours/Cycle | Hours | Active human time per cycle |
| Exception Rate | % | % of cycles requiring override |
Automation Design
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Automation Trigger | Text | System event that initiates the automation |
| Automated Steps | List | Steps that will run without human input |
| Human Checkpoints | List | Steps that require human action or approval |
| Exception Handling | Text | What happens when the automation encounters an exception |
| Override Protocol | Text | How a human can stop or override the automation in <5 minutes |
| Success Metrics | List | How you will measure automation success vs. baseline |
Rollout Protocol
Week 1–2: Parallel run (automated + manual). Week 3–4: Automated primary, manual backup. Week 5+: Automated only, manual exception path retained. Do not retire the manual process until 50 automated cycles with <5% anomaly rate.
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
Model Your Automation ROI→Decision Audit Log Template
Record decisions with their context, alternatives considered, and rationale. Build institutional memory one decision at a time.
Log every significant decision — define 'significant' as: affects >2 people, involves >$10K, or sets direction for >30 days. Log within 24 hours of the decision being made. Assign a reviewer to confirm completeness within 72 hours.
Columns
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Decision ID | Text | Sequential ID (DEC-2024-001) |
| Date | Date | Date decision was made |
| Decider(s) | Text | Name(s) and role(s) who made the decision |
| Domain | Select | Technical / Product / People / Financial / Strategic |
| Context | Text | Situation that required a decision |
| Options Considered | Text | All realistic options, including doing nothing |
| Decision Made | Text | What was decided, in plain language |
| Reasoning | Text | Why this option over the others |
| Expected Outcome | Text | What you expect to happen as a result |
| Review Date | Date | 90 days after decision — log actual outcome here |
| Actual Outcome | Text | What actually happened (completed at review date) |
| Still Valid? | Y/N | Is this decision still the right one? If no, log superseding decision. |
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Do not log: meeting notes as decisions, decisions made verbally without follow-up, or outcomes without context. The value of this log is in the reasoning and alternatives — a decision without those fields is just a record, not institutional memory.
Ready to apply this template? Use the corresponding tool to generate your baseline.
Build Your Corporate Cortex→Build custom workflows for your organization.
These templates are starting points. We build custom workflow specifications, decision frameworks, and automation blueprints for organizations implementing 10ˣ at scale.