Every workflow decomposes into the same eight objects: Signal, Constraint, Flow, Decision, Knowledge, Operator, System, and Resolve. In sequence, they are the product, and the language we use to map any operation.
Why use a shared vocabulary to map operations?
A shared vocabulary works because when everyone names the work the same way, the map stops being an argument. The eight objects give operators, engineers, and executives one language for the same operation.
What are the eight operational objects, in order?
The eight run in sequence from Signal to Resolve, and every process contains all of them. A Signal enters, meets its Constraints, hits a Decision, moves through Flow drawing on Knowledge, with an Operator watching, across your Systems, until it reaches Resolve. Map any process and you'll find them all.
How do the objects help scope an automation?
Tagging each step with its object exposes where the operation leaks. During an Executive Study we tag each step of your operation with its object. The tags show where the leaks are, usually a Decision made by hand or Knowledge that lives in someone's head.
How does the object map become a working system?
Once the operation is mapped in objects, the build is mechanical. Each object becomes a configured piece of the system, and the sequence becomes the workflow.