Build a Decision Topic

A good Topic ends an argument. It fixes what a metric means, which entities are in scope, and what threshold matters, so the answer does not change with the phrasing of the question.

Steps

1. 1

   Name the decision

   Open Topics, choose New Topic, and name it after the decision, for example cash runway or margin by location.

2. 2

   Set the scope

   Choose the entities the Topic covers, such as all locations, or only the commercial segment.

3. 3

   Attach the metrics

   Add the metrics that define the Topic and confirm each definition, including exclusions. See entities, metrics and rules.

4. 4

   Add the rules

   State the conditions worth reacting to, for example margin below 32 percent for two consecutive weeks.

5. 5

   Ask two test questions

   Ask one question you already know the answer to and one you do not. The first calibrates trust, the second earns the Topic its place.

6. 6

   Promote a rule to an alert

   Any rule you would check weekly should become a Risk Alert on this Topic.

What good looks like

• The Topic name matches how the team says it out loud.
• Every metric has one definition of record and a named owner.
• At least two source systems contribute, so answers cross a boundary a dashboard cannot.