01 / Keep
Retain the current process if it meets decision needs and its effort is reasonable. Resolve isolated issues without a larger project.
Textstone LabsSample decision brief / 01
Operations · Monthly reporting
Make the report easier
to produce. And use.
A decision about how to simplify internal monthly reporting before committing to new software or automation.
Recommendation: validate first.
Walk through one reporting cycle with its contributors and decision makers. If the evidence supports it, standardize definitions, ownership and review before piloting a small automation.
The decision to make
Should the organization retain its reporting process, standardize how it works, or automate a defined part of it?
What would justify a change
A verified problem, an accountable process owner and a feasible improvement that preserves accuracy, access controls and staff ownership.
Three options to test
Textstone LabsSample decision brief / 02
Evidence before investment
Turn assumptions into a decision.
The following current-state hypotheses are fictional. Discovery would test them; the final recommendation could be to retain the existing process.
Hypothesis: contributors interpret fields differently.
Test: trace selected fields from source to final report and compare definitions with the people who prepare and use them. Record actual discrepancies and their consequences.
Hypothesis: manual transfers create avoidable rework.
Test: observe preparation, record corrections and separate necessary judgment from repeatable copying. Establish a baseline before estimating any potential benefit.
Hypothesis: review ownership is unclear.
Test: follow a correction through review and approval. Confirm who can change figures, who resolves exceptions and who authorizes release.
Evidence to collect
- Approved sample report and source inventory.
- Observed preparation and review steps.
- Definitions, access rules and retention requirements.
- Staff feedback on recurring problems and decisions served.
How the options are compared
- Reliability and usefulness of the output.
- Preparation, review and correction effort.
- Implementation and ongoing support cost.
- Access risk, maintainability and ability to revert.
Textstone LabsSample decision brief / 03
A phased path to a working process
Advance when the evidence is ready.
Sequence and acceptance criteria are proposed. Dates, scope and responsibilities would be agreed after discovery; no delivery duration or outcome is guaranteed.
Phase 01
Validate
Map the reporting cycle, confirm the problem and compare the three options with the process owner.
Acceptance: the owner approves the current-state map, evidence gaps, baseline method and a documented keep/change decision.
Phase 02
Standardize
If justified, agree a shared template, field definitions, responsibilities and an exception log. Trial the process with real contributors.
Acceptance: contributors can complete the agreed workflow; selected figures reconcile to approved sources; unresolved differences have an owner and disposition.
Phase 03
Pilot selectively
If still warranted, test one bounded automation alongside the approved process. Use authorized data and preserve a manual fallback.
Acceptance: outputs reconcile, access is approved, failures are visible and the fallback works. Proceed only after the owner accepts documented test results and remaining risks.
Phase 04
Hand over
Train the people who prepare, review and support the report. Agree operating instructions, escalation and a review point.
Acceptance: designated staff demonstrate the workflow and an exception; support ownership is accepted; open issues and recurring costs are documented.
Decision authority
The organization's designated owner approves scope, access, changes and release. Staff participation and technical support capacity must be confirmed.
Reasons to pause
Unreconciled figures, unclear access, unavailable support or a weak business case. Keep the existing process until the issue is resolved.