New FlowOps Foundations Outline
FlowOps Foundations Outline
Purpose: Teach teams how to design, build, scale, and govern processes without over-engineering.
This is Book 1 — intentionally high-level, practical, and immediately usable.
Unit 0: FlowOps Orientation (Optional but Recommended)
Purpose: Establish shared language and expectations.
Focus
- What FlowOps is / is not
- Why most “process work” fails
- The FlowOps maturity ladder (ad-hoc → repeatable → scalable → automated)
Outputs
- FlowOps glossary
- Process maturity reference
- Program roadmap
Unit 1: Diagnostic — Where Are You Really?
Purpose: Determine current process maturity and identify the right starting point.
Focus
- Symptoms vs root causes
- Process maturity scoring
- Selecting a first “high-leverage” process
Outputs
- FlowOps Diagnostic Score
- Top 3 process constraints
- First target process selected
Unit 2: Building from Nothing — The Single-Owner Micro-Process
Purpose: Learn how to build one small process that actually works.
Constraints
- One person
- No handoffs
- No automation
- No dependencies
Focus
- Trigger → steps → definition of done
- Checklists vs judgment
- Failure points inside a single role
Outputs
- Micro-process map
- SOP-Lite (1 page)
- Quality check definition
Unit 3: Introducing Handoffs — Adding a Second Person Safely
Purpose: Prevent breakdowns when responsibility moves between people.
Focus
- Handoff contracts (inputs / outputs / acceptance criteria)
- Ownership vs responsibility
- Reject-and-return rules
Outputs
- Handoff specification
- RACI-Lite definition
- SLA expectations
Unit 4: Chaining Processes — Creating a Simple Workflow
Purpose: Turn isolated processes into a repeatable flow.
Focus
- Stage boundaries
- Start / end conditions
- Queues and basic flow control
- Identifying early bottlenecks
Outputs
- End-to-end workflow map (3–7 steps)
- Stage definitions
- Status tracking structure
Unit 5: Exceptions & Edge Cases (FULL UNIT)
Purpose: Define what happens when reality doesn’t follow the happy path.
Most workflows fail not because the main path is wrong — but because exceptions are undefined.
Focus
- What qualifies as an exception
- Categorizing exceptions (data, timing, scope, quality)
- Decision authority and escalation paths
- Preventing exception creep
Outputs
- Exception taxonomy
- Escalation matrix
- Exception handling rules
- “When to stop the line” criteria
Unit 6: Data by Design — What Data the Process Needs
Purpose: Intentionally define minimum viable data for flow clarity.
Focus
- Required vs optional data
- Structured vs unstructured inputs
- Data that triggers next steps
- Preventing garbage-in / garbage-out
Outputs
- Required field list
- Data dictionary
- Validation rules
- Rejection criteria
Unit 7: Interdependent & Cross-Functional Flows
Purpose: Manage workflows that rely on other teams without chaos.
Focus
- Upstream / downstream dependencies
- Cross-team agreements
- Visibility vs control
- Exception amplification across teams
Outputs
- Dependency map
- Cross-functional SLAs
- Escalation & coordination model
Unit 8: Roles & Responsibilities — Linking People to Flow
Purpose: Make ownership explicit so work doesn’t stall or duplicate.
Focus
- Process ownership vs task execution
- Role charters
- Coverage, backups, and authority
- Single point of accountability
Outputs
- Role-to-process matrix
- Ownership assignments
- Delegation & escalation paths
Unit 9: Capacity & Bottlenecks (FULL UNIT)
Purpose: Prevent overload and burnout by understanding flow limits.
You don’t have a process problem — you have a capacity visibility problem.
Focus
- Bottleneck identification
- Work-in-progress (WIP) limits
- Simple load indicators
- Throughput vs utilization traps
Outputs
- Bottleneck role identified
- Max WIP per stage
- Simple capacity indicator
- Early warning overload signals
Unit 10: Metrics & Operating Rhythm
Purpose: Turn workflows into managed systems.
Focus
- Leading vs lagging metrics
- Cycle time, aging, rework
- SLA adherence
- Review cadence design
Outputs
- Process scorecard
- Weekly review agenda
- Improvement backlog
Unit 11: Process Building Blocks — Improve, Don’t Rebuild
Purpose: Stop recreating processes and start refining them.
Focus
- Modular SOPs
- Templates and checklists
- Versioning rules
- Change control discipline
Outputs
- SOP skeletons
- Template library
- Version control rules
- Continuous improvement loop
Unit 12: Automation Readiness & Scale
Purpose: Automate only what is stable and understood.
Focus
- Automation readiness checklist
- Triggers and inputs
- Human-in-the-loop controls
- Failure handling
Outputs
- Automation candidate list (ranked)
- Automation specs
- Control and audit requirements