The design contract
A request being sent is distinct from a business record being accepted and confirmed.
Scope and objects
- Enterprise records
- Asset and historian data
- Documents and identities
- Batch, event, and streaming inputs
Workflow principles
Identify the authoritative source for every business object.
Map identity, units, timestamps, and allowed actions.
Reconcile accepted results and expose unresolved outcomes.
Applying the contract
For a specific engagement, identify the authoritative records, source versions, identity and access context, allowed state transitions, and receiving outcome. Document the approval and the evidence needed to accept the action.
Failure and recovery
Preserve the request identity and source intent. A timeout or partial handoff should leave a visible unresolved state until the authoritative outcome can be reconciled. Recovery follows the defined action contract and the responsible owner.
Acceptance evidence
The delivery record should connect the agreed baseline, representative inputs, permissions, relevant failure cases, observed outcomes, and operating responsibilities. A change in scope or environment requires review of the applicable contract.