Regulatory & Compliance Change
Decision Ladders and Triggers
A cross-functional group navigated a regulatory change by clarifying decision ladders, escalation triggers, and evidence packets.
Context & challenge
Multiple teams owned parts of a regulated journey; authority was ambiguous, decisions were relitigated, and audit readiness was uncertain.
Headline results
Decisions moved faster with clear ladders and escalation triggers.
SLOs stayed within policy while changes shipped in thin slices.
Audit artifacts became retrievable and complete for dry runs.
Before / after metrics
Each metric links into the Metrics Dictionary for definitions and thresholds.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| SLO attainment | SLO risk during retrofits was unclear | Evidence |
| Decision latency (risk & policy decisions) | Median 9–10 days from ready to decided | Evidence |
| Escalation quality | Ad hoc, anecdote-driven escalations | Evidence |
Decision snapshot
Selected decisions from the case, focusing on how outcomes, contributions, and evidence were handled.
- Decision ladders made Drivers and Advisors explicit for each gate.
- Escalation triggers were defined for privacy risk, performance impact, and vendor changes.
- A minimal decision record template captured options, thresholds, and links to evidence.
- Run operated with SLO policy gates and a lightweight escalation package for risk.
Read the KB case study
The Knowledge Base article includes lifecycle walkthroughs, thresholds, and links to supporting materials.