Content Comparison

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A Rationale provides the logical reasoning behind a strategic or operational response. It connects a specific condition (Trigger) to a reasoned explanation that guides actions across one or more business architecture domains. Rationales are formalized objects in the Strategic Response Model and are central to decision transparency and traceability. See: Strategic Response Model

Rationales help ensure that every action taken by the organization is grounded in strategic intent and can be clearly explained through a documented reasoning process.

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• Initiatives and Strategies that require explanation

• Policies, Capabilities, and Value Streams being introduced or adjusted

• Performance goals or KPIs in the Performance domain

Relationship to

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strategic response model

Each rationale bridges the gap between a trigger event and organizational action. While triggers explain what happened to prompt a response, rationales explain why we're responding in this specific way.

Rationale

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classification framework

Rationales in the Orthogramic Metamodel follow a structured classification system that supports analytics, reuse, and auditability. Each rationale is categorized according to:

1. Rationale Orientation: Whether the rationale is reactive to existing conditions or proactive to anticipated conditions

2. Rationale Type: The response category (Preventative, Remedial, Opportunistic, etc.)

3. Reasoning Pattern: The logical structure of the rationale (Causal, Comparative, Normative, etc.)

4. Evidence Base: The foundation for the rationale (Data-driven, Expert judgment, Industry best practice, etc.)

5. Strategic Objective Reference: Direct link to the strategic objective this rationale supports

6. Business Value Type: The nature of value creation or preservation (Cost reduction, Revenue growth, Risk reductionMarket creation, etc.)

This classification framework enables organizations to:

• Trace patterns in decision-making across similar situations

• Evaluate the distribution of rationales by type, evidence base, and strategic alignment

• Establish a rationale library that can be referenced for similar future decisions

• Support knowledge management and organizational learning

Distinguishing reactive and proactive rationales

The Orthogramic Metamodel now explicitly distinguishes between reactive and proactive rationales:

• Reactive Rationales: Respond to existing conditions, events, or triggers that have already occurred

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• Proactive Rationales: Anticipate future conditions or opportunities that have not yet materialized

Proactive rationales should document:

• Anticipated outcomes that justify the proactive approach

• Alternatives that were considered but not selected

• Competitive positioning benefits expected

Key distinctions between triggers and rationales

It's important to understand the relationship between Triggers and Rationales:

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• Preventative: "Implementing these changes will prevent future incidents"

• Compliance-focused: "We must implement to meet regulatory requirements"

• Opportunistic: "This gives us a competitive advantage in safety reputation"

Implementation

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guidance

• Clarity: Each rationale should clearly articulate the reasoning that connects the trigger to the chosen response

• Traceability: Rationales should link to the relevant trigger, strategic objective, and affected domains

• Consistency: Use the defined rationale types to ensure consistent classification

• Evidence: Document the evidence base that supports each rationale

• Strategic Alignment: Always connect rationales to strategic objectives to maintain alignment

• Alternatives: Document alternative approaches considered and reasons for their rejection

• Orientation: Clearly classify rationales as reactive or proactive

• Competitive Context: For market-facing rationales, document competitive positioning impact

Relationship with

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domains

Rationales bridge between Triggers and organizational responses across multiple domains:

• Strategy: Rationales explain strategic adjustments based on triggers

• Capabilities: Rationales describe why capabilities need to be developed or modified

• Initiatives: Rationales provide the foundation for launching initiatives

• Policy: Rationales explain policy changes in response to triggers

• Performance: Rationales describe modifications to performance metrics

Rationale and Trigger linkage examples

See: https://github.com/Orthogramic/Orthogramic_Metamodel/blob/main/examples/trigger-rationale-links.md

Rationale Schema

See: https://github.com/Orthogramic/Orthogramic_Metamodel

Schema properties

Example of alternativeConsidered

"alternativeConsidered": [

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  {
    "alternativeID": "c1d2e3f4-a5b6-7890-cdef-123456789012",
    "alternativeDescription": "Third-party partnership with established analytics provider",
    "reasonForRejection": "Insufficient data sovereignty and competitive advantage dilution"
  },
  {
    "alternativeDescription": "Acquisition of AI analytics startup",
    "reasonForRejection": "Due diligence revealed technical debt and integration challenges"
  }
]

Example of competitivePositioning

"competitivePositioning": {
  "positioningType": "Differentiation",
  "positioningDescription": "Position our products as uniquely responsive to emerging customer needs through superior predictive analytics capabilities",
  "competitiveTarget": "Premium segment currently dominated by competitors relying on retrospective analytics"
}

Enumeration Values

rationaleOrientation

• "Reactive" - Responding to existing conditions or events that have already occurred

• "Proactive" - Anticipating future conditions or opportunities that have not yet materialized

rationaleType

• "Preventative" - Aims to prevent potential negative outcomes before they occur

• "Remedial" - Addresses existing problems or deficiencies that need correction

• "Opportunistic" - Leverages an emerging situation to create value or advantage

• "Proactive" - Initiates change in anticipation of future needs or conditions

• "Reactive" - Direct response to a specific trigger or event

• "Compliance_Fulfillment" - Ensures adherence to legal, regulatory, or policy requirements

• "Strategic_Advancement" - Supports forward movement on strategic objectives or positioning

reasoningPattern

• "Causal" - Based on cause-and-effect relationships between events or conditions

• "Comparative" - Based on similarities or differences with other situations or organizations

• "Normative" - Based on standards, best practices, or what should ideally be done

• "Predictive" - Based on forecasts or projections of future conditions

• "Analogical" - Based on parallels with similar situations encountered previously

• "Deductive" - Based on applying general principles to specific situations

• "Inductive" - Based on recognizing patterns from specific observations

evidenceBase

• "Data_Driven" - Primarily supported by quantitative metrics or analysis

• "Expert_Judgment" - Based on specialized knowledge or experience of subject matter experts

• "Industry_Best_Practice" - Informed by recognized standards or approaches in the industry

• "Customer_Feedback" - Derived from direct customer or user input

• "Internal_Analysis" - Based on internal studies, assessments, or evaluations

• "External_Research" - Supported by third-party research or market analysis

• "Competitive_Analysis" - Informed by assessment of competitor strategies or positions

businessValueType

• "Cost_Reduction" - Decreasing operational or production expenses

• "Revenue_Growth" - Increasing income or sales volume

• "Risk_Reduction" - Mitigating potential threats or vulnerabilities

• "Customer_Experience" - Enhancing interactions and satisfaction for customers

• "Operational_Efficiency" - Improving internal processes or productivity

• "Competitive_Advantage" - Strengthening position relative to competitors

• "Brand_Perception" - Enhancing how the organization is viewed in the market

• "Stakeholder_Trust" - Building confidence among investors, partners, or regulators

• "Market_Creation" - Developing entirely new markets or customer segments

• "First_Mover_Advantage" - Gaining benefits from being first to market with an offering

• "Market_Disruption" - Changing existing market structures or business models

• "Innovation_Leadership" - Establishing recognized leadership in innovative practices

• "Ecosystem_Development" - Building or expanding a network of partners or complementary offerings

• "Strategic_Positioning" - Improving long-term strategic position or capabilities

competitivePositioning.positioningType

• "Differentiation" - Setting the organization apart based on unique attributes or capabilities

• "Cost_Leadership" - Competing primarily on price or value through operational efficiency

• "Focus_Strategy" - Targeting specific market segments with tailored offerings

• "Blue_Ocean" - Creating uncontested market space rather than competing in existing markets

• "Industry_Leadership" - Establishing the organization as a dominant force in the industry

• "Fast_Follower" - Quickly adopting innovations after market validation by others

• "Niche_Dominance" - Commanding a specialized market segment or application area

• "Strategic_Alliance" - Leveraging partnerships or collaborations for competitive advantage

relationshipTypes

• "supports" - This rationale reinforces or enhances another rationale

• "contradicts" - This rationale conflicts with or opposes another rationale

• "expands" - This rationale builds upon or extends the scope of another rationale

• "duplicates" - This rationale substantially overlaps with another rationale

• "supersedes" - This rationale replaces or makes obsolete another rationale

This schema supports structured reasoning and traceability across strategy, policy, and initiative development, ensuring that every response is grounded in a documented rationale that bridges from trigger events to strategic objectives.