Trigger

Triggers

Triggers initiate the Strategic Response Model by representing a change in context, observation, or external condition that warrants attention. Each Trigger may lead to one or more Rationales, each providing a specific justification for change. Triggers ensure that organisational decisions are not made in a vacuum, but are grounded in evidence or obligation. See: https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/286228485

A trigger is defined as a catalyst event—internal or external—that compels an organisation to adapt. It is not a standalone structural element but a contextual stimulus that prompts changes to strategy, activates capabilities, or demands cross-functional coordination. Triggers may include legislative changes, customer demands, or performance breaches.

Trigger Taxonomy

Triggers in the Orthogramic Metamodel follow a standardized classification system that enables consistent categorization, improved searchability, and enhanced analytics. Each trigger is classified according to:

1. Primary Category: The main classification of the trigger (e.g., Regulatory, Technological, Strategic)

2. Subcategory: A more specific classification within the primary category

3. Origin: Whether the trigger is internal or external to the organization

4. Time Horizon: The temporal nature of the trigger (immediate, short-term, long-term)

5. Impact Level: The potential significance of the trigger (low, medium, high, critical)

This taxonomy provides a framework for organizing triggers consistently, allowing organizations to:

• Track patterns in strategic responses across similar trigger types

• Analyze the distribution of triggers by source, timeframe, and impact

• Identify which categories of triggers most frequently drive strategic changes

• Maintain a trigger registry that can be referenced across multiple strategic response models

The standardized taxonomy also supports governance and auditability by ensuring that triggers are documented according to consistent criteria, making it easier to trace decision-making patterns over time.

Trigger Catalogue

Triggers are classified using the Trigger Catalogue, which defines accepted types of triggers.

The trigger catalogue provides a curated and expanding set of predefined triggers that can be used to initiate strategic responses. Each trigger is tagged to relevant business architecture domains, enabling efficient strategic response planning and alignment across organisational activities.

Each strategic response triggered using this catalogue links back to relevant Orthogramic Metamodel domains—such as capabilities, services, initiatives, and stakeholders—to produce a dynamic view of organisational readiness and response.

Common Trigger Catalogue types include:

• Regulatory: New or updated legislation or compliance obligations.

• Performance Insight: Metrics indicating deviation from expected outcomes.

• Risk: Identified operational, financial, or strategic risks.

• Opportunity: Market, partnership, or innovation opportunities.

• Mandate: Governmental or internal directives.

• Stakeholder Need: Explicit demand from a stakeholder or stakeholder group.

Linking to Rationales

Triggers can lead to multiple Rationales. Each Rationale references the originating trigger and justifies a different response path. This many-to-one structure allows a single trigger to influence several domains. See: Rationale

Example

See https://orthogramic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OM/pages/291242002 for reference cases.

Trigger JSON Schema

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

Schema properties

This schema allows organizations to systematically capture and manage triggers that necessitate strategic responses, ensuring traceability and alignment across the enterprise architecture.