ASK → DECIDE → ACTIVATEThe workstation organizes work around three workstream inboxes. Each tab shows what needs attention across all your questions — not just one. Drill into a specific question only when you're ready to work on it.Understanding the Workstream Inbox ModelThe three tabs at the top of the workstation — ASK, DECIDE, and ACTIVATE — are workstream inboxes, not mode-switchers for a single question.
Clicking a tab always shows you a dashboard of what needs attention across all questions in that phase.
Drilling in only happens via explicit CTAs like "Analyze →" or "View Record →".
Re-clicking the same tab returns you to the inbox from any canvas view.
Phase 1: ASKGoal: Define the Business Question precisely with constraints and attach relevant evidence.The Question FeedASK is your question feed — the default home view. It shows all your Business Questions with their current status:
Draft — New question, still being formulated
ASK Complete — Question defined, ready to move to DECIDE
Gathering Data — Sources attached, being reviewed
Creating a Business QuestionStart by clicking "New Question". Type your business question in plain language. Don't worry about perfect phrasing — you'll refine it with constraints.Examples of good Business Questions:
"What is the difference in default rate between first-payment defaulters vs later-cycle defaulters?"
"Should we expand our product into the European market in Q3?"
"Which customer segments have the highest lifetime value?"
Adding ConstraintsConstraints are the guardrails that shape how your question gets answered. They capture:
Data rules: "Exclude weekend data", "Filter out test accounts"
Compliance: "Must follow GDPR", "Approved by Legal"
Stakeholder notes: "CFO approved", "Aligned with Q2 OKRs"
You can add as many constraints as needed. There's no "correct" number — only what's necessary to answer the question properly.Attaching SourcesSources are evidence attached to your question. The Evidence & Sources section accepts:
CSV files: Upload datasets with automatic schema detection
Text/paste: Paste emails, meeting notes, or any text evidence
Plain text files: Upload .txt files
Database connections: Link to tables (admin-configured)
Sources can be attached to multiple questions. CSV sources show row/column counts. Text sources show word counts.When is ASK Complete?ASK is complete when you have:
A clear Business Question written
Constraints that define the scope and rules
Any relevant sources attached (optional but recommended)
Click "Complete ASK" to move the question to "ASK Complete" status. You'll return to the feed, ready to pick this question up in DECIDE when you're ready to analyze.Phase 2: DECIDEGoal: Inspect data, run checks, build evidence, and commit your decision with confidence.The DECIDE InboxThe DECIDE inbox shows questions ready for analysis:
Gathering Data — Sources attached, analysis in progress
Ready To Decide — Checks complete, waiting for commitment
Each card shows: question title, constraint count, source count, evidence signals (checks pass/warn/fail), and collaborators.Inspecting DataClick "Analyze →" to open the DECIDE canvas. The Inspect Data panel lets you query CSV sources using SQL (via AlaSQL browser engine). Results can be saved as cohorts or attached as evidence.Checks & EvidenceAnswerability gates validate that your question can be answered with the available data:
Sample Size: Is there enough data to draw conclusions?
Completeness: Are there critical gaps in the data?
Temporal Coverage: Does the data cover the required timeframe?
Category Coverage: Are all expected categories present?
Bias Check: Are there obvious sampling biases?
Failing checks can be overridden with a rationale — but the override is recorded in the audit trail.Decision CommitmentThe commitment section is where you finalize your decision:
Decision Statement: What action are you committing to?
Owner: Who is accountable for this decision?
Confidence: How confident are you? (High/Medium/Low or percentage)
Rationale: Why this decision, given the evidence?
You can also link Related Decisions — references to prior decisions as context, or superseding relationships when this decision replaces an earlier one.Approval: Answer (Validate)The final approval is non-delegable — the accountable owner must validate the answer. If changes are requested, the BQ enters "Changes Requested" status with a resolution banner until resolved.Phase 3: ACTIVATEGoal: Publish, share, and evolve decisions over time.The Decision LedgerACTIVATE shows your Decision Ledger — all committed Decision Records with status badges:
Active — Current, valid decision (green)
Superseded — Replaced by a newer decision (amber)
Withdrawn — Retracted with reason (red)
Decision Record PageClick "View Record →" to see the frozen, read-only Decision Record:
Original Business Question
Locked constraints (immutable)
Evidence summary and check results
Approval chain with timestamps
Answer narrative and rationale
Linked Data Assets
Related Decisions (references/supersedes)
Sharing & DistributionDecision Records can be shared via:
Copy Link: Direct URL to the record
Slack: Post to channels (if integrated)
Email: Send to stakeholders
Download PDF: For offline sharing
Evolving DecisionsDecisions can evolve in two ways:
Correct This Decision: Creates a new Business Question pre-filled with the original data. Edit as needed, commit, and the new Decision Record automatically supersedes the original. The original shows a "Superseded" banner linking to the replacement.
Withdraw: Marks a decision as retracted with a mandatory reason. The record remains in the ledger for audit purposes but is clearly marked as withdrawn.
Navigation SummaryRemember these navigation rules:
Tab clicks show inboxes, not specific questions
"Analyze →" and "View Record →" drill into specific questions
Re-clicking the current tab returns to inbox
Guest data is prompted for migration on login — never silently discarded