Unclassified
04 · Work Graph
Work as the primary unit — everything that needs to happen, from intent to outcome, organized as a connected graph
Work as the primary unit.
Work Graph is the connected structure of everything that needs to happen, from intent to outcome. It is not a task list. It is a living graph of work, decisions, actions, and dependencies.
What Work Is
Work is the primary unit of SpineWorkspace. Everything else — context, intelligence, execution, reconciliation — exists to serve work.
WORK → TASKS → DECISIONS → ACTIONS → DEPENDENCIES
Work Items
A work item is any unit of work that needs attention:
- A customer issue that needs resolution
- A deal that needs closing
- A report that needs generating
- A decision that needs making
- A workflow that needs advancing
Work Structure
Work Item
├── Tasks (atomic units)
├── Decisions (choice points)
├── Actions (executed operations)
├── Dependencies (what must happen first)
├── Assignments (who is responsible)
└── Status (where in the loop)
Work Is Connected
Work items are not isolated. They form a graph:
| Connection | Description |
|---|---|
| Dependency | This work must complete before that work |
| Causation | This work caused that work |
| Related | These work items are connected |
| Blocked by | This work cannot proceed until that work resolves |
| Feeds into | This work contributes to that work |
Work Is Derived from Business Context
Work does not appear from nowhere. It is derived from Business Context:
Business Context
↓
Goals / Needs
↓
Work Items
↓
Tasks / Decisions / Actions
| Source | Generates Work |
|---|---|
| Business events | Reactive work items |
| Goal gaps | Proactive work items |
| Anomalies | Exception work items |
| Opportunities | Growth work items |
| Risks | Mitigation work items |
Work Allocation
Work is allocated to the right actor based on:
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Capability | Who can do this work |
| Role | Who is authorized to do this work |
| Capacity | Who has bandwidth |
| Context | Who has the relevant context |
| Priority | How urgent is this work |
Allocation Options
| Actor | When |
|---|---|
| Human | Work requiring judgment, creativity, or authority |
| Twin | Work that can be reasoned about and planned |
| Agent | Work that can be automated within governance |
| System | Work triggered by events or schedules |
| Human + AI | Work requiring collaboration |
Work Lifecycle
Identified → Contextualized → Defined → Allocated → Deciding → Governing → Executing → Observing → Re-ingesting → Reconciling → Resolved → Learning → Continuing → Next Work
See Loop State for complete lifecycle.
Work Graph Is the Source for
| Consumer | Usage |
|---|---|
| Human Workbench | What the user needs to work on |
| Twin Workbench | What the Twin is reasoning about |
| Agents | What work is assigned to automation |
| Governance | What work requires approval |
| KPIs | Work volume, velocity, and health |
Work Graph Connects to
| Layer | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Business Context | Derives work from business needs |
| Spine Fabric | Stores the work graph |
| Organizational Memory | Informs work prioritization |
| Work Allocation | Assigns work to actors |
| Governance | Evaluates work for approval |
| Loop State | Tracks work through the cycle |