Framework Overview

"What gets measured becomes manageable. What gets observed becomes measurable."

The 6D Foraging Methodology™ is a framework for identifying and quantifying unmeasured costs through systematic observation across six dimensions of business impact.

The Problem

Most organizations see only the direct cost of a problem:

❌ Traditional View:
Parts inventory issues = $119,000 in direct labor and material waste annually

But they miss the cascade effects:

✅ 6D Foraging View:
Parts inventory issues = $119,000 direct cost annually
                       → Quality degradation ($330K)
                       → Employee burnout ($370K)
                       → Customer dissatisfaction ($440K)
                       → Revenue loss ($880K)
                       → Regulatory risk ($61K)
                       = $2,200,000 total impact
                       = 18.5× multiplier

Framework Architecture

The Six Dimensions

Each dimension represents a distinct impact area with:

• Observable signals — Concrete, measurable indicators
• Data sources — Where to find the signals
• Trigger keywords — Language patterns indicating severity
• Metrics — Leading and lagging indicators
• Cascade pathways — How impact spreads to other dimensions

D1: Customer Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect the people who pay us?

Key Observables:

• Support ticket spike (Zendesk, ServiceNow)
• NPS/CSAT score drop (Survey platforms)
• Renewal hesitation (CRM notes)
• Churn requests (Billing system)

Primary Cascade: Customer → Revenue (70% of cases)

→ Learn more about Customer Impact

D2: Employee Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect the people who work for us?

Key Observables:

• Overtime hours spike (HRIS, timesheets)
• Engagement score drop (Pulse surveys)
• Resignation notices (HR system)
• Meeting no-shows (Calendar analytics)

Primary Cascade: Employee → Quality (80% of cases)

→ Learn more about Employee Impact

D3: Revenue Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect money coming in?

Key Observables:

• Invoice disputes (AR aging)
• Discount requests (Sales CRM)
• Deal slippage (Forecast system)
• SLA breach payments (Contract management)

Primary Cascade: Revenue → Operational (85% of cases)

→ Learn more about Revenue Impact

D4: Regulatory Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect our compliance and legal standing?

Key Observables:

• Audit findings (Compliance reports)
• Documentation gaps (Process audits)
• Non-compliance notices (Legal/Compliance)
• Expired certifications (LMS/HR)

Primary Cascade: Regulatory → Revenue (90% when fines involved)

→ Learn more about Regulatory Impact

D5: Quality Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect what we deliver?

Key Observables:

• Defect rate spike (QA system)
• Rework hours increase (Timesheets)
• Customer complaint volume (Support)
• Product returns (RMA system)

Primary Cascade: Quality → Customer (85% of cases)

→ Learn more about Quality Impact

D6: Operational Impact

Core Question: How does this problem affect how we work?

Key Observables:

• System downtime (Monitoring/APM)
• Queue length increase (Workflow systems)
• Processing time up (Metrics dashboards)
• Manual workarounds (Process documentation)

Primary Cascade: Operational → Quality (80% of cases)

→ Learn more about Operational Impact

The 3D Lens (Cormorant Foraging)

Each dimension is scored using three factors:

Lens	What It Measures	Integration
Sound (ChirpIQX)	Urgency — How immediate is the signal?	Aggressive tone, trigger keywords, immediate hooks
Space (PerchIQX)	Scope — How widespread is the impact?	Positioning, strategic framing, affected population
Time (WakeIQX)	Trajectory — Is it improving or degrading?	Past patterns, memory, trend direction

Scoring Formula

Dimension Score = (Sound × Space × Time) ÷ 10

Where each factor is scored 1-10:
- Sound: 1 = future risk, 10 = active crisis
- Space: 1 = isolated incident, 10 = enterprise-wide
- Time: 1 = one-time occurrence, 10 = accelerating trend

Example:

Operational Dimension:
Sound = 8 (system workarounds happening now)
Space = 7 (multiple customers affected)
Time = 7 (getting worse over time)

Score = (8 × 7 × 7) ÷ 10 = 39.2

→ Learn more about the 3D Lens

Cascade Pathways

Problems don't stay isolated — they multiply across dimensions:

Primary Cascade Patterns

Origin Dimension	Primary Target	Probability	Secondary Target	Probability
Customer	Revenue	70%	Employee	50%
Employee	Quality	80%	Operational	70%
Revenue	Operational	85%	Employee	60%
Regulatory	Revenue	90%	Customer	70%
Quality	Customer	85%	Operational	75%
Operational	Quality	80%	Employee	75%

→ Learn more about Cascade Pathways

Multiplier Calculation

The multiplier represents how much the total impact exceeds the direct cost:

Quick Estimate

Dimensions Affected	Cascade Depth	Estimated Multiplier
1-2	1 level	1.5-2×
2-3	2 levels	2-4×
3-4	2-3 levels	4-6×
4-5	3+ levels	6-10×
5-6	3+ levels	10×+

Factors That Increase Multiplier

1. Number of dimensions affected (more dimensions = higher multiplier)
2. Cascade depth (how many levels does it propagate?)
3. 3D average score (higher urgency/scope/trajectory = bigger impact)
4. Reversibility (1 = easy fix, 5 = permanent damage)

→ Learn more about Scoring Methodology

Observable Properties

The framework works because it focuses on concrete, measurable signals rather than abstract categories:

Before 6D Foraging

❌ "This might hurt customer satisfaction"
❌ "Employees seem stressed"
❌ "We could lose revenue"

After 6D Foraging

✅ "Support tickets up 23% this week vs 30-day baseline"
✅ "47 hours overtime reported, engagement score dropped from 8.1 to 6.8"
✅ "3 invoices disputed totaling $47K, AR >60 days increased from 8% to 15%"

Each dimension has:

• Signal types (Immediate, Behavioral, Sentiment, Silent)
• Trigger keywords (High/Medium/Low urgency language patterns)
• Data sources (Specific systems to check)
• Metrics (Leading and lagging indicators with targets)

→ Read the complete Observable Properties Framework

Using the Framework

1. Detect the Problem

Look for observable signals in your systems (not gut feelings).

2. Score Each Dimension

Use the 3D lens (Sound × Space × Time) for every affected dimension.

3. Map the Cascade

Identify which other dimensions will be impacted and at what probability.

4. Calculate Multiplier

Estimate total impact based on cascade depth and dimension count.

5. Prioritize Response

The highest 3D scores + deepest cascades = top priorities.

Real-World Application

Aviation Maintenance Facility Case:

Step	Action	Result
1. Detect	Parts inventory issues found in operational logs	Origin: Operational
2. Score	Sound=8, Space=7, Time=7.5 → Score=42.0	High urgency
3. Map	Operational → Quality → Customer → Revenue	4 dimensions, 3 levels
4. Calculate	6 dimensions affected, 3-level cascade	18.5× multiplier
5. Total Impact	Direct $119K → Total $2.2M	Priority 1

→ See more case studies

Next Steps

📖 Observable Properties Framework — Complete signal catalog

📊 Scoring Methodology — Learn the 3D lens in detail

🔄 Cascade Pathways — Master the multiplier effect

🎯 Explore the Six Dimensions — Deep dive into each impact area

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The cascade is real. The multiplier is measurable. Now you can see it. 🪶