Glossary
"Shared vocabulary enables shared understanding."
This glossary defines key terms used in the 6D Foraging Methodology and Cormorant Foraging framework.
Core Methodology Terms
6D Foraging Methodology
The comprehensive framework for analyzing unmeasured costs across six dimensions of business impact: Customer, Employee, Revenue, Regulatory, Quality, and Operational. Extends traditional cost analysis by mapping cascade effects and calculating multipliers.
Related: Framework Overview
3D Lens
The analytical framework borrowed from Cormorant Foraging that evaluates any problem across three dimensions:
- Sound (ChirpIQX): Urgency — How immediate is the signal?
- Space (PerchIQX): Scope — How widespread is the impact?
- Time (WakeIQX): Trajectory — Is it improving or degrading?
Formula: Dimension Score = (Sound × Space × Time) ÷ 10
Related: Cormorant Integration
The Six Dimensions
D1: Customer Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on the people who pay for your products or services.
Key observables: Support ticket volume, NPS scores, churn signals, renewal hesitation, usage decline
Primary cascade: Customer → Revenue (70% probability)
Related: Customer Dimension
D2: Employee Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on the people who work for your organization.
Key observables: Overtime hours, engagement scores, turnover, absenteeism, knowledge concentration
Primary cascade: Employee → Quality (80% probability)
Related: Employee Dimension
D3: Revenue Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on money coming into the organization.
Key observables: Invoice disputes, AR aging, discount requests, pipeline slippage, margin compression
Primary cascade: Revenue → Operational (85% probability)
Related: Revenue Dimension
D4: Regulatory Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on compliance, legal standing, and regulatory obligations.
Key observables: Audit findings, compliance gaps, violations, fines, certification status
Primary cascade: Regulatory → Revenue (90% probability when fines involved)
Related: Regulatory Dimension
D5: Quality Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on what the organization delivers (products, services, outputs).
Key observables: Defect rates, rework hours, customer complaints, warranty claims, returns
Primary cascade: Quality → Customer (85% probability)
Related: Quality Dimension
D6: Operational Impact
Definition: The effect of a problem on how the organization works (processes, systems, workflows).
Key observables: System downtime, bottlenecks, manual workarounds, cycle time increases, capacity issues
Primary cascade: Operational → Quality (80% probability)
Related: Operational Dimension
Signal Detection Terms
Observable Signal
A measurable indicator that a problem exists in a particular dimension. Signals can be:
- Immediate: Detected in real-time (hours)
- Behavioral: Detected through pattern changes (days-weeks)
- Silent: Not directly visible, requires investigation (weeks-months)
Example: A support ticket spike is an immediate observable signal of Customer impact.
Related: Observable Properties Framework
Trigger Keyword
A specific word or phrase that indicates severity level and dimension impact. Used for automated detection and human escalation.
Urgency levels:
- High (8-10): "lawsuit", "breach", "system down", "critical"
- Medium (4-7): "defect", "delayed", "concerned", "audit finding"
- Low (1-3): "minor", "someday", "inefficient", "could be better"
Example: The keyword "canceling" in a customer email is a high-urgency trigger indicating Customer dimension impact with Sound score of 8-10.
Related: Trigger Keywords Reference
Data Source
The system, tool, or repository where observable signals are detected.
Examples:
- Customer dimension: CRM (Salesforce), Helpdesk (Zendesk), Survey platform (Qualtrics)
- Employee dimension: HRIS (Workday), Pulse surveys, Timesheets
- Operational dimension: APM tools (Datadog, New Relic), JIRA, Process dashboards
Related: Observable Properties by Dimension
Detection Speed
The time lag between when a problem occurs and when it becomes observable in your systems.
Categories:
- Real-time: Minutes to hours
- Fast: Hours to days
- Medium: Days to weeks
- Slow: Weeks to months
- Delayed: Months to quarters
Example: System downtime has a detection speed of minutes (APM alerts). Employee morale degradation has a detection speed of weeks (pulse survey cycles).
Cascade Analysis Terms
Cascade Pathway
The route a problem follows as it propagates from one dimension to another.
Structure: Origin Dimension → Target Dimension (probability %)
Example: A billing error (Operational origin) cascades to Quality (80% probability) → then to Customer (85% probability from Quality).
Related: Cascade Pathways
Cascade Depth
The number of levels a cascade propagates through.
Levels:
- Level 0: Origin dimension (where problem starts)
- Level 1: Primary cascades (direct impacts on other dimensions)
- Level 2: Secondary cascades (impacts from Level 1 dimensions)
- Level 3+: Tertiary and beyond
Example: Billing error → Quality (Level 1) → Customer (Level 2) = 2 levels of cascade depth
Related: Cascade Analysis Guide
Cascade Velocity
The speed at which a problem propagates from one dimension to another.
Types:
- Immediate: <24 hours (e.g., system outage → customer impact)
- Fast: 1-7 days (e.g., quality issue → customer complaints)
- Medium: 1-4 weeks (e.g., employee burnout → quality degradation)
- Slow: 1-3 months (e.g., revenue decline → hiring freeze)
- Delayed: 3+ months (e.g., regulatory → market reputation)
Related: Cascade Pathways - Velocity Section
Cascade Probability
The likelihood (expressed as percentage) that a problem in one dimension will trigger impact in another dimension.
Based on: Historical patterns, industry data, business structure
Example: Customer dimension problems have a 70% probability of cascading to Revenue dimension.
Related: Primary Cascade Patterns
Primary Cascade
The most likely cascade pathway from a given origin dimension (typically >70% probability).
Examples:
- Customer → Revenue (70%)
- Employee → Quality (80%)
- Operational → Quality (80%)
Related: Cascade Pathways Master Map
Secondary Cascade
A common but less frequent cascade pathway (typically 50-70% probability).
Example: Customer → Employee (50% probability) — customer complaints lead to employee morale issues.
Related: Primary Cascade Patterns Table
Tertiary Cascade
A less common cascade pathway (typically 20-40% probability), but often with high severity when it occurs.
Example: Customer → Regulatory (20% probability) — customer complaints trigger regulatory scrutiny. Low probability but very high cost.
Related: Cascade Analysis
Scoring and Quantification Terms
Dimension Score
The quantified severity of impact in a particular dimension, calculated using the 3D lens.
Formula: (Sound × Space × Time) ÷ 10
Range: 0.1 to 100 (theoretical), typically 5-50 in practice
Interpretation:
- <10: Low priority
- 10-20: Medium priority
- 20-30: High priority
- 30+: Critical
Example: Sound=8, Space=7, Time=6 → (8×7×6)÷10 = 33.6 (Critical)
Related: Scoring Methodology
Multiplier
The factor by which a problem's direct cost is multiplied to account for cascade effects and unmeasured costs.
Range: 1× (no cascade) to 15×+ (enterprise-wide crisis)
Quick estimates:
- 1-2 dimensions affected: 1.5-2×
- 2-3 dimensions affected: 2-4×
- 3-4 dimensions affected: 4-6×
- 4-5 dimensions affected: 6-10×
- 5-6 dimensions affected: 10×+
Example: A $119K aviation maintenance parts inventory issue with 6 dimensions affected at 2 cascade levels = 18.5× multiplier = $2,200,000 total impact.
Related: Multiplier Quick Estimate
Multiplier Factors
Attributes of a problem that influence the magnitude of cascade multiplication.
Common factors:
- Customer size (revenue concentration)
- Role criticality (for employee issues)
- System criticality (for operational issues)
- Violation severity (for regulatory issues)
- Detection point (for quality issues)
- Contract terms, relationship length, etc.
Example: An operational issue affecting a revenue-generating system (high criticality) with no backup (high dependency) during peak period (high timing) = 6× multiplier vs. 1.5× for low-criticality system.
Related: Dimension-Specific Multiplier Factors
Direct Cost
The visible, measurable cost of addressing a problem in its origin dimension.
Typically includes:
- Labor hours to fix
- Materials/resources consumed
- Immediate penalties or refunds
- Vendor/contractor costs
Does NOT include: Cascade costs, opportunity costs, long-term impacts
Example: Aviation maintenance parts inventory issue direct cost = $119K annually in expedited shipping, wasted labor, and material waste.
Related: Cascade Analysis - Step 5
Cascade Cost
The hidden, multiplied cost from impacts in dimensions beyond the origin.
Calculation: Sum of all cascade pathway costs across all levels
Example:
Direct cost (Operational): $119K
Cascade costs:
- Quality: $330K
- Employee: $370K
- Revenue: $880K
- Customer: $440K
- Regulatory: $61K
Total cascade cost: $2,081KRelated: Total Impact Calculation
Total Impact
The sum of direct cost and all cascade costs — the true cost of a problem.
Formula: Total Impact = Direct Cost + Cascade Cost
Also expressed as: Total Impact = Direct Cost × Multiplier
Example: $119K direct + $2,081K cascade = $2,200,000 total impact (18.5× multiplier)
Related: Case Study: Aviation Maintenance Facility
Cormorant Foraging Integration
Cormorant Foraging
The 3D analytical methodology developed for content analysis that evaluates information across Sound (urgency), Space (reach), and Time (trajectory). 6D Foraging Methodology extends this framework to business impact analysis.
Origin: Biomimicry of cormorant bird hunting patterns
Application: Strategic analysis, content evaluation, business intelligence
Related: Cormorant Integration
ChirpIQX (Sound)
The urgency dimension of the 3D lens. Measures how immediate or critical a signal is.
Scale: 1-10 (low to high urgency)
In 6D context:
- 1-3: Future risk, monitoring needed
- 4-6: Current issue, plan response
- 7-10: Crisis, immediate action required
Mapping to trigger keywords: High-urgency keywords score 8-10, medium 4-7, low 1-3.
Related: ChirpIQX Deep Dive
PerchIQX (Space)
The scope dimension of the 3D lens. Measures how widespread an impact is.
Scale: 1-10 (isolated to enterprise-wide)
In 6D context:
- 1-3: One person/customer, single system
- 4-6: Department, customer segment
- 7-10: Enterprise-wide, all customers, market-wide
Measurement: Population counting, system coverage, customer base percentage
Related: PerchIQX Deep Dive
WakeIQX (Time)
The trajectory dimension of the 3D lens. Measures whether a situation is improving or degrading over time.
Scale: 1-10 (one-time event to accelerating crisis)
In 6D context:
- 1-3: Isolated incident, first occurrence
- 4-6: Recurring pattern, sustained pressure
- 7-10: Accelerating trend, chronic condition
Analysis: Trend lines, pattern recognition, momentum indicators
Related: WakeIQX Deep Dive
Metrics and Measurement Terms
Leading Indicator
A predictive metric that signals potential problems before they fully manifest.
Characteristics:
- Real-time or near-real-time
- Actionable (can intervene)
- Directly observable
Examples:
- Support ticket velocity (predicts customer churn)
- Overtime hours (predicts employee burnout)
- Code coverage (predicts quality issues)
Related: Dimension-Specific Metrics
Lagging Indicator
A historical metric that confirms a problem has occurred.
Characteristics:
- Backward-looking
- Harder to act on
- Often reported monthly/quarterly
Examples:
- Actual churn rate
- Voluntary turnover
- Revenue growth rate
Related: Observable Signals by Dimension
Bus Factor
The number of people who would need to be "hit by a bus" before a project/process becomes critically impaired.
Risk levels:
- Bus factor = 1: High risk (single point of failure)
- Bus factor = 2-3: Medium risk
- Bus factor = 4+: Low risk (good redundancy)
6D Relevance: Employee dimension — knowledge concentration multiplier factor
Tool: HEAT heatmap (Human Expertise & Accountability Topology)
Related: Employee Impact - Multiplier Factors
Industry-Specific Terms
HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems)
Patient satisfaction survey used in healthcare to measure Customer (Patient) dimension.
Related: Healthcare Variations
NRR (Net Revenue Retention)
SaaS metric measuring revenue retention + expansion from existing customers. Key Revenue dimension metric.
Formula: (Starting ARR + Expansion - Churn) / Starting ARR × 100%
Target: >100% (indicates expansion exceeds churn)
Related: Revenue Impact, SaaS Variations
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
Manufacturing metric measuring Operational dimension efficiency.
Formula: Availability × Performance × Quality
Target: >85%
Related: Manufacturing Variations
AUM (Assets Under Management)
Financial services metric measuring Customer (Client) dimension in wealth management.
6D Relevance: Client trust issues cascade to AUM outflows (high multiplier due to concentration)
Related: Financial Services Variations
Analysis Process Terms
Origin Dimension
The dimension where a problem first occurs — the starting point for cascade analysis.
Identification: Look for earliest observable signals, root cause analysis
Example: A billing calculation error originates in Operational dimension (system/process issue).
Related: Step 1: Identify Origin
Cascade Mapping
The process of tracing how a problem propagates from origin dimension through multiple cascade pathways.
Steps:
- Identify origin dimension
- Score origin using 3D lens
- Map primary cascade pathways
- Map secondary cascades (Level 2)
- Calculate total impact
Related: 5-Step Cascade Mapping Process
Evidence
Observable data or signals that confirm a cascade pathway is occurring.
Types:
- Quantitative: Metrics, counts, measurements
- Qualitative: Keywords, feedback, observations
- Systems data: Logs, reports, tickets
Example: Evidence of Quality → Customer cascade: 18 support tickets mentioning "billing accuracy", 3 enterprise customers questioning invoices in QBRs.
Related: Step 3: Map Primary Cascades
Action and Response Terms
Containment Strategy
Tactical actions taken to prevent or limit cascade propagation.
Examples:
- Customer → Revenue: Proactive retention outreach
- Employee → Quality: Temporary quality checks
- Operational → Employee: Overtime limits, resource reallocation
Related: Preventing Cascade Multiplication
Preventive Measures
Systemic changes implemented to prevent future occurrences or reduce cascade likelihood.
Categories:
- Detection (earlier warning signals)
- Containment (circuit breakers)
- Elimination (fix root cause)
Example: Automated billing reconciliation (daily vs. monthly) prevents 3-month detection delay.
Related: Preventive Measures Implemented (Case Study)
Quick Lookup
Most Common Searches:
| Looking for... | See term... |
|---|---|
| How to calculate impact score | Dimension Score |
| How to estimate total cost | Multiplier, Total Impact |
| How problems spread | Cascade Pathway |
| What keywords mean | Trigger Keyword |
| Sound/Space/Time explained | 3D Lens, ChirpIQX, PerchIQX, WakeIQX |
| Where to find signals | Observable Signal, Data Source |
| Industry-specific terms | Industry variations section |
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