# ID-T03 — Data change and checks: completed example

Adrian Sutherland · Version 1.0 · Refreshed September 2026

© 2005–2026 Adrian Sutherland.
Source page: https://architectureportal.org/assets/information-data

Fictional teaching example. Proposed decisions and checks; actual trial results remain unknown.

## Process areas

A Simple Architectural Framework (ASAF) describes four continuing areas of work.

Proposed mapping for this fictional change. A review can cover several areas;
accepted decisions remain in place unless a finding reopens them.

| ASAF process area | Work in this example | Information to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Visioning | Agree the information the service needs, its meaning and responsible owners. | Definitions, relationships, business rules and open questions. |
| Transforming | Change forms, messages, mappings or storage and check that meaning survives. | Mapping versions, checks, acceptance and support notes. |
| Operating | Maintain records, check quality and handle correction, sharing and retirement. | Corrections, affected copies, observations and proposed changes. |
| Governing | Approve shared meanings, access and retention responsibilities and exceptions. | Decision owners, agreed definitions, retention choices and reasons. |

## Trigger and retained decisions

ID-D1 (Shared case register) develops the record used by business trial D1 (Process-only trial). Teams can confuse an offer
with an accepted alternative. Retain O1 (Accepted resolution), P1 (Learner agreement), R1 (Continuous ownership), the internal-course trial scope,
case identity and continuous ownership. ID-DEF1 (Learner agreement definition) makes the meaning explicit.
L1 (Partner confirmation gap), the partner responsibility gap, requires a wider service-owner decision.

## Options and decision

Consider a shared register with linked history, adding fields to booking
software, or replacing a wider service. ID-D1 proposes the first so the team
can examine meaning and handovers with a small change. The service owner
would accept the trial; the steward and case owners would check the records.

Observe definition-review time, reconciliation and rework separately from
incorrect bookings, ownership gaps and correction effort. Baselines and trial
results are unknown. Later change effort and a dated service history would
inform an assessment of supportability and useful life.

## Affected records and consumers

I1 (Cancellation case record) gains explicit current-agreement and confirmation references; its linked
history retains ownership and agreement versions. The dictionary maps fields
to their meaning and business rules. The booking system remains authoritative
for bookings. Case owners and booking staff are the initial consumers.

Existing entries labelled “agreed” would need checking against their supporting
interaction. A value of uncertain meaning is held for review. A later move
into software must preserve identifiers and history and account for affected
copies, permissions and retention. The physical mapping remains to be designed.

## Checks and expected results

ID-V1 (Case meaning checks) extends the business V1 (Two-handover check) handover check using synthetic cases.

| Input situation | Expected result | Actual result |
|---|---|---|
| Offered alternative without acceptance | Remain open; no current agreement inferred. | Not run |
| Agreement for A, confirmation for B | Refuse resolution; case owner investigates. | Not run |
| Transfer without receiving owner's acceptance | Retain existing owner. | Not run |
| Superseded agreement | Current view uses replacement; predecessor and reason remain traceable. | Not run |
| Repeated cancellation for an active case | Use existing case; preserve source references. | Not run |
| Two successive staff handovers | Each receiver finds owner, current agreement and next action. | Not run |

The proposed result is reviewed by the service owner with the steward and
people receiving the records. Test date and actual results remain unset.

## Recovery and handover

Before a real trial, name the register maintainer and agree access, version
recovery and handling of changes made during recovery. For a later migration,
rehearse conversion and reconcile records before accepting the new view.
Recovery must account for updates made since a saved copy. Keep uncertain
cases with a named owner until resolved. Detailed recovery procedures remain
open until an implementation is chosen.

## Methodology configuration

A service review may cover definition acceptance, trial review and findings
from use. Case owners correct records under the agreed rules; the service
owner decides changes to meaning or shared responsibilities. Map these to the
team's own delivery steps and decision records.

## History and next decision

Version 1.0, September 2026; proposed. Retain the business baseline and ID-D1.
After hypothetical L1, propose partner acceptance and confirmation-responsibility
fields, their owners and a partner-handover check. The service owner decides
that extension before partner cases enter the trial. Access, retention,
physical mapping and recovery remain open decisions.