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Operational Process Flows

This document catalogs the end-to-end workflows needed to run the Centre of Excellence. Each flow includes purpose, participants, core steps, primary artifacts, systems involved, and measurable outcomes. It is intended to surface operational gaps, inform website/portal design, and define the administrative role profile.

1. Guild member onboarding

Purpose: Attract, vet, and activate qualified developers into the Guild.

Participants: Applicant, Guild admin, technical reviewers, finance.

Core steps 1. Application submission (profile, portfolio, availability, location/timezone). 2. Pre-screen (eligibility, experience thresholds, background checks if required). 3. Technical evaluation (coding test, live review, or portfolio assessment). 4. Skills taxonomy mapping (tech stack tags, seniority level). 5. Agreement execution (Guild member contract, NDA, IP assignment as needed). 6. Tooling setup (portal access, SSO, comms, issue tracker). 7. Orientation (process training, QA expectations, escalation path). 8. Activation (added to availability pool, initial rating baseline).

Artifacts: Application form, assessment report, signed agreements, onboarding checklist.

Systems: CRM/ATS, assessment platform, document signing, identity/access management.

Outcomes/KPIs: Time-to-activate, pass rate, first-ticket success rate.

2. Developer induction, grading, and certification

Purpose: Standardize quality expectations and ensure developers are matched appropriately.

Participants: Guild admin, assessors, QA lead, developer.

Core steps 1. Baseline competency assessment (core engineering, comms, delivery habits). 2. Grading rubric application (levels: junior/intermediate/senior/lead). 3. Certification issuance (stack-specific badges, expiration dates). 4. Remediation plan if needed (training modules, mentorship). 5. Re-certification cycle (every 6–12 months or after performance changes).

Artifacts: Grading rubric, certification records, training plan.

Systems: Learning management system (LMS), competency matrix, badge/certificate system.

Outcomes/KPIs: Certification completion rate, quality deltas post-training.

3. Client onboarding

Purpose: Convert prospects into active clients with clear scope and service expectations.

Participants: Sales/Account lead, client, legal, finance.

Core steps 1. Discovery call & qualification. 2. Retainer or engagement type selection. 3. Scope definition and SLA agreement. 4. Contracting (MSA/SOW), billing setup. 5. Client portal setup (access, project spaces). 6. Kickoff briefing and success metrics agreement.

Artifacts: Discovery notes, scope doc, MSA/SOW, SLA, kickoff summary.

Systems: CRM, e-sign, billing platform, client portal.

Outcomes/KPIs: Time-to-first-ticket, onboarding CSAT.

4. Ticket allocation and execution

Purpose: Ensure tickets are triaged and assigned to the best-fit developer.

Participants: Triage lead, Guild admin, developer, client.

Core steps 1. Ticket intake (template-based submission with required info). 2. Triage (severity, category, complexity, SLA tier). 3. Matching (skills, availability, rating, timezone). 4. Assignment and acceptance (SLA for acceptance). 5. Execution (status updates, documentation, handoffs). 6. Review and closure (QA checks, client signoff).

Artifacts: Ticket template, assignment log, status updates, closure report.

Systems: Ticketing system, scheduling/availability, knowledge base.

Outcomes/KPIs: Assignment time, SLA adherence, reopen rate.

5. Contracting and compliance

Purpose: Maintain legal clarity for client and member relationships.

Participants: Legal, finance, account lead, Guild admin.

Core steps 1. Select agreement type (retainer, project, consulting). 2. Execute contracts (MSA, SOW, NDA). 3. Compliance checks (GDPR, data handling, security standards). 4. Store and track renewal/expiry dates.

Artifacts: Signed agreements, compliance attestations.

Systems: Contract lifecycle management, document storage, compliance tracker.

Outcomes/KPIs: Contract cycle time, renewal rate, compliance incidents.

6. Project tracking and QA

Purpose: Maintain delivery quality across tickets and projects.

Participants: QA lead, project manager, developer, client.

Core steps 1. Define QA checklist per project type. 2. Milestone planning and progress tracking. 3. Peer review or QA review (code, documentation, testing evidence). 4. Client review and acceptance. 5. Post-delivery retrospective.

Artifacts: QA checklist, milestone plan, review notes, acceptance record.

Systems: Project tracking, CI/CD, code review tools.

Outcomes/KPIs: Defect rate, rework percentage, on-time delivery rate.

7. Escalations and incident response

Purpose: Resolve blockers, disputes, or high-severity issues quickly.

Participants: Triage lead, senior reviewer, account lead, client.

Core steps 1. Escalation trigger (SLA breach, blocker, quality issue). 2. Severity classification and response window. 3. Senior reviewer assignment. 4. Resolution plan and communication cadence. 5. Post-incident review and prevention actions.

Artifacts: Escalation log, incident report, corrective action plan.

Systems: Incident management, ticketing, comms (status page).

Outcomes/KPIs: Mean time to resolve, recurrence rate.

8. Training and continuous development

Purpose: Keep Guild members current and aligned to service expectations.

Participants: Training lead, Guild admin, developers.

Core steps 1. Skills gap identification (ratings, QA data, client feedback). 2. Curriculum design and module assignment. 3. Learning delivery (self-paced + cohort sessions). 4. Assessment and certification updates.

Artifacts: Training plans, module completion logs, updated certifications.

Systems: LMS, assessment tools.

Outcomes/KPIs: Completion rate, post-training quality improvement.

9. Service rating and performance management

Purpose: Measure service quality for both developers and overall Guild performance.

Participants: Clients, QA lead, Guild admin.

Core steps 1. Client rating capture post-ticket or milestone. 2. Internal QA scoring. 3. Weighted composite score and trend analysis. 4. Performance actions (reward, coaching, remediation).

Artifacts: Rating records, performance dashboard, action plans.

Systems: Feedback system, analytics dashboard.

Outcomes/KPIs: Average rating, NPS, improvement trend.

10. Consulting engagements

Purpose: Deliver higher-touch advisory services with defined outcomes.

Participants: Consulting lead, client sponsor, delivery team.

Core steps 1. Inquiry intake and discovery. 2. Scope definition and proposal. 3. Contracting and kickoff. 4. Delivery (workshops, strategy docs, implementation guidance). 5. Final report and success metrics review.

Artifacts: Proposal, consulting plan, deliverables, final report.

Systems: CRM, project tracking, document repository.

Outcomes/KPIs: Engagement margin, client satisfaction.

11. Billing, payouts, and financial operations

Purpose: Ensure accurate client billing and timely member payouts.

Participants: Finance, Guild admin, client.

Core steps 1. Usage tracking (tickets, hours, or milestones). 2. Invoice generation and delivery. 3. Payment collection and reconciliation. 4. Member payout calculation and disbursement. 5. Financial reporting and audit trails.

Artifacts: Invoices, payment records, payout statements.

Systems: Billing platform, accounting system, payroll/payout tools.

Outcomes/KPIs: Days sales outstanding, payout timeliness.

12. Offboarding (client or member)

Purpose: Ensure clean transitions and protect IP/security.

Participants: Guild admin, client, developer.

Core steps 1. Trigger identification (contract end, performance, client choice). 2. Knowledge transfer and documentation check. 3. Access revocation and data handling. 4. Exit feedback and final settlement.

Artifacts: Offboarding checklist, access logs, exit survey.

Systems: IAM, documentation storage, billing.

Outcomes/KPIs: Offboarding completion rate, data/security incidents.

Obstacles to address across workflows

  1. Consistency of quality standards across a distributed guild.
  2. Latency in matching the right developer to the right ticket.
  3. SLA adherence with variable client urgency and complexity.
  4. Data hygiene for skills, availability, and rating data.
  5. Compliance and legal complexity across regions.
  6. Measurement alignment between client satisfaction and internal QA.
  7. Operational overhead for manual tracking if tooling is fragmented.

Website/portal design implications

  1. Role-based access (client, developer, admin, QA, finance).
  2. Unified profile system (skills taxonomy, certifications, availability).
  3. Workflow automation for onboarding, contracting, ticket assignment.
  4. Integrated QA checklists and review tracking.
  5. Dashboards for SLAs, ratings, and project health.
  6. Audit trails for escalations, performance actions, and compliance.
  7. Knowledge base and documentation hub for repeatable delivery.

Admin role profile implications

  1. Process owner for onboarding, ticket triage, and escalation management.
  2. Data steward for skills, availability, certification records.
  3. Client liaison for SLA adherence, reporting, and satisfaction.
  4. Operational coordinator linking QA, training, and finance.
  5. Systems operator capable of using CRM, ticketing, LMS, and billing tools.

Suggested next steps

  1. Prioritize workflows by business impact (ticketing, QA, billing first).
  2. Define SLAs for each workflow step.
  3. Map system integrations needed for a minimal viable portal.
  4. Assign owners and create a RACI for each flow.