6D Foraging Methodology™ — Observable Properties Framework

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

Version: 1.0 Created: November 27, 2025 Status: Production Framework

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Executive Summary

The 6D Foraging Methodology™ identifies unmeasured costs across six dimensions of business impact. This document provides the Observable Properties Framework — the concrete signals, metrics, trigger keywords, and cascade pathways that make each dimension measurable and actionable.

The Gap This Fills:

• Before: Abstract categories (Customer, Employee, Revenue, etc.)
• After: Specific observables, trigger keywords, data sources, and cascade maps

Integration with Cormorant Foraging: Each dimension is analyzed through three lenses:

• Sound (ChirpIQX): Urgency — How immediate is the signal?
• Space (PerchIQX): Scope — How widespread is the impact?
• Time (WakeIQX): Trajectory — Is it improving or degrading?

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Framework Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    6D IMPACT METHODOLOGY™                       │
│                 Observable Properties Framework                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│   ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│   │CUSTOMER │ │EMPLOYEE │ │ REVENUE │ │REGULATORY│ │ QUALITY │ │OPERATION│
│   │   D1    │ │   D2    │ │   D3    │ │   D4    │ │   D5    │ │   D6    │
│   └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘
│        │           │           │           │           │           │
│        └───────────┴───────────┴─────┬─────┴───────────┴───────────┘
│                                      │
│                              ┌───────▼───────┐
│                              │   3D LENS     │
│                              ├───────────────┤
│                              │ Sound (Urgency)│
│                              │ Space (Scope)  │
│                              │ Time (Trend)   │
│                              └───────┬───────┘
│                                      │
│                              ┌───────▼───────┐
│                              │ CASCADE MAP   │
│                              │ + MULTIPLIER  │
│                              └───────────────┘
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Dimension 1: CUSTOMER IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	Support ticket spike	Helpdesk (Zendesk, ServiceNow)	Hours
Behavioral	Renewal hesitation	Sales notes, CRM	Days-Weeks
Sentiment	NPS/CSAT score drop	Survey platforms	Weekly
Engagement	Product usage decline	Analytics (Mixpanel, Amplitude)	Days
Escalation	Exec-level complaints	Email, meeting requests	Hours
Silent	Reduced feature adoption	Product analytics	Weeks
Churn	Cancellation requests	Billing/CRM	Immediate
Trust	Reference refusals	Sales team feedback	Variable

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"unacceptable"          "breach of contract"      "legal action"
"canceling"             "considering alternatives" "escalating"
"demand refund"         "not what we signed up for"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"disappointed"          "concerned about"         "need clarification"
"frustrating"           "expected better"         "reconsidering"
"will not renew"        "shopping around"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"just wondering"        "any updates on"          "is this normal"
"thought it would be"   "not urgent but"          "for future reference"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	Support ticket velocity	Tickets/day vs 30-day avg	<120% of baseline
Leading	NPS trend	Week-over-week delta	Positive or stable
Leading	Feature adoption rate	New feature usage %	>30% within 30 days
Lagging	Customer churn rate	Lost customers / Total	<5% annually
Lagging	Customer lifetime value	Revenue × Retention period	Increasing
Lagging	Net revenue retention	(Start + Expansion - Churn) / Start	>100%

Cascade Pathways

CUSTOMER IMPACT
      │
      ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                      ▼
   REVENUE                               EMPLOYEE
   (Lost renewals,                       (Morale hit from
   reduced expansion,                     angry customers,
   refund requests)                       support burnout)
      │                                      │
      ▼                                      ▼
   OPERATIONAL                           QUALITY
   (Resources diverted                   (Rushed fixes,
   to retention efforts)                  corners cut)
      │
      ▼
   REGULATORY
   (Breach of SLA,
   contract violations)

Primary Cascade: Customer → Revenue (70% of cases) Secondary Cascade: Customer → Employee (50% of cases) Tertiary Cascade: Customer → Regulatory (20% of cases, but highest severity)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (6×+)
Customer Size	Small account	Mid-market	Enterprise/Strategic
Contract Term	Month-to-month	Annual	Multi-year
Reference Value	Unknown	Industry peer	Marquee logo
Relationship Length	<1 year	1-3 years	>3 years
Expansion Potential	Maxed out	Moderate	Significant

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Feedback survey	Direct complaint	Legal threat
Space (Scope)	One customer	Customer segment	Market-wide
Time (Trajectory)	First occurrence	Recurring pattern	Accelerating trend

Dimension Score = Sound × Space × Time ÷ 10

---

Dimension 2: EMPLOYEE IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	Overtime hours spike	Timesheets, HRIS	Daily
Behavioral	Meeting no-shows	Calendar analytics	Days
Sentiment	Engagement score drop	Pulse surveys	Weekly
Productivity	Output decline	Project management tools	Weeks
Turnover	Resignation notices	HR system	Immediate
Knowledge	Bus factor = 1	HEAT heatmap	Ongoing
Health	Sick day increase	HR data	Weeks
Silent	Reduced participation	Meeting notes, Slack activity	Weeks

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"I'm done"              "putting in notice"       "can't do this anymore"
"looking for other jobs" "burned out"             "hostile environment"
"discrimination"         "harassment"             "unsafe"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"overwhelmed"           "not sustainable"         "need help"
"understaffed"          "no work-life balance"    "thankless"
"underappreciated"      "dead end"               "no growth"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"just curious about"    "any development opportunities"  "hypothetically"
"work from home policy" "how do other teams"             "is it just us"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	Overtime hours	Hours > 40/week	<10% of team
Leading	Engagement pulse	Survey score (1-10)	>7.5
Leading	Meeting attendance	Attended / Invited	>90%
Leading	PTO utilization	Days taken / Days available	70-100%
Lagging	Voluntary turnover	Resignations / Headcount	<15% annually
Lagging	Time-to-fill	Days from req to hire	<45 days
Lagging	Knowledge concentration	% of critical tasks with single owner	<20%

Cascade Pathways

EMPLOYEE IMPACT
      │
      ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                      ▼
   QUALITY                               OPERATIONAL
   (Mistakes increase,                   (Slower delivery,
   attention drops,                       bottlenecks form,
   shortcuts taken)                       institutional knowledge lost)
      │                                      │
      ▼                                      ▼
   CUSTOMER                              REVENUE
   (Service quality                      (Productivity loss,
   degradation,                           hiring costs,
   responsiveness drops)                  training investment lost)
      │
      ▼
   REGULATORY
   (Compliance gaps,
   safety incidents,
   documentation failures)

Primary Cascade: Employee → Quality (80% of cases) Secondary Cascade: Employee → Operational (70% of cases) Tertiary Cascade: Employee → Revenue (via turnover costs)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (6×+)
Role Criticality	Easily backfilled	Specialized	Irreplaceable expertise
Knowledge Concentration	Well-documented	Partially documented	Tribal knowledge only
Team Size	Large team (redundancy)	Medium team	Small/Solo
Replacement Time	<30 days	30-90 days	>90 days
Training Investment	Entry level	Mid-level	Senior/Specialized

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Grumbling	Active complaints	Resignation
Space (Scope)	One person	One team	Cross-functional
Time (Trajectory)	Temporary stress	Sustained pressure	Chronic condition

---

Dimension 3: REVENUE IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	Invoice disputes	AR aging report	Days
Behavioral	Discount requests	Sales CRM	Days
Pipeline	Deal slippage	Forecast system	Weekly
Penalty	SLA breach payments	Contract management	Immediate
Opportunity	Lost bids	Sales post-mortems	Days
Pricing	Margin compression	Financial reports	Monthly
Cash	Payment cycle lengthening	Cash flow analysis	Weeks
Silent	Upsell/cross-sell decline	Revenue analytics	Months

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"penalty clause"        "breach of contract"      "demand refund"
"termination"           "lawsuit"                 "material breach"
"audit finding"         "revenue restatement"     "write-off"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"renegotiate"           "discount"                "credit"
"delayed payment"       "budget cut"              "procurement review"
"competitive bid"       "price matching"          "cost reduction"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"next fiscal year"      "budget planning"         "exploring options"
"market conditions"     "strategic review"        "benchmarking"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	Pipeline velocity	Days in stage vs benchmark	<120% of target
Leading	Discount rate	Avg discount % on closed deals	<15%
Leading	AR aging	% of receivables >60 days	<10%
Leading	Forecast accuracy	Actual / Forecasted	90-110%
Lagging	Revenue growth	YoY change	>10%
Lagging	Gross margin	(Revenue - COGS) / Revenue	Stable or increasing
Lagging	Revenue per employee	Total revenue / Headcount	Increasing

Cascade Pathways

REVENUE IMPACT
      │
      ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                      ▼
   OPERATIONAL                           EMPLOYEE
   (Cost cutting,                        (Hiring freeze,
   resource constraints,                  layoffs,
   investment delays)                     morale impact)
      │                                      │
      ▼                                      ▼
   QUALITY                               CUSTOMER
   (Budget cuts to QA,                   (Reduced service,
   cheaper materials,                     slower response,
   reduced testing)                       feature cuts)
      │
      ▼
   REGULATORY
   (Compliance budget cuts,
   audit failures,
   certification lapses)

Primary Cascade: Revenue → Operational (85% of cases) Secondary Cascade: Revenue → Employee (60% of cases) Tertiary Cascade: Revenue → Quality (40% of cases)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (6×+)
Revenue Concentration	Diversified	Moderate concentration	Top 3 = >50%
Contract Type	Transactional	Annual	Multi-year committed
Margin Profile	High margin	Average margin	Low margin
Market Position	Commodity	Differentiated	Monopoly/Niche
Seasonality	Evenly distributed	Some concentration	Highly seasonal

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Future risk	Current quarter impact	Immediate cash crisis
Space (Scope)	One deal	Product line	Company-wide
Time (Trajectory)	One-time hit	Quarterly pattern	Structural decline

---

Dimension 4: REGULATORY IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	Audit finding	Compliance reports	Days
Behavioral	Documentation gaps	Process audits	Weeks
Violation	Non-compliance notice	Legal/Compliance	Immediate
Exposure	Missing certifications	Compliance tracker	Monthly
Training	Expired certifications	LMS/HR system	Ongoing
Process	Deviation from standard	Quality reviews	Weeks
Silent	Policy not followed	Internal audits	Months
External	Regulatory inquiry	Legal department	Immediate

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"violation"             "fine"                    "penalty"
"cease and desist"      "investigation"           "lawsuit"
"material weakness"     "regulatory action"       "license suspended"
"criminal"              "fraud"                   "subpoena"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"audit finding"         "non-compliance"          "remediation required"
"certification gap"     "documentation missing"   "policy violation"
"deadline approaching"  "renewal pending"         "inspection scheduled"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"new regulation"        "industry guidance"       "best practice"
"peer comparison"       "voluntary disclosure"    "proactive review"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	Open audit findings	Count of unresolved	0 critical, <5 minor
Leading	Certification currency	Days until expiration	>90 days
Leading	Policy acknowledgment	% of employees current	>95%
Leading	Training completion	Required training %	100%
Lagging	Regulatory fines	Dollar amount / year	$0
Lagging	Audit opinion	Clean / Qualified / Adverse	Clean
Lagging	Compliance incidents	Count per year	Decreasing

Cascade Pathways

REGULATORY IMPACT
      │
      ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                      ▼
   REVENUE                               CUSTOMER
   (Fines, penalties,                    (Trust erosion,
   contract terminations,                 public disclosure,
   market access loss)                    reputation damage)
      │                                      │
      ▼                                      ▼
   OPERATIONAL                           EMPLOYEE
   (Remediation efforts,                 (Compliance burden,
   process changes,                       blame culture,
   system modifications)                  legal exposure)
      │
      ▼
   QUALITY
   (Rushed compliance fixes,
   resource diversion,
   attention split)

Primary Cascade: Regulatory → Revenue (90% of cases when fines involved) Secondary Cascade: Regulatory → Customer (70% if public disclosure) Tertiary Cascade: Regulatory → Operational (60% remediation required)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (10×+)
Industry Regulation	Light	Moderate	Heavily regulated (finance, healthcare)
Violation Severity	Administrative	Material	Criminal/Fraud
Public Exposure	Internal only	Industry disclosure	Public/Media
Repeat Offense	First occurrence	Pattern	Willful/Repeated
Remediation Complexity	Simple fix	Process change	Systemic overhaul

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Best practice gap	Audit finding	Active investigation
Space (Scope)	One process	One department	Enterprise-wide
Time (Trajectory)	First instance	Pattern emerging	Chronic non-compliance

---

Dimension 5: QUALITY IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	Defect rate spike	QA system	Hours-Days
Behavioral	Rework hours increase	Timesheets	Days
Customer	Complaint volume up	Support system	Days
Safety	Incident reports	EHS system	Immediate
Returns	Product returns	Logistics/RMA	Days
Process	Specification deviations	Quality audits	Weeks
Silent	Workarounds created	Tribal knowledge, interviews	Months
Inspection	Rejection rate	Manufacturing QC	Immediate

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"recall"                "safety incident"         "injury"
"critical defect"       "system failure"          "data breach"
"contamination"         "fatality"                "major outage"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"defect"                "rework"                  "redo"
"didn't meet spec"      "out of tolerance"        "failed inspection"
"customer complaint"    "return"                  "warranty claim"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"workaround"            "manual fix"              "known issue"
"tech debt"             "legacy limitation"       "needs improvement"
"minor issue"           "cosmetic defect"         "edge case"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	First-pass yield	Good units / Total units	>95%
Leading	Defect detection rate	Defects found internally / Total	>90%
Leading	Code coverage	% of code with tests	>80%
Leading	Technical debt ratio	Debt remediation time / Dev time	<5%
Lagging	Customer-reported defects	Count per release/period	Decreasing
Lagging	Cost of quality	Prevention + Appraisal + Failure costs	<15% of revenue
Lagging	Warranty costs	Claims / Revenue	<2%

Cascade Pathways

QUALITY IMPACT
      │
      ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                      ▼
   CUSTOMER                              OPERATIONAL
   (Dissatisfaction,                     (Rework cycles,
   trust erosion,                         resource diversion,
   churn risk)                            schedule delays)
      │                                      │
      ▼                                      ▼
   REVENUE                               EMPLOYEE
   (Warranty costs,                      (Frustration,
   refunds, penalties,                    overtime for fixes,
   lost sales)                            blame culture)
      │
      ▼
   REGULATORY
   (Safety violations,
   certification risk,
   mandatory recalls)

Primary Cascade: Quality → Customer (85% of cases) Secondary Cascade: Quality → Operational (75% of cases) Tertiary Cascade: Quality → Regulatory (30% of cases, but highest severity)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (10×+)
Detection Point	Internal QA	Customer-found	Field failure
Safety Impact	None	Potential	Actual injury
Scope of Defect	Single unit	Batch/Lot	Systemic design
Fix Complexity	Patch/Update	Rework	Recall/Replace
Brand Sensitivity	B2B commodity	Consumer product	Premium brand

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Cosmetic issue	Functional defect	Safety critical
Space (Scope)	One unit	Batch/Release	All production
Time (Trajectory)	Isolated incident	Recurring	Systemic/Chronic

---

Dimension 6: OPERATIONAL IMPACT

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

Observable Signals

Signal Type	Observable	Data Source	Detection Speed
Immediate	System downtime	Monitoring/APM	Minutes
Behavioral	Manual workarounds	Process documentation	Weeks
Bottleneck	Queue length increase	Workflow systems	Days
Cycle	Processing time up	Metrics dashboards	Days
Resource	Contention/Conflicts	Project management	Days
Capacity	Utilization spike	Resource planning	Days
Silent	Shadow processes	Interviews, observation	Months
Integration	Handoff failures	Cross-team metrics	Weeks

Trigger Keywords

High Urgency (Sound = 8-10):

"system down"           "outage"                  "critical failure"
"data loss"             "cannot operate"          "business stopped"
"disaster recovery"     "incident"                "P1/Sev1"

Medium Urgency (Sound = 4-7):

"workaround"            "manual process"          "bottleneck"
"waiting on"            "blocked by"              "delayed"
"capacity issue"        "resource conflict"       "slow"

Low Urgency / Early Warning (Sound = 1-3):

"inefficient"           "could be better"         "nice to have"
"tech debt"             "legacy system"           "someday"
"minor friction"        "slight delay"            "process improvement"

Metrics

Metric Type	Metric Name	Calculation	Target
Leading	System uptime	Available time / Total time	>99.9%
Leading	Cycle time	Time from start to completion	Decreasing
Leading	Queue depth	Items waiting / Processing rate	<2× normal
Leading	Resource utilization	Allocated / Available	70-85%
Lagging	Incidents per period	Count of P1/P2 incidents	Decreasing
Lagging	Mean time to recovery	Avg incident resolution time	Decreasing
Lagging	Process efficiency	Value-add time / Total time	>70%

Cascade Pathways

OPERATIONAL IMPACT
      │
      ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                          ▼                          ▼
   QUALITY                   EMPLOYEE                    REVENUE
   (Rushed work,             (Frustration,              (Delivery delays,
   corners cut,               overtime,                   penalties,
   reduced testing)           burnout)                    lost opportunities)
      │                          │                          │
      ▼                          ▼                          ▼
   CUSTOMER                  CUSTOMER                   REGULATORY
   (Late delivery,           (Poor service,             (Compliance gaps,
   quality issues)            slow response)             missed deadlines)

Primary Cascade: Operational → Quality (80% of cases) Secondary Cascade: Operational → Employee (75% of cases) Tertiary Cascade: Operational → Revenue (60% of cases)

Multiplier Factors

Factor	Low (1.5×)	Medium (3×)	High (6×+)
System Criticality	Support system	Core business	Revenue-generating
Dependency Chain	Standalone	Some dependencies	Highly interconnected
Recovery Options	Quick failover	Manual recovery	No backup
Business Timing	Off-peak	Normal operations	Peak/Critical period
Automation Level	Highly automated	Partially automated	Manual processes

3D Scoring (Sound × Space × Time)

Lens	Score 1-3	Score 4-6	Score 7-10
Sound (Urgency)	Efficiency opportunity	Bottleneck	System down
Space (Scope)	One process	One department	Cross-functional
Time (Trajectory)	Temporary spike	Recurring issue	Chronic condition

---

CASCADE PATHWAY MASTER MAP

                         ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                         │              PROBLEM ORIGIN                      │
                         │         (Identify starting dimension)            │
                         └─────────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                                                   │
           ┌───────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┐
           │                                       │                                       │
           ▼                                       ▼                                       ▼
    ┌─────────────┐                        ┌─────────────┐                        ┌─────────────┐
    │  CUSTOMER   │◄──────────────────────►│  EMPLOYEE   │◄──────────────────────►│  REVENUE    │
    │     D1      │                        │     D2      │                        │     D3      │
    └──────┬──────┘                        └──────┬──────┘                        └──────┬──────┘
           │                                      │                                      │
           │         ┌────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┐         │
           │         │                            │                            │         │
           │         ▼                            ▼                            ▼         │
           │  ┌─────────────┐              ┌─────────────┐              ┌─────────────┐  │
           └─►│ REGULATORY  │◄────────────►│  QUALITY    │◄────────────►│ OPERATIONAL │◄─┘
              │     D4      │              │     D5      │              │     D6      │
              └─────────────┘              └─────────────┘              └─────────────┘

                         ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                         │            CASCADE MULTIPLICATION               │
                         │                                                 │
                         │   Each dimension can trigger any other          │
                         │   Pathway strength varies by problem type       │
                         │   Multiple simultaneous cascades possible       │
                         │                                                 │
                         └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Primary Cascade Patterns (Most Common)

Origin	Primary Target	Secondary Target	Tertiary Target
Customer	Revenue (70%)	Employee (50%)	Regulatory (20%)
Employee	Quality (80%)	Operational (70%)	Revenue (40%)
Revenue	Operational (85%)	Employee (60%)	Quality (40%)
Regulatory	Revenue (90%)	Customer (70%)	Operational (60%)
Quality	Customer (85%)	Operational (75%)	Regulatory (30%)
Operational	Quality (80%)	Employee (75%)	Revenue (60%)

---

SCORING METHODOLOGY

Step 1: Identify Observable Signals

For each dimension, document observed signals:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Dimension: [NAME]                                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Signals Observed:                                       │
│ □ Immediate: _________________________________          │
│ □ Behavioral: ________________________________          │
│ □ Silent: ____________________________________          │
│                                                         │
│ Trigger Keywords Found:                                 │
│ □ High Urgency: ______________________________          │
│ □ Medium Urgency: ____________________________          │
│ □ Low Urgency: _______________________________          │
│                                                         │
│ Data Sources Checked:                                   │
│ □ ____________________________________________          │
│ □ ____________________________________________          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 2: Apply 3D Lens

Dimension	Sound (1-10)	Space (1-10)	Time (1-10)	Dimension Score
Customer
Employee
Revenue
Regulatory
Quality
Operational

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

Step 3: Map Cascade Pathways

For each affected dimension, trace the cascade:

ORIGIN: [Primary Dimension]
   │
   ├── Pathway 1: → [Dimension] (Probability: __%)
   │       └── Evidence: _______________________
   │
   ├── Pathway 2: → [Dimension] (Probability: __%)
   │       └── Evidence: _______________________
   │
   └── Pathway 3: → [Dimension] (Probability: __%)
           └── Evidence: _______________________

Step 4: Calculate Multiplier

Factor	Score (1-5)	Weight
Number of dimensions affected		30%
Cascade depth (levels)		25%
3D average score (urgency × scope × trend)		25%
Reversibility (1=easy, 5=permanent)		20%
Weighted Score

Multiplier Estimate:

• Score 1-2: 1.5-2× multiplier
• Score 3-4: 2-4× multiplier
• Score 5-6: 4-6× multiplier
• Score 7-8: 6-10× multiplier
• Score 9-10: 10×+ multiplier

Step 5: Calculate Total Impact

Direct Cost: $_______________

Cascade Costs by Dimension:
├── Customer:    $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)
├── Employee:    $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)
├── Revenue:     $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)
├── Regulatory:  $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)
├── Quality:     $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)
└── Operational: $_____________ (Direct × ___ %)

Total Cascade Cost: $_______________

TOTAL IMPACT = Direct + Cascade = $_______________

MULTIPLIER = Total Impact ÷ Direct Cost = ___×

---

APPLICATION EXAMPLE: THE $90K BILLING DISCOVERY

Signals Observed

Dimension	Signals Found	Trigger Keywords
Customer	Contract renewal hesitation	"reconsidering", "need clarity"
Employee	47 hours overtime on fixes	"not sustainable", "workaround"
Revenue	Invoice disputes, delayed payments	"discrepancy", "credit needed"
Regulatory	Audit trail gaps in billing	"documentation missing"
Quality	Manual corrections, rework	"manual fix", "redo"
Operational	System workarounds, data patches	"workaround", "manual process"

3D Scoring

Dimension	Sound	Space	Time	Score
Customer	6	7	6	25.2
Employee	7	5	7	24.5
Revenue	8	6	7	33.6
Regulatory	5	4	5	10.0
Quality	7	6	6	25.2
Operational	8	7	7	39.2

Cascade Map

BILLING ERROR ($90K direct labor)
        │
        ▼
    OPERATIONAL (Origin)
    Score: 39.2
        │
        ├──► QUALITY (80%)
        │    Score: 25.2
        │    └──► CUSTOMER (85%)
        │         Score: 25.2
        │
        ├──► EMPLOYEE (75%)
        │    Score: 24.5
        │    └──► QUALITY (80%)
        │         [Already counted]
        │
        └──► REVENUE (60%)
             Score: 33.6
             └──► REGULATORY (40%)
                  Score: 10.0

Impact Calculation

Dimension	Base Impact	Multiplier	Cascade Cost
Operational (Origin)	$90,000	1×	$90,000
Quality	$90K × 80%	2.5×	$180,000
Employee	$90K × 75%	3×	$202,500
Customer	$90K × 60%	4×	$216,000
Revenue	$90K × 60%	6×	$324,000
Regulatory	$90K × 25%	3×	$67,500

TOTAL IMPACT: $1,080,000 - $1,600,000MULTIPLIER: 12-17.7×

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QUICK REFERENCE CARD

Dimension Checklist

D	Dimension	Core Question	Key Metric
1	Customer	How does this affect who pays us?	NPS, Churn Rate
2	Employee	How does this affect who works for us?	Turnover, Engagement
3	Revenue	How does this affect money coming in?	AR Aging, Margin
4	Regulatory	How does this affect our compliance?	Audit Findings, Fines
5	Quality	How does this affect what we deliver?	Defect Rate, Rework
6	Operational	How does this affect how we work?	Uptime, Cycle Time

3D Quick Reference

Lens	Question	Low (1-3)	Medium (4-6)	High (7-10)
Sound	How urgent?	Future risk	Current issue	Crisis
Space	How widespread?	Isolated	Department	Enterprise
Time	Getting better or worse?	One-time	Recurring	Accelerating

Multiplier 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×+

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INTEGRATION WITH CORMORANT FORAGING

The 6D Observable Properties Framework extends the Cormorant Foraging methodology:

Cormorant (3D)	6D Impact Application
Sound (ChirpIQX)	Urgency scoring for each dimension
Space (PerchIQX)	Scope mapping across dimensions
Time (WakeIQX)	Trajectory tracking over cascade levels

Formula:

6D Impact Score = Σ (Dimension Weight × Sound × Space × Time)

Where:
- Dimension Weight = Importance to specific business (customizable)
- Sound = Urgency of signals (1-10)
- Space = Scope of impact (1-10)
- Time = Trajectory direction (-5 to +5, normalized to 1-10)

The void has structure. This framework measures it. 🪶

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APPENDIX: INDUSTRY VARIATIONS

Healthcare

Standard Dimension	Healthcare Variation	Key Observable
Customer	Patient Outcomes	Readmission rates, HCAHPS scores
Quality	Clinical Quality	Infection rates, mortality rates
Regulatory	HIPAA/CMS Compliance	Audit findings, reimbursement risk

Financial Services

Standard Dimension	FinServ Variation	Key Observable
Customer	Client Trust	AUM flows, relationship tenure
Regulatory	SEC/FINRA/OCC	Examination findings, capital ratios
Quality	Trade Accuracy	Error rates, break resolution time

Manufacturing

Standard Dimension	Manufacturing Variation	Key Observable
Quality	Production Quality	First-pass yield, scrap rate
Operational	Production Efficiency	OEE, changeover time
Regulatory	Safety/Environmental	OSHA incidents, EPA compliance

SaaS/Technology

Standard Dimension	SaaS Variation	Key Observable
Customer	User Experience	Adoption rate, feature usage
Operational	System Reliability	Uptime, incident frequency
Quality	Technical Debt	Code coverage, bug escape rate

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End of 6D Observable Properties Framework

Version: 1.0 Next Review: Q1 2026 Feedback: Document learnings from field application

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"Most analysis stops at the visible cost. They miss the cascade. Now you can see it."

6D Foraging Methodology™ — StratIQX