Koperateur glossary

Precise terms for decisions that hold up

We use these terms to describe observable capabilities, choices and limits. Choose a path: each definition begins with a real situation and states what it commits us to.

Choose a path

01 · Five paths

Choose a path

Nineteen terms structure how we recognise a situation, clarify a choice, decide, retain control, then demonstrate and transfer.

Each path has a stable address, so it can be opened, shared and read independently.

02 · Operational definitions

Clarify

Separate facts, connections, dependencies and scope so that the decision can be defended.

01 / 04

Analysis

Definition: Distinguish facts, symptoms, causes, assumptions, risks, options and limits to reduce uncertainty.
Nuance: Useful analysis leads to a trade-off or states exactly what is still missing for a decision.
Concrete situation: Compare repair, migration and replacement by stating the cost, risk, timing and dependencies of each option.
Associated terms: Fact, assumption, risk, option, criterion.
Avoid: An exhaustive inventory with no consequence; a predetermined conclusion merely decorated with data.

02 / 04

Connections

Definition: Causal links between business, people, software, data, infrastructure, security and operations.
Nuance: Two nearby elements are not necessarily connected; a connection must explain an effect or a condition.
Concrete situation: Changing authentication also affects support, permissions, data retention and recovery.
Associated terms: Causality, interface, flow, effect, continuity.
Avoid: A list of adjacent silos; causality claimed without an observation or mechanism.

03 / 04

Dependency

Definition: A stakeholder, component, contract, dataset or condition that constrains system operation or future choices.
Nuance: A dependency is not automatically a flaw; its criticality, control, substitutability and exit conditions must be assessed.
Concrete situation: A proprietary format works today but makes a future provider switch costly and uncertain.
Associated terms: Lock-in, provider, criticality, substitutability, exit.
Avoid: Promising “zero dependency”; treating every dependency as a failure without measuring its effect.

04 / 04

Scoping

Definition: Define the question, intended outcome, scope, accountability, constraints, success criteria and initial trajectory.
Nuance: Scoping does not freeze delivery; it provides measurable bearings that can be revised when reality changes.
Concrete situation: An AI request becomes a defined use case with authorised data, supervision, error cost and stop criteria.
Associated terms: Scope, intended outcome, constraint, accountability, criterion.
Avoid: A static document used to delay action; a specification that claims to know everything before learning begins.

Put the terms to work

A term matters only when it clarifies action

If your situation does not fit a ready-made definition, that is precisely where scoping begins.

Qualify your situation