Client work vs service line work — systems of record
Purpose: Short rule-of-thumb for where account delivery lives vs where service-line stewardship (resourcing, standards across clients) lives. Complements README.md §6.
Client-specific delivery
| Topic | System of record | Primary owner |
|---|---|---|
| What we are shipping, when, blockers | Linear (structure + issue state) | CSO (narrative alignment); SL (technical truth) |
| Approved scope, milestones, risks | SOW ↔ project plan + Project Review Meeting outcomes | CSO presents; SL signs technical approach |
| Relationship and external commitments | Client comms + CRM (e.g. HubSpot) per process | CSO |
Service line (practice) layer
| Topic | System of record | Primary owner |
|---|---|---|
| Who is allocated to which client / internal project and hours | Operating (as rolled out; portfolio views) | Service Lead for the sub-service line |
| Cross-client themes (quality, stack, hiring bar, playbooks) | Leadership forums + service line review (meeting catalog); optional Linear initiatives for time-boxed line improvements | Service Lead with Head of Delivery |
Practice work in Linear (Q2 pattern)
One internal Linear Team holds all service-line practice work. Brainforge is the nominal client for capability-building.
| Linear object | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Single “practice” team (e.g., “Delivery — Practice”) | Delivery — Practice |
| Initiative | One per top-level service: Establish {X} Service | Establish Data Service, Establish AI Service, Establish Strategy & Analytics Service |
| Project | Time boxes or themes under each initiative | Q2 2026, Playbooks, Operating hygiene, Service reviews |
| Issue | Archetypes (same kinds across lines; line-specific details in titles/AC) | Playbook: Data quality checks for Snowflake migrations, Service review follow-up: Standardize dbt testing patterns |
Issue archetypes:
- Playbook / methodology — create or update line-specific playbooks, examples, checklists
- Service line review — prep, follow-ups, closed-loop items from monthly review
- Allocations / Operating hygiene — actions to make Operating match reality (reconcile hours, new SOW project setup, drift fixes)
Key rule: Operating remains the system of record for who is allocated where and for how many hours. Linear tracks owned actions and deliverables (who will do what, by when, done) — see success-metrics for hygiene targets.
How they connect
- The same person often touches both layers in a week: account work shows up in Linear and CSO–SL sync; line work shows up in allocation updates and service line review.
- Cross-service dependencies on an account should route through the CSO for that account so ownership stays clear (see SL expectations by cadence).
Last updated: 2026-03-30