Name the real stages
Start with the way your business delivers, not the labels in a generic project template. Define the owner and evidence for each meaningful handoff.
Make requirements conditional
Some projects need additional documents, inspections, or reviews. Use explicit decisions and conditions. Unknown inputs should lead to review—not a silent pass.
Separate cost from price
A purchase unit, coverage assumption, internal cost, markup, and customer price are different things. Keep those definitions clear before automating them.
Version the standards
Test a change, review the result, then publish deliberately. Projects already underway should keep their intended configuration unless an update is explicitly reviewed.
