Aglet

Triage a Baseline for Product Problem Cost

A baseline turns a vague concern into a starting condition, but only if its unit and boundary are clear. Triage what is being measured, for whom, and under which workflow. Separate observed effort from an estimate and record what the baseline will not explain.

Establish what is happening

  1. Name the baseline unit

    Choose a repeatable unit such as task duration, rework episode, wait, support contact, abandonment, or error recovery. Define start, end, and inclusion rules. Avoid combining unlike costs into one number that cannot guide a decision.

  2. Map sample and context

    Record user cohort, task type, channel, period, source, and missing observations. Compare ordinary and exceptional cases. Note whether the measure comes from direct timing, self-report, system data, or an estimate with assumptions.

  3. Set interpretation limits

    List likely confounds such as seasonality, learning, policy, staffing, or instrumentation. State the product decision the baseline can support and the evidence it cannot provide. Give the owner a date to review the measurement design.

What to carry forward

The triage output is a baseline definition with unit, sample, context, source, and interpretation limits. Stop when another person can reproduce what is counted. Keep the result provisional when the sample or start and end boundaries are unclear.

Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

Create an account See the product workflow