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Operations Decision Trees
Operations decision trees for vendor selection, outsourcing, process automation, business continuity, and workplace model. Run any tree free or embed it.
5 published trees in this category. Every one runs as a guided wizard in the browser — no signup — and can be copied as the starting point for your own version.
Trees in this category
How do I select the right vendor for this procurement?
Determine the correct vendor selection process for a procurement based on contract value, market competition, switching costs, and regulatory obligations. Use this tree before engaging any supplier or issuing any form of tender document to ensure the process is compliant with your procurement policy and defensible to audit. Selecting the wrong process can expose the organisation to challenge, reputational risk, and contractual disputes.
Should I automate this business process?
Determine the right level of automation for a business process, from keeping it manual through to commissioning custom engineering. Use this tree before purchasing any automation tooling or engaging an implementation partner to ensure the solution is proportionate to the process complexity and volume. Working through each question will help you avoid over-engineering simple tasks and under-investing in high-volume critical workflows.
Should I outsource this business function or keep it in-house?
Determine whether a business function should be kept in-house, partially outsourced, or fully delegated to a managed service provider. Use this tree when reviewing the operating model for any significant function — from IT support to finance processing — before committing to a structural change. A disciplined make-vs-buy analysis protects against both the hidden costs of poor outsourcing decisions and the opportunity cost of retaining non-core work internally.
Should this role be remote, hybrid, or on-site?
Determine the most appropriate workplace model for a team or individual role, covering the full spectrum from fully on-site through to fully remote. Use this tree when onboarding a new role, reviewing an existing team's working arrangements, or responding to a staff request for a change in working pattern. A structured approach ensures decisions are consistent, fair, and grounded in genuine operational requirements rather than habit or personal preference.
What business continuity response level does this incident require?
Determine the appropriate level of business continuity response to activate when a disruption — whether technical, environmental, or operational — threatens service delivery. Use this tree at the point an incident is declared or a significant disruption is first identified, before committing resources to a response. Activating the right level of response early prevents both under-reaction that allows disruptions to escalate and over-reaction that wastes resources and creates unnecessary alarm.
All Operations trees
- How do I select the right vendor for this procurement? — Determine the correct vendor selection process for a procurement based on contract value, market competition, switching costs, and regulatory obligations. Use this tree before engaging any supplier or issuing any form of tender document to ensure the process is compliant with your procurement policy and defensible to audit. Selecting the wrong process can expose the organisation to challenge, reputational risk, and contractual disputes.
- Should I automate this business process? — Determine the right level of automation for a business process, from keeping it manual through to commissioning custom engineering. Use this tree before purchasing any automation tooling or engaging an implementation partner to ensure the solution is proportionate to the process complexity and volume. Working through each question will help you avoid over-engineering simple tasks and under-investing in high-volume critical workflows.
- Should I outsource this business function or keep it in-house? — Determine whether a business function should be kept in-house, partially outsourced, or fully delegated to a managed service provider. Use this tree when reviewing the operating model for any significant function — from IT support to finance processing — before committing to a structural change. A disciplined make-vs-buy analysis protects against both the hidden costs of poor outsourcing decisions and the opportunity cost of retaining non-core work internally.
- Should this role be remote, hybrid, or on-site? — Determine the most appropriate workplace model for a team or individual role, covering the full spectrum from fully on-site through to fully remote. Use this tree when onboarding a new role, reviewing an existing team's working arrangements, or responding to a staff request for a change in working pattern. A structured approach ensures decisions are consistent, fair, and grounded in genuine operational requirements rather than habit or personal preference.
- What business continuity response level does this incident require? — Determine the appropriate level of business continuity response to activate when a disruption — whether technical, environmental, or operational — threatens service delivery. Use this tree at the point an incident is declared or a significant disruption is first identified, before committing resources to a response. Activating the right level of response early prevents both under-reaction that allows disruptions to escalate and over-reaction that wastes resources and creates unnecessary alarm.
How to use these trees
- Run one to see how the questions are ordered and where each path ends.
- Copy the source. Every tree is plain text, so you can lift it and edit the wording for your own organisation. Syntax reference →
- Embed it in your wiki, help centre, or intranet with one snippet that stays current whenever you edit the tree. Embedding guide →