PlausibleBA Taxonomy Standard

This file defines the house conventions shared across all PlausibleBA skills and artefacts. Any skill that produces a taxonomy, register, or structured model MUST follow these standards so outputs remain consistent and cross-referenceable.

Taxonomy Numbering

Every node in any PlausibleBA hierarchy carries a positional number encoding its place in the schema. This is the primary sort key — sorting by Number reproduces the full hierarchy at a glance and is far easier to validate than grouping by level.

Format: <L1>.<L2>.<L3>.<L4> — dot-separated integers, one segment per level.

1           ← L1 node: first top-level item
1.1         ← L2 node: first child of item 1
1.1.1       ← L3 node: first child of domain 1.1
1.1.2       ← L3 node: second child of domain 1.1
1.2         ← L2 node: second child of item 1
2           ← L1 node: second top-level item
2.1.1.1     ← L4 node: optional sub-level

Rules:

• Numbers are assigned sequentially within each parent, starting at 1
• Numbers are stable once assigned — insertions get the next available integer, not

fractional numbers (no 1.1.1a or 1.1.1.5 inserted between existing items)

• Sorting by Number MUST reproduce the exact hierarchy — if it doesn't, the numbering is wrong
• The Number column is always column A and the default sort key in every XLSX output
• All XLSX outputs are pre-sorted by Number on delivery — the hierarchy is visible the

moment the file opens

Standard Column Order

All PlausibleBA taxonomy XLSX outputs follow this column order. Meaningful content appears immediately after the positional columns; structural metadata moves to the right.

Tags column: omitted from all standard outputs. Add only if a specific skill requires it for a documented purpose.

Naming Conventions

Verb–Noun pattern is the preferred convention for operational nodes (L3 and below):

• ✅ "Manage Credit Portfolio", "Assess Counterparty Risk", "Deliver Field Service"
• ❌ "Credit Assessment" (noun-only), "Assessing Risk" (gerund), "Finance Dept" (org unit)

The verb must be managerial, not operational:

• ✅ Manage, Govern, Oversee, Coordinate, Assure, Enable
• ❌ Assess, Process, Send, Calculate, Check (these describe activities, not stable abilities)

Structural grouping nodes (L1, L2) may use Noun-phrase labels where Verb–Noun feels forced (e.g. "Product Management", "Customer Acquisition").

ID format: <prefix>_<snake_case_name>

• Capability IDs: cap_manage_credit_portfolio
• Business Object IDs: obj_credit_application
• Value Stream IDs: vs_mortgage_origination
• Stage IDs: stg_application_assessment

MECE Rule

All sibling nodes at the same level within a parent must be:

Mutually Exclusive — no two siblings overlap in scope. If two nodes could describe the same item, their boundaries are not clearly defined. Merge or redefine.

Collectively Exhaustive — together, siblings cover the full scope of their parent with no gaps. If something happens within the parent's domain and no child accounts for it, a node is missing.

Apply the MECE check at every level before finalising any taxonomy. Run a cross-domain uniqueness check to catch semantic duplicates that span different parents.

Branding Requirement

Every PlausibleBA XLSX output must include a branding line. This is non-negotiable and applies to all tabs in all skills.

Format: Generated by the PlausibleBA Skills Library | www.plausibleba.com

Styling: italic, #2E75B6 font, #F2F7FF background fill, full-width merged cell above the header row. Height: 14pt.

The Capability Summary tab (or equivalent executive summary tab) must also include this line in the title block area, visible without scrolling.

XLSX Tab Order

All multi-tab PlausibleBA outputs follow this mandatory sequence:

1. [Artefact] Summary — executive-facing view; always the first tab and the one that opens by default
2. [Artefact] Register — the full taxonomy, pre-sorted by Number
3. Validation Summary — PASS / NOTE / FAIL checks
4. Legend — colour coding, numbering system, conventions, website link

XLSX Formatting Standards

Colour coding (consistent across all PlausibleBA skills)

Fonts

• All cells: Arial, size 10
• L1 rows: bold, white text on dark blue
• L2 rows: bold, dark blue text on light blue
• L3+: regular weight

Freeze panes

• Always freeze row 1 (header) — freeze_panes = "A2"

Row heights

• Header: 22pt
• L1/L2 rows: 18pt
• L3 rows with description: 32pt

Standard worksheets (every PlausibleBA XLSX)

1. [Artefact Name] — the main register, pre-sorted by Number
2. Validation Summary — PASS / NOTE / FAIL checks
3. Legend — colour coding, numbering, conventions, next steps

Cross-Taxonomy References

When multiple PlausibleBA artefacts exist for the same domain (e.g. a Capability Map and a Value Stream), they share the same Business Objects as the binding thread.

A Business Object that appears in a Capability Map should carry the same name and ID in the Concept Model and in Value Stream stage definitions. Consistency here is what enables cross-validation:

• A Capability with no corresponding Value Stream stage is a candidate for review
• A Value Stream stage with no grounding Capability is a red flag
• A Business Object in the Concept Model with no corresponding Capability indicates a gap

Versioning

PlausibleBA artefact files should include a version note in the Legend sheet:

Standard version:   PlausibleBA Taxonomy Standard v1.0
Generated by:       ba-capability-mapping v1.0.0
Date:               YYYY-MM-DD

When this standard is updated, the version number increments. Skills reference the standard version they were built against so outputs remain reproducible.