Keep the test within agreed work boundaries

Test only changes that are within your role and agreed with the relevant work owner. This improvement process does not replace approved safety, compliance, security, or other controlled procedures. If a proposed change could affect one of those areas, pause and use the applicable approved route with the responsible trained role.

Plan and carry out a bounded test

The example sequence is for work coordination; agree the actual scope with the work owner.

  1. 1

    Agree the question and scope

    Confirm what the test is meant to learn, which work context it covers, and who owns the relevant process.

  2. 2

    Record a starting observation

    Choose an observable measure and record its unit, count, denominator, source, and dates. Use only information appropriate for the work question.

  3. 3

    Agree the change and observation period

    The work owner and proposer agree what will change, where it applies, who will do it, and when the observation ends.

  4. 4

    Carry out only the agreed change

    Stay within the agreed scope. Stop and consult the work owner if the change creates an unexpected impact or crosses a controlled-process boundary.

  5. 5

    Capture what happened

    Record the same measure where practical, note deviations and limitations, and bring the result to the work owner for discussion.

Compact experiment record

Illustrative completed example on the right. It is not a status report, approval, or operational instruction.

Field Fictional example
Question Did the prompt help record both the next owner and open item?
Scope One agreed handoff context; findings are not assumed to apply elsewhere.
Starting point 6 of 10 sample handoffs had both details recorded; fictional manual count, dated 7 May 2025.
Change Try a brief prompt for the open item and next owner, as agreed with the work owner.
Observation period A short fictional sample period ending 14 May 2025; an actual period must be agreed for the real work.
Result 8 of 10 sample handoffs had both details recorded in the later fictional count.
Limitations Small illustrative counts; no control group; short period; no evidence about other sites or causes.
Next decision Discuss with the work owner whether to adjust, gather more information, or stop this test.

Who owns the handoff?

The employee proposing the test describes the problem and records observations within the agreed scope. The relevant work owner decides whether a change can be explored in that work context, helps set boundaries, and discusses what the evidence can and cannot show. If the issue touches a controlled process, the responsible trained role and the applicable approved procedure take precedence.