Why “Digital Thread” Isn’t Enough - Introducing the Decision Thread

You’ve probably heard of the digital thread with the aim to virtually connect a business's people, processes, tools, and data through digital tools. It’s powerful in theory. But after years of facilitating transformation and innovation inside complex organizations, I’ve learned that connectivity alone isn’t enough.

We need clarity first. That’s where Decision Thread comes in.

Digital Thread vs. Decision Thread - A Shift in Focus

Digital Thread has become the go-to term in transformation strategies, but here’s the issue:

Digital Thread often starts with the solution.

It tends to digitize what already exists, carrying over the same inefficiencies and assumptions from legacy processes. By focusing on systems, tools, and automation first, it risks embedding poor habits into a slicker interface.

Decision Thread flips that.

Rather than laying a digital layer on top of the status quo, we take a step back. We methodically understand the process (step-by-step, decision-by-decision). We focus not on what tools are in place, but on how value is created (or lost) through the flow of decisions.

This reframing is essential:

• Digital Thread asks: “How can we digitize this process?”

• Decision Thread asks: “Should this process exist the way it does and how do we make better decisions and create flow within it?”

By tracing and improving decision flow, we uncover transformational opportunities that would otherwise stay hidden beneath layers of automation.

Start with a Map - But Keep It Simple

Every transformation starts with understanding. I begin by guiding teams through a value stream mapping workshop; not with fancy tools or software, but with sticky notes and Sharpies.

Why?

• Sticky notes are small, so they force clarity.

• Sharpies are thick, so they limit detail.

• The simplicity keeps everyone aligned and prevents over-engineering too early.

This exercise is deceptively powerful. It creates a shared visual of the current state, quickly highlights scope and misalignments, and begins to surface where decisions are made (or where they’re breaking down).

From Process to Decisions

Once we have a high-level map of how things flow, we dive into how decisions flow.

Every process is really just a series of decisions, each with:

• A supplier (person or machine),

• Required input data (the data, its format, and how it's communicated),

• A defined or informal decision-making process,

• And an output communication to someone or something downstream.

So we ask:

• Who/what makes the decision?

• What information is needed (and in what format) to make it?

• How is that information received, processed, and communicated?

• How is the decision made?

• And how is it passed along and to whom?

If I'm feeling particularly cute and feisty, we may map this using simple colored sticky notes:

• 🟨 Yellow = Process steps

• 🟩 Green = Data or inputs

• 🟧 Orange = Machines or automation

• 🟦 Blue = Problems or opportunities

This becomes the Decision Thread map - a clear picture of how work actually happens. If you're a practitioner in other improvement methods, you may notice a close similarity to SIPOC - supplier, input, process, output, customer - a happy accident!

Where the Magic Happens

By linking decisions that drive an organization, we see where things fall apart:

• Waiting on unstructured data

• Reformatting the same information over and over, thus creating multiple versions of the same information.

• Rework loops that no one realized existed

• Human workarounds that signal deeper system issues

Once we see these, we can begin to act by placing blue sticky notes where opportunities (or annoyances) exist. These aren’t just problems, they’re leverage points and phantom steps hindering your organization's success. When you improve a key decision, everything downstream benefits.

The Outcome: True Transformation

Decision Thread is not a technology. It’s a lens. It changes how teams see their work, how leaders think about improvement, and how organizations unlock value. I like to think of the ultimate goal of having seamless handoffs between process steps, just like handoffs in track-and-field relay races. I used to compete in the 4x400 meter relay - 4 runners complete 1 lap around the track. Just as important as our individual performance, we practiced handing off the baton to our teammates. We need to understand how they want to receive the baton to set them up to best run their leg of the race. Miss the handoff? The echoing sound of that aluminum baton hitting the ground still sends shivers up my spine. By understanding decisions across our process (with particular attention on our customer - whoever receives the output of our work), we can optimize the flow of decisions through our organization and avoid dropping the baton.

If you want real transformation (not just new tools) you have to understand the decisions that shape your business every day.

I’ve facilitated this method in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and more. Every time, it delivers insights that surprise leadership and create alignment across teams.

If you’re curious about applying this in your business or want to explore what a Decision Thread workshop could look like, reach out. I’d love to talk.