Structured Implementation Workflow

When to Use

• Complex features requiring planning and decision tracking
• Comprehensive documentation or detailed technical content
• Multi-day projects with investigation and research phases
• Technical designs, API documentation, or system architecture

NOT for: Small bug fixes (<1 day), trivial updates, simple refactoring, quick documentation fixes.

Three-Document System

Document name: Choose spec name in Phase 1 (FEATURE_SPECIFICATION.md, API_DESIGN.md, PROJECT_PLAN.md, etc.)

Issues: Overview table + individual issue files for progressive disclosure.

Critical Rules

• [YOUR_SPEC].md NEVER references OPEN_ISSUES.md or LOG.md (it's self-contained and permanent)
• NEVER reference temp docs in deliverables (code comments, docs, error messages, logs)
• Information flows one-way: Issues → LOG (progress + decisions) → [YOUR_SPEC].md
• After completing tasks: ALWAYS ask user to review unless they've opted out

Document Flow

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│  OPEN_ISSUES_OVERVIEW.md         │  ⏳ Temporary
│  + issues/ISSUE-XXX-*.md         │     Track blockers (overview + details)
└──────────────┬───────────────────┘
               │ Investigation & resolution
               ↓
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│      LOG.md                      │  ⏳ Temporary - progress + WHY
└──────────────┬───────────────────┘
               │ Final details incorporated
               ↓
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ [YOUR_SPEC].md                   │  ⚠️ PERMANENT - single source of truth
└──────────────────────────────────┘

Getting Started

First, check for existing workflow files:

ls LOG.md OPEN_ISSUES_OVERVIEW.md *SPEC*.md *SPECIFICATION*.md 2>/dev/null

Entry Point Decision

When Creating Documents

Resource Reference

All resources are in this skill's directory: skills/kramme:structured-implementation-workflow/resources/

Phase Resources:

• phase-0-resuming.md - Entry point for existing projects
• phase-1-planning.md - Creating documents from scratch
• phase-2-investigation.md - Handling blockers and decisions
• phase-3-execution.md - Working through tasks
• phase-4-completion.md - Review and completion checklist

Templates:

• templates/spec-guidance.md - [YOUR_SPEC].md guidance
• templates/log-template.md - LOG.md structure and examples
• templates/issues-template.md - Issues structure (overview + individual files)

Guideline Keywords

• ALWAYS/NEVER — Mandatory (exceptions require explicit approval)
• PREFER — Strong recommendation (exceptions allowed)
• CAN — Optional, developer's discretion
• NOTE — Context or clarification

File Locations

Place all workflow files in your project/work directory root:

/
├── [YOUR_SPEC].md              ⚠️ PERMANENT (name based on project type)
├── OPEN_ISSUES_OVERVIEW.md     ⏳ Temporary (deleted after completion)
├── issues/                     ⏳ Temporary directory
│   ├── ISSUE-001-*.md
│   └── ISSUE-002-*.md
├── LOG.md                      ⏳ Temporary (deleted after completion)
├── AGENTS.md                   (optional - project-wide guidelines)
└── CLAUDE.md                   (optional - AI-specific instructions)

Integration: If your project has AGENTS.md, check it for implementation best practices.