Taxonomy
Functional Feature Taxonomy for State-Based Collaboration
This taxonomy describes the practical, user-facing features typically found in state-based collaboration systems. It focuses on functionality — what users can do, see, configure, or automate — rather than theoretical components.
State-based collaboration centers around the idea that each work item is always in exactly one state, and that collaboration happens by moving items through a lifecycle.
This taxonomy organizes features into 12 functional areas, from how work entities are structured to how they integrate with other systems.
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📄1. Work Entity Features
How individual items of work are structured and managed.
1.1 Entity Fields
Basic information fields (title, description, metadata).
1.2 Custom Fields
User-defined attributes added to capture domain-specific data.
1.3 Single State
Each entity is in exactly one state at any given time.
1.4 State History
Timeline of all state changes.
1.5 Linked Entities
Relationships like parent/child, blockers, dependencies.
1.6 Attachments
Files and documents attached to an entity.
1.7 Checklists
Inline subtasks that do not create parallel workflows.
🔁2. Workflow Features
How entities move through their lifecycle.
2.1 Custom States
Define or modify states in the workflow.
2.2 Custom Transitions
Control which states can follow each other.
2.3 Transition Conditions
Rules that must be satisfied before moving to a new state.
2.4 Transition Notes
Add comments or reasons during transitions.
2.5 Automatic Actions
Actions triggered by entering or leaving a state.
2.6 Draft vs. Published Workflows
Safe iteration before applying workflow changes.
🎯3. Assignment & Responsibility
Defines who owns the work at any point.
3.1 Manual Assignment
Assign a specific user.
3.2 Auto-Assignment
Automatically assign based on rules or state.
3.3 Team Assignment
Assign work to a group or role.
3.4 Handoff Logic
Ownership automatically changes when the state changes.
3.5 Role-Based Permissions
Restrict who can modify or transition entities.
3.6 Workload Dashboard
See how work is distributed across a team.
💬4. Collaboration Tools
How people communicate around the work.
4.1 Comments
Threaded discussions per entity.
4.2 Mentions
Tag users to notify them.
4.3 Activity Feed
Log of comments, edits, transitions.
4.4 Entity Watch / Follow
Users subscribe to updates.
4.5 Shared Links
Share items internally or externally.
🔔5. Notifications & Alerts
How users stay updated.
5.1 State Change Notifications
Alerts when an entity changes state.
5.2 Assignment Notifications
Alerts when ownership changes.
5.3 Reminders
Time-based follow-up reminders.
5.4 Escalation Alerts
Warnings when items are stuck or overdue.
5.5 Digest Notifications
Daily or weekly summaries.
⏱️6. Time & Progress Tracking
Understand the flow of work over time.
6.1 Time-in-State
Automatically track time per state.
6.2 Cycle Time
Total time from first to final state.
6.3 Due Dates
Set deadlines on items.
6.4 SLAs
Rules defining acceptable timing per state.
6.5 Time Logging
Users track time spent working.
6.6 Aging Indicators
Highlight idle or overdue items.
📊7. Views & Visualizations
Multiple ways to view the workflow.
7.1 Kanban Board
Columns = states; cards = items.
7.2 List View
Filterable, sortable table view.
7.3 Calendar View
Based on due or scheduled dates.
7.4 Timeline / Gantt View
Chronological progress visualization.
7.5 Table / Grid View
Configurable data table.
7.6 State Diagram View
Visual workflow map.
7.7 Swimlanes
Group by owner, team, or priority.
🔍8. Filtering & Organization
Find and organize the work.
8.1 Saved Filters / Views
Reusable sets of filter conditions.
8.2 Tags / Labels
Additional categorization tools.
8.3 Work Queues
Filtered lists of items waiting for your action.
8.4 Sorting & Grouping
Group by owner, priority, or date.
8.5 Search
Quickly find entities across fields.
📈9. Dashboards & Reporting
Understand performance and flow.
9.1 Personal Dashboard
Shows work assigned to the user.
9.2 Team Dashboard
Overview of team workload and progress.
9.3 Status Summaries
Counts per state.
9.4 Flow Metrics
Throughput, cycle time, WIP indicators.
9.5 Custom Widgets
Charts, KPIs, configurable widgets.
9.6 Exportable Reports
CSV/PDF/JSON formats.
⚙️10. Automation
Automated behavior tied to state changes.
10.1 State-Triggered Rules
Run automation when entering or leaving a state.
10.2 Conditional Logic
If–then rules based on fields or roles.
10.3 Notification Automation
Automated alerts to users or teams.
10.4 Field Updates
Automatically update fields when rules are met.
10.5 External Webhooks
Trigger actions in external systems.
🔗11. Integrations & Connectivity
Connect the workflow to other systems.
11.1 Email Integration
Send or receive notifications or updates.
11.2 Chat Integrations
Slack/Teams messages triggered by changes.
11.3 API Access
Create, update, and transition entities programmatically.
11.4 Webhooks
Real-time push updates to external tools.
11.5 Cloud Storage
Integrate file storage providers.
🔒12. Security & Governance
Keep data safe and workflows correct.
12.1 Role-Based Permissions
Control who can view or edit.
12.2 State-Based Permissions
Restrict certain state transitions.
12.3 Field-Level Permissions
Hide or restrict editing of sensitive fields.
12.4 Audit Trail
Complete history for transparency and compliance.
12.5 Approval Rules
Require approvals before certain transitions.
12.6 Data Retention Policies
Retention, archiving, deletion.
Summary
This taxonomy organizes state-based collaboration into 12 functional areas:
- Work Entity Features
- Workflow Features
- Assignment & Responsibility
- Collaboration Tools
- Notifications
- Time & Progress
- Views & Visualizations
- Filtering
- Dashboards
- Automation
- Integrations
- Security & Governance
Use this taxonomy to design systems, classify tools, and communicate the functional capabilities of state-based collaboration.
Related content
This taxonomy connects to:
- What is State-Based Collaboration? - Learn the fundamentals of state-based collaboration
- Framework overview - Understand the theoretical components that enable these features
- Collaboration Patterns - Explore patterns for implementing these features