Cascade System Architecture

How information flows from piece to strategy — and back. Four levels of planning intelligence, each informed by the one below it through five closed feedback loops.

Level 4
Annual Strategic
Yearly review
Business Strategy Brief Goals, positioning, target outcomes
Content Strategy Topics, formats, channel priorities
▼▼ informs quarterly planning
Level 3
Quarterly Planning
Every quarter
Quarterly Content Review What ran, what performed, what to do next
Q-Portfolio Table Planned pieces, status, sector mix
▼▼ drives sector & audience framing
Level 2
Sector & Audience Intelligence
Living documents
Sector Intelligence
Healthcare
Universities
Legal
Mining / Forestry / Engineering
First Nations
Government
Policing / Fire
Audience Personas
Healthcare HR Director
Employment Lawyer
OH&S Professional
Executive / Board
Academic Peer
Network
Referral Network Relationships, referral signals, context
▼▼ shapes every individual piece
Level 1
Per-Piece
Every piece
WSD Workflow State Document — tracks the piece end-to-end
Distribution Brief Channels, timing, targeting decisions
Performance Record Actual reach, engagement, business outcomes

3-Tier Metrics

Tier 1
Reach
Impressions
Page views
lagging indicator
Tier 2
Engagement
EQS = saves ×5
Long comments ×2.5
leading indicator
Tier 3
Business Impact
Inquiries
Referrals
Speaking
ultimate measure
Feedback Loops
Loop A
Performance → Strategy
Level 1 → Level 4
Quarterly trigger
Loop B
Audience Signal → Personas
Level 1 → Level 2
30-day trigger
Loop C
Sector Signal → Intelligence
Level 1 → Level 2
Monthly trigger
Loop D
Referral Signal → Network
Level 1 → Level 2
Per-conversation trigger
Loop E
Pattern Performance → Pattern Files
Level 1 → Level 2
Quarterly trigger
Design Principles

Information flows down

Annual strategy sets the frame. Quarterly planning operationalizes it. Sector and audience intelligence tailors it. Every piece is written with awareness of all three levels above it.

Learning flows up

Every piece generates signals — performance data, audience reactions, sector observations, referral conversations. Five named loops ensure those signals update the intelligence layers they belong to, on defined schedules.

No orphan pieces

A piece written without consulting Level 2 intelligence may still perform — but cannot teach the system anything. The cascade only compounds when every piece both reads from and writes back to the layers above it.