Workflow Commands Reference

Workflow Commands Reference

This document provides comprehensive documentation for the project workflow command system. These commands manage epics through a structured lifecycle from discovery through retrospectives, integrating with Jira for issue tracking and Confluence for documentation publishing.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Full Lifecycle Overview
• Discovery Phase
• Planning Phase
• Execution Phase
• Retrospectives Phase
• Command Reference
• Integration Points
• Checkpoint System

Introduction

The workflow command system provides a structured approach to managing software development epics from initial research through completion and retrospective analysis. Each command in the system produces outputs that feed into subsequent commands, creating a traceable chain of documentation and decisions.

Key Benefits:

• Consistent documentation across all epics
• Traceable decisions from discovery through implementation
• Automated status updates in Jira
• Centralized knowledge in Confluence
• Built-in quality gates through mandatory checkpoints

Intake Phase (Pre-Workflow)

Status: Planned — these commands are not yet implemented.

The Intake phase runs once per project to document the existing codebase. See Intake Phase Overview for details.

Full Lifecycle Overview

The complete workflow spans four distinct phases, each with specialized commands that produce artifacts consumed by downstream phases.

flowchart TB
    subgraph Discovery["Discovery Phase"]
        direction TB
        CED["/project:discovery:create-epic-discovery"]
        MR["Manual Research<br/>Interviews, Spikes, Analysis"]
        SD["/project:discovery:synthesize-discovery"]
        AS["/project:discovery:approve-synthesis"]

        CED -->|"Discovery Document"| MR
        MR -->|"Research Findings"| SD
        SD -->|"Synthesis Document"| AS
    end

    subgraph Planning["Planning Phase"]
        direction TB
        CEP["/project:planning:create-epic-plan"]
        CIP["/project:planning:create-implementation-plan"]

        CEP -->|"Overview Document"| CIP
    end

    subgraph Execution["Execution Phase"]
        direction TB
        ET["/project:execution:execute-ticket"]
        CT["/project:execution:complete-ticket"]

        ET -->|"Implementation Complete"| CT
        CT -->|"Next Ticket"| ET
    end

    subgraph Retrospectives["Retrospectives Phase"]
        direction TB
        CE["/project:retrospectives:complete-epic"]
    end

    Discovery -->|"Tickets Created"| Planning
    SD -->|"Generated Tickets"| CEP
    Planning -->|"Implementation Plan"| Execution
    CIP -->|"Updated Tickets"| ET
    Execution -->|"All Tickets Done"| Retrospectives
    CT -->|"Epic Complete"| CE

Document Flow Summary

Discovery Phase

The discovery phase focuses on research, customer discovery, and validation before implementation begins. Use this phase for epics with significant unknowns or when customer validation is required.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Inputs
        EK["Epic Key<br/>(from Jira)"]
        JT["Linked Tickets"]
    end

    subgraph CreateDiscovery["create-epic-discovery"]
        direction TB
        FE["Fetch Epic"]
        EQ["Extract Questions"]
        GD["Generate Document"]
        PD["Publish to Confluence"]

        FE --> EQ --> GD --> PD
    end

    subgraph ManualWork["Manual Research"]
        direction TB
        UI["User Interviews"]
        TS["Technical Spikes"]
        DA["Data Analysis"]
        CR["Competitive Research"]
    end

    subgraph Synthesize["synthesize-discovery"]
        direction TB
        FS["Fetch Sources"]
        CA["Cross-Analyze"]
        GR["Generate Recommendations"]
        PT["Propose Tickets"]
        PS["Publish Synthesis"]

        FS --> CA --> GR --> PT --> PS
    end

    subgraph Approve["approve-synthesis"]
        direction TB
        RS["Read Synthesis"]
        RD["Resolve Decisions"]
        MT["Modify Tickets"]
        CT["Create in Jira"]

        RS --> RD --> MT --> CT
    end

    subgraph Outputs
        DD["Discovery Document"]
        SD["Synthesis Document"]
        NT["New Tickets<br/>(in target epics)"]
    end

    EK --> CreateDiscovery
    JT --> CreateDiscovery
    CreateDiscovery --> DD
    DD --> ManualWork
    ManualWork --> Synthesize
    Synthesize --> SD
    SD --> Approve
    Approve --> NT

discovery:create (create-epic-discovery)

Command: /project:discovery:create-epic-discovery <epic-key>

Purpose: Creates a structured discovery document for research and customer discovery epics, extracting questions and unknowns from linked tickets.

Process:

1. Fetches epic and all linked tickets from Jira
2. Extracts explicit and implicit questions from requirements
3. Categorizes questions by theme (Customer, Technical, Business, Scope)
4. Generates hypothesis map with validation methods
5. Creates research plan with activities and owners
6. Publishes to Confluence

Output Sections:

• Discovery Overview
• Hypothesis Map
• Research Questions Matrix (by category)
• Dependencies and Blockers
• Research Plan
• Decision Framework
• Risk Register
• Target Implementation Epics
• Linked Tickets

Publish Location: /Epics/Discovery/{Epic_Key}/

discovery:synthesize (synthesize-discovery)

Command: /project:discovery:synthesize-discovery <source-url> [source-url...] [--target=<epic-key>]

Purpose: Synthesizes findings from discovery documents and research into a synthesis document with proposed tickets.

Arguments:

• <source-url> - One or more Confluence document URLs (discovery docs, research findings, spike reports)
• --target=<epic-key> - Optional target epic for generated tickets (auto-detected if not specified)

Process:

1. Fetches all source documents
2. Consolidates and cross-analyzes findings
3. Validates/invalidates hypotheses
4. Generates feature recommendations
5. Identifies blocking decisions that must be resolved
6. Creates proposed tickets (not yet in Jira)
7. Publishes synthesis document with machine-readable ticket data

Output Sections:

• Synthesis Overview
• Executive Summary
• Consolidated Findings (Validated/Invalidated Hypotheses, Answered Questions)
• Remaining Unknowns
• Recommendations by Epic
• Blocking Decisions (decisions that block ticket creation)
• Decision Log
• Source Cross-Reference
• Proposed Tickets Data (JSON for discovery:approve)

Publish Location: /Epics/Discovery/{Discovery_Epic_Key}/Synthesis/

Next Step: Run discovery:approve <synthesis-url> to resolve decisions and create tickets.

discovery:approve (approve-synthesis)

Command: /project:discovery:approve-synthesis <synthesis-url>

Purpose: Reviews synthesis document, resolves blocking decisions, and creates approved tickets in Jira.

Arguments:

• <synthesis-url> - URL of the synthesis document from discovery:synthesize

Process:

1. Fetches synthesis document and extracts proposed tickets JSON
2. Checks for unresolved blocking decisions
3. Presents decisions for resolution (blocks until all resolved)
4. Allows add/remove/modify of proposed tickets
5. Creates approved tickets in Jira
6. Updates synthesis document status to "Approved"

Blocking Decisions:

• Decisions are identified during synthesis as issues that affect ticket scope
• All blocking decisions MUST be resolved before tickets can be created
• User selects resolution option (A, B, C, etc.) for each decision
• Resolutions are recorded in the synthesis document

Ticket Operations:

• Add: Create new tickets not in the original proposal
• Remove: Exclude tickets from Jira creation
• Modify: Update title, description, story points, priority

Output:

• Created Jira tickets linked to target epic(s)
• Updated synthesis document with approval status and ticket links

Planning Phase

The planning phase creates comprehensive documentation for implementation. This is where codebase analysis, risk assessment, and detailed implementation planning occur.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Inputs
        EK["Epic Key"]
        CB["Codebase"]
        JT["Jira Tickets"]
    end

    subgraph CreatePlan["create-epic-plan"]
        direction TB
        FE["Fetch Epic & Tickets"]
        EC["Explore Codebase<br/>(Parallel Agents)"]
        RA["Risk Assessment"]
        GD["Generate Overview"]
        PD["Publish Document"]

        FE --> EC --> RA --> GD --> PD
    end

    subgraph CreateImpl["create-implementation-plan"]
        direction TB
        RO["Read Overview Doc"]
        AT["Analyze Tickets"]
        RT["Refine Tickets<br/>(Split, Points, Deps)"]
        GP["Generate Plan<br/>(Waves, Order)"]
        UT["Update Tickets<br/>(Full Details)"]
        PP["Publish Plan"]

        RO --> AT --> RT --> GP --> UT --> PP
    end

    subgraph Outputs
        OD["Overview Document"]
        IP["Implementation Plan"]
        UT2["Updated Jira Tickets<br/>(Self-Contained)"]
    end

    EK --> CreatePlan
    CB --> CreatePlan
    JT --> CreatePlan
    CreatePlan --> OD
    OD --> CreateImpl
    CreateImpl --> IP
    CreateImpl --> UT2

planning:epic-plan (create-epic-plan)

Command: /project:planning:create-epic-plan <epic-key>

Purpose: Creates a comprehensive planning document (Overview Document) by analyzing Jira tickets and exploring the codebase.

Process:

1. Fetches epic and all linked tickets
2. Launches parallel agents to explore codebase:
   • Affected modules discovery
   • API patterns analysis
   • Component patterns analysis
   • Test patterns discovery
   • Reference implementations search
3. Documents unknowns and technical decisions
4. Creates risk assessment for each change
5. Publishes Overview Document

Output Sections:

• Epic Overview (Purpose, User Value, Scope)
• Goals and Success Metrics
• Requirements Summary
• Technical Change Overview (with risk scores)
• Impact Analysis
• Testing Strategy
• User Behavior Testing (E2E scenarios)
• Implementation Notes
• Acceptance Criteria
• Open Questions and Risks
• Codebase Analysis (patterns, references, test locations)
• Linked Tickets

Risk Assessment Dimensions:

Risk Levels:

• 7-11: Low - Standard implementation
• 12-16: Medium - Extra review, incremental delivery
• 17-21: High - Spike/POC first, architectural review

Publish Location: /Epics/In Progress/{Epic_Key}/

planning:impl-plan (create-implementation-plan)

Command: /project:planning:create-implementation-plan <overview-doc-url>

Purpose: Generates a detailed implementation plan with parallel execution waves and updates all tickets with self-contained implementation details.

Process:

1. Reads Overview Document for context
2. Fetches all Jira tickets
3. Analyzes and refines tickets:
   • Creates new tickets for gaps
   • Splits large tickets (>8 points)
   • Adds story points
   • Links dependencies
4. Generates topologically sorted execution order
5. Creates parallel execution waves
6. Updates each ticket with full implementation details
7. Publishes Implementation Plan

Implementation Plan Sections:

• Summary (metrics, waves, dependencies)
• Completion Status (tracking table)
• Execution Order (topologically sorted)
• Parallel Execution Strategy (by wave)
• Agent Recommendations
• Document Links

Ticket Update Template: Each ticket is updated to be self-contained with:

• Overview and Implementation Plan links
• Summary
• Implementation Steps (with code snippets)
• Files to Modify (table)
• Complete Test Code
• Acceptance Criteria

Publish Location: /Epics/In Progress/{Epic_Key}/ (as subpage of Overview)

Execution Phase

The execution phase handles the actual implementation of tickets and tracking of completion status.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Inputs
        TK["Ticket Key"]
        IP["Implementation Plan"]
        CB["Codebase"]
    end

    subgraph Execute["execute-ticket"]
        direction TB
        FT["Fetch Ticket"]
        RP["Read Plan<br/>(Wave Context)"]
        PC["Parallel Check"]
        IM["Implement"]
        TS["Run Tests"]
        PS["Present Summary"]

        FT --> RP --> PC --> IM --> TS --> PS
    end

    subgraph Complete["complete-ticket"]
        direction TB
        GT["Gather Context"]
        TJ["Transition Jira<br/>(In Review)"]
        UP["Update Plan<br/>(Status Tables)"]
        CF["Confirm Done"]

        GT --> TJ --> UP --> CF
    end

    subgraph Outputs
        CD["Code Changes"]
        JS["Jira Status Update"]
        PU["Plan Updated"]
    end

    TK --> Execute
    IP --> Execute
    CB --> Execute
    Execute --> CD
    Execute -->|"Ready for Review"| Complete
    Complete --> JS
    Complete --> PU
    PU -->|"Next Ticket"| Execute

execution:execute-ticket

Command: /project:execution:execute-ticket <ticket-key>

Purpose: Implements a Jira ticket following its self-contained implementation details.

Process:

1. Fetches ticket from Jira
2. Verifies ticket has implementation details (stops if missing)
3. Reads implementation plan for wave/dependency context
4. Checks for parallel execution opportunities
5. Updates Jira status to "In Progress"
6. Executes implementation steps
7. Writes required tests
8. Verifies acceptance criteria
9. Presents completion summary with commit message

Parallel Execution: When implementation plan defines parallel waves:

• Identifies current wave (first with incomplete tickets)
• Offers to spawn specialized agents for parallel execution
• Coordinates completion before advancing waves

Agent Types for Parallel Work:

• frontend-developer - UI/component work
• backend-developer - API/backend services
• database-optimizer - Database changes
• fullstack-developer - Full-stack features
• test-automator - Test coverage

Deviation Handling: If implementation plan must be deviated from:

1. Stop and report the deviation
2. Present options (proceed, modify, pause)
3. Wait for user approval
4. Document approved deviations

Output:

• Ticket Completion Summary
• Suggested Commit Message
• Changes Made
• Files Modified/Created
• Tests Added
• Deviations from Plan
• Follow-up Tickets Created

execution:complete-ticket

Command: /project:execution:complete-ticket [ticket-key]

Purpose: Transitions Jira ticket to "In Review" and updates the implementation plan with completion details.

Arguments:

• [ticket-key] - Optional if context available from recent execute-ticket

Process:

1. Identifies ticket and gathers context
2. Extracts completion details from conversation
3. Confirms before finalizing
4. Transitions Jira to "In Review"
5. Updates Implementation Plan:
   • Completion Status table
   • Execution Order table
   • Parallel Execution wave table
   • Adds Completion Details section

Plan Updates:

## {Ticket_Key} Completion Details

**Completed:** [date]

### Changes Made
* [extracted from summary]

### Tests Added
* [extracted from summary]

### Deviations
[Any deviations, or "None"]

### Follow-up Tickets
[Any follow-up tickets, or "None"]

Retrospectives Phase

The retrospectives phase generates completion reports for knowledge capture and process improvement.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Inputs
        EK["Epic Key"]
        OD["Overview Document"]
        IP["Implementation Plan"]
        JT["Completed Tickets"]
    end

    subgraph CompleteEpic["retrospectives:complete-epic"]
        direction TB
        VT["Verify All Tickets Done"]
        GR["Generate Report<br/>(12 Sections)"]
        MD["Move Documentation"]
        CE["Close Epic in Jira"]

        VT --> GR --> MD --> CE
    end

    subgraph Outputs
        CR["Completion Report"]
    end

    EK --> CompleteEpic
    OD --> CompleteEpic
    IP --> CompleteEpic
    JT --> CompleteEpic
    CompleteEpic --> CR

retrospectives:complete-epic

Command: /project:retrospectives:complete-epic <epic-key>

Purpose: Generates a comprehensive completion report, closes the epic in Jira, and moves documentation to the complete folder.

Process:

1. Verifies all tickets are complete (stops if not)
2. Reviews implementation quality (PRs merged, test coverage)
3. Generates 12-section completion report
4. Updates Overview Document with completion report
5. Moves documentation from /In Progress/ to /Complete/Sprint [N]/
6. Closes epic in Jira
7. Identifies reusable patterns for knowledge transfer

Completion Report Sections:

1. Epic Summary (duration, points, contributors)
2. Objectives and Outcomes
3. Ticket Breakdown
4. Technical Deliverables (files, LOC, coverage)
5. Architecture and Design Decisions
6. Quality Metrics (PRs, bugs, hooks)
7. Technical Debt and Follow-up
8. Testing and Quality Assurance
9. Documentation Delivered
10. Lessons Learned (What Went Well, Improvements, Process)
11. Risk Assessment Review
12. Recommendations for Future Epics

Publish Location:

• From: /Epics/In Progress/{Epic_Key}/
• To: /Epics/Complete/Sprint [N]/{Epic_Key}/

Note: Sprint-level retrospectives (complete-sprint) have been removed in favor of epic-level analysis with retrospectives:complete-epic.

Command Reference

Quick reference table for all workflow commands:

Integration Points

Setup Required: See Atlassian MCP Setup Guide for Jira and Confluence configuration.

Jira Integration

The workflow commands integrate with Jira for:

Read Operations:

• Fetch epic details and linked tickets
• Query ticket status and dependencies
• Read acceptance criteria and requirements

Write Operations:

• Create new tickets (from synthesis)
• Update ticket descriptions (implementation details)
• Add story points and link dependencies
• Transition ticket status (In Progress, In Review, Done)
• Close epics with resolution

JQL Queries Used:

• "Epic Link" = {Epic_Key} - Find all child tickets
• Status-based queries for completion verification

Confluence Integration

All documentation is published to structured Confluence locations:

Document Lifecycle:

1. Created in /In Progress/ during planning
2. Updated throughout execution
3. Moved to /Complete/Sprint [N]/ on epic completion
4. Referenced in sprint retrospectives

Checkpoint System

Every command includes mandatory user approval gates to ensure human oversight at critical decision points.

Checkpoint Philosophy

Checkpoints serve to:

• Prevent unintended changes to Jira or Confluence
• Ensure alignment on approach before work begins
• Provide opportunities to correct course
• Maintain audit trail of decisions

Checkpoint Types

Confirmation Checkpoints: Verify information before proceeding.

Please confirm before I proceed:

Epic Key: CC-123
Epic Title: User Authentication
Linked Tickets: 8 tickets found
Publish Location: /Epics/In Progress/CC-123/

Is this correct? (Yes / No / Correct)

Approval Checkpoints: Require explicit approval before making changes.

Ready to publish this planning document to Confluence? (Yes / No / Modify)

Decision Checkpoints: Present options when issues are encountered.

Epic CC-123 has incomplete tickets:

In Progress:
- CC-124: User login form - Status: In Progress

Options:
A) Complete remaining tickets first
B) Move incomplete tickets to backlog and close epic
C) Extend epic deadline and keep open

What would you like to do? [A/B/C]

Checkpoints by Command

Checkpoint Responses

Critical Rule: Commands must never modify Jira or Confluence without explicit user approval at the appropriate checkpoint.

Utility Commands

Common Ground

Available at any phase. Surfaces and validates Claude's hidden assumptions about the project.

See Common Ground Guide for full documentation.

Workflow Variations

Standard Implementation Flow

For epics with clear requirements:

planning:epic-plan -> planning:impl-plan -> [execution:execute-ticket + execution:complete-ticket] x N -> retrospectives:complete-epic

Discovery-First Flow

For epics requiring research:

discovery:create -> [research] -> discovery:synthesize -> discovery:approve -> planning:epic-plan -> planning:impl-plan -> [execution:execute-ticket + execution:complete-ticket] x N -> retrospectives:complete-epic

Best Practices

Document Linking

Always capture and provide document URLs when outputting command results. Downstream commands depend on these URLs:

• discovery:create outputs {Discovery_Document} for discovery:synthesize
• discovery:synthesize outputs {Synthesis_Document} for discovery:approve
• planning:epic-plan outputs {Overview_Document} for planning:impl-plan
• planning:impl-plan outputs {Implementation_Plan} referenced in tickets

Ticket Self-Containment

After planning:impl-plan, each ticket should be fully self-contained with:

• All implementation steps
• Complete test code (copy-paste ready)
• File paths and modifications
• Acceptance criteria

This enables execute-ticket to work without fetching external documents.

Parallel Execution

Leverage parallel execution waves for efficiency:

• Group independent tickets in the same wave
• Use specialized agents for different work types
• Coordinate completion before advancing to dependent waves

Knowledge Capture

Use retrospective phases to capture learnings:

• Document patterns to replicate
• Record anti-patterns to avoid
• Generate actionable improvements
• Update team documentation with new standards