Harvest
Extract durable insights from temporary files to Source of Truth during EPIC Phase E (Finish).
Workflow Overview
- Enumerate Temps → List all temp/ files from current EPIC
- Identify SoT-worthy → Determine what should persist
- Format Entries → Convert to proper SoT templates
- Archive → Move temps to archive, update manifest
Core Output Template
| Element | Definition | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Temp Files | Files processed | List with paths |
| New SoT Entries | IDs created | BR-XXX, UJ-XXX, etc. |
| Archive Manifest | What was archived | Paths and dates |
| Discarded | What was not kept | Reason for each |
Harvest Decision Matrix
| Content Type | Action | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Business rule discovered | Extract | SoT/SoT.BUSINESS_RULES.md |
| User flow documented | Extract | SoT/SoT.USER_JOURNEYS.md |
| API design finalized | Extract | SoT/SoT.API_CONTRACTS.md |
| Customer feedback captured | Extract | SoT/SoT.customer_feedback.md |
| Session notes | Archive only | archive/YYYY-MM/ |
| Scratch work | Discard | Delete after review |
Step 1: Enumerate Temp Files
- Read EPIC Execution Plan for temp file references
- List all files in
temp/directory - Match temps to EPIC (by date or naming)
Checklist
- All EPIC-referenced temps identified
- Temp directory scanned
- Files categorized by content type
Step 2: Identify SoT-Worthy Content
For each temp file, evaluate:
| Question | If Yes | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Is this a business rule? | Extract as BR-XXX | Continue |
| Is this a user flow? | Extract as UJ-XXX | Continue |
| Is this an API design? | Extract as API-XXX | Continue |
| Is this customer evidence? | Extract as CFD-XXX | Continue |
| Is this useful context? | Archive | Continue |
| Is this scratch work? | Discard | - |
Checklist
- Each temp file evaluated
- Extract/Archive/Discard decision made
- Decisions documented
Step 3: Format SoT Entries
For each extracted item:
- Generate appropriate ID using
ghm-id-register - Format per SoT template
- Add cross-references
- Insert into correct SoT file
Entry Template
markdown### [ID]: [Title] **Status**: Active **Created**: YYYY-MM-DD **Source**: temp/[filename].md (EPIC-XX) **Cross-References**: [Related IDs] [Extracted content, properly formatted]
Checklist
- All extracts have valid IDs
- Formatting matches SoT templates
- Cross-references verified
Step 4: Archive and Cleanup
- Create archive directory:
archive/YYYY-MM/ - Move processed temps to archive
- Generate manifest
- Update EPIC Phase E checklist
Archive Manifest Template
markdown## Archive Manifest: EPIC-XX **Date**: YYYY-MM-DD **Archived To**: archive/YYYY-MM/ ### Extracted to SoT | Temp File | New ID | SoT File | |-----------|--------|----------| | temp/file.md | BR-XXX | SoT.BUSINESS_RULES.md | ### Archived Only | Temp File | Reason | |-----------|--------| | temp/notes.md | Session context | ### Discarded | Temp File | Reason | |-----------|--------| | temp/scratch.md | No durable value |
Quality Gates
Pass Checklist
- All temps processed (none orphaned)
- Extracted content has valid IDs
- Archive manifest is complete
- EPIC Phase E checklist updated
Testability Check
- SoT entries are findable by ID
- Archive manifest matches actual files
- Temp directory is clean
Anti-Patterns
| Pattern | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Orphan temps | Temps not in manifest | → Process all files |
| Lost context | Archive without manifest | → Always create manifest |
| Over-extraction | Everything becomes SoT | → Apply decision matrix |
| Under-extraction | Valuable insights lost | → Review before discard |
Boundaries
DO:
- Extract durable insights
- Format per templates
- Create complete manifests
- Clean up temps
DON'T:
- Create new analysis
- Modify conclusions
- Skip the manifest
- Delete without review
Handoff
After harvest completes:
- SoT files updated with new entries
- Temps archived with manifest
- EPIC Phase E marked complete
- Ready to close EPIC
