Operator 8:
Option

Option represents an allowable variation within a step that offers flexibility without altering the overall process structure. It enables different parameter values, methods, or preferences while keeping the same underlying action or outcome in scope. An Option does not create a new path; it modifies how a step is performed within defined limits. Without clearly defining an Option, variation can become uncontrolled, inconsistent, or mistakenly treated as a separate decision path.

Plain-English Definition

Option represents an explicit variation in how a single step may be executed, without changing the

surrounding route structure. Options modify execution, not sequence.

What Option Does

Option makes allowable variation visible while preserving a single route. It documents differences in

parameters, intensity, duration, or configuration that do not require different downstream steps.

What Option Is Not

Option is not a branch in the route. It does not introduce new steps or alternative sequences. If different steps are required afterward, the structure requires Decision and branching instead.

Core Characteristics

Variation occurs within a single step
Route structure remains unchanged
Options are explicitly declared, not implied

Examples Across Contexts

Directed (designed process): A step may run at a standard or extended duration
Observed (descriptive): Operators perform the same task using slightly different settings
Natural phenomena: A process proceeds at different rates under varying conditions

Option vs. Decision

Options do not choose a path; they describe allowable variation within a path. Decisions select between paths that differ structurally.

How Option Works with Other Operators

Option attaches to Action, Process, Wait, or other execution operators. It does not cause progression and does not alter control flow.

Common Mistakes

Using Option to represent true branching
Omitting Option and forcing false Decisions
Treating Options as outcomes

Key Questions to Identify Option

Does the work continue the same way afterward?
Is this a parameter change rather than a structural change?
Would downstream steps remain identical

Things to Remember

Option changes execution, not structure.

Canonical Definition

Option is an explicit, in-step variation that does not alter route structure.

Operator 8: Option

Operator 8:
Option