---
title: "Basic Workflow"
description: "Day-to-day flow: plan, implement, link, test, deploy, observe"
---

# Basic Workflow

This is the daily loop for teams using TraceRTM. It keeps artifacts, links, tests, and deployments in sync so traceability stays current.

## Overview

- Plan work as artifacts (features, tasks) with owners.
- Implement and link code to features.
- Add tests and link them to the code/feature.
- Deploy and attach monitoring.
- Close the loop with audit-ready records.

## Daily flow

1. **Pick work**: Pull a feature/task in Ready → In Progress; set owner.
2. **Design & plan**: Add acceptance criteria and link to related artifacts.
3. **Implement**: Create code artifacts; link `implements` to the feature.
4. **Test**: Add tests; link `tests`/`verifies` to the feature/code.
5. **Review**: Run checks; ensure required links exist before moving to Ready/Done.
6. **Deploy**: Link deployments (`deploys_to`) and monitors (`monitors`).
7. **Close**: Transition to Done; audit trail is captured automatically.

## Checklist before “Done”

- Acceptance criteria met and recorded.
- Code linked to the feature.
- Tests linked and passing.
- Deployment and monitoring in place for the change.
- No dangling TODOs; owners assigned.

## Tips

- Enforce required links in workflows to prevent traceability gaps.
- Use CLI/SDK to keep links updated during refactors.
- Keep work items small; smaller changes trace and deploy more reliably.

## Related

- [First Project](/docs/getting-started/first-project/)
- [Workflow States](/docs/wiki/concepts/workflow-states/)
- [Traceability](/docs/wiki/concepts/traceability/)
