TM-07
Epic or Feature Summary Too Vague — Missing Outcome Language
Type Misclassification
Default severity: medium
Product BacklogPrioritizationQualityBusiness Value
What it detects
An Epic or Feature issue has a summary that describes activity or output (e.g. \'Implement login\', \'Create API\') rather than outcome or value (e.g. \'Users can log in securely\', \'Partners can access data via API\'). Activity-framed epics cannot be evaluated for business value and do not drive outcome-based planning.
Detection formula
outcome_indicators = config.tm.outcome_indicators // configurable per org // defaults (EN): \[\'so that\', \'in order to\', \'enabling\', \'allows\', \'enables\', \'can now\', \'resulting in\', \'value:\', \'outcome:\'\] // defaults (SK/CZ): \[\'aby\', \'čo umožní\', \'výsledkom bude\', \'cieľom je\', \'hodnota:\', \'prínos:\'\] activity_indicators = config.tm.activity_indicators // strong signal of activity framing // defaults: \[\'implement\', \'create\', \'build\', \'develop\', \'add\', \'update\', \'change\', \'make\', \'do\'\] IF issue.type IN config.workflow.parent_issue_types // Epics, Features AND NOT summary MATCHES any(outcome_indicators) AND summary MATCHES any(activity_indicators) AS first_word THEN FLAG activity_framed_epic Report: summary text + suggested reframeExamples in practice
- A team shows an epic or feature issue has a summary that describes activity or output (e while outcome indicators is set to see 5l.2.
- Example signal: An Epic or Feature issue has a summary that describes activity or output (e.
Suggested response
Retype or rewrite summaries so issue types match the actual work described.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
An Epic or Feature issue has a summary that describes activity or output (e.g. \'Implement login\', \'Create API\') rather than outcome or value (e.g. \'Users can log in securely\', \'Partners can access data via API\'). Activity-framed epics cannot be evaluated for business value and do not drive outcome-based planning.
Why it matters
When "Epic or Feature Summary Too Vague — Missing Outcome Language" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Retype or rewrite summaries so issue types match the actual work described.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Epic or Feature Summary Too Vague — Missing Outcome Language" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.