VS-25
Hierarchy Link Demoted To Relates
Value Stream Graph
Default severity: medium
PrioritizationProcessOutputRisk
What it detects
parent/child link to endpoint replaced by relates within configured window; tests; catalogue.
Detection formula
No published identification formula is available yet for this rule.Examples in practice
- Dependency links or initiative graph paths are missing, cyclic, or blocked.
- Downstream work waits on unresolved upstream dependencies.
- A team shows parent/child link to endpoint replaced by relates within configured window; tests; catalogue during analysis.
Suggested response
Repair dependency and initiative graph links so delivery paths and handoffs are explicit.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
The "Hierarchy Link Demoted To Relates" signal shows a repeatable delivery anti-pattern on the cited issues.
Why it matters
When "Hierarchy Link Demoted To Relates" 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
Repair dependency and initiative graph links so delivery paths and handoffs are explicit.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Hierarchy Link Demoted To Relates" 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.