Section 3
Governance Models Across Organizations
Governance systems typically fall along a spectrum
Organizations implement governance systems at different levels of maturity depending on regulatory requirements and operational complexity. The following table illustrates four common governance models.
| Dimension | Level 1 — Governance Workflow System | Level 2 — Structured Lifecycle Governance | Level 3 — Lifecycle Tracking + Evidence | Level 4 — Product Registry (Lightest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Model | Product objects move through a fully enforced lifecycle workflow | Products have defined lifecycle stages with governance expectations | Products have lifecycle states but governance is referenced rather than enforced | Simple registry of products with lifecycle status |
| Workflow Logic | Full workflow engine with stage gates and approval routing | State transitions allowed only if governance conditions are met | Lifecycle states change freely; governance evidence can be attached | No workflow logic |
| Business Rules Engine | Complex rules controlling transitions and approvals | Validation rules for required artifacts before stage transitions | Basic validation such as required fields or review links | Minimal field validation |
| Governance Tracking | Governance reviews occur inside the system and must be approved | Governance checkpoints exist and must be recorded | Governance events are linked as evidence | Optional references to governance activity |
| Audit Trail | Complete workflow history including approvals and policy checks | Lifecycle history plus governance checkpoint records | Timeline of lifecycle changes and linked evidence | Simple history of changes |
| Evidence of Compliance | System guarantees compliance through enforced approvals | System validates governance requirements before transitions | Evidence visible through linked artifacts and timestamps | Evidence lives mostly outside the system |
Each of these approaches can satisfy governance requirements depending on the environment in which the organization operates.