The Standard
The PromoGrid Standard Architecture
A permanent Trunk. 12 selective modules. 8 risk categories. 7 immutable phases. One purpose: controlled execution.
Foundation
The Trunk
The Trunk is the permanent component of the PromoGrid Standard. It is active in every commercial promotion operated under this standard, regardless of its complexity. It contains the immutable operational principles, the governance structure, the base decision workflow, and the rules of procedural hygiene.
The 12 modules (A–L) are layered over the Trunk and activated selectively, depending on each promotion's mechanics. The Trunk does not change from one campaign to another; the modules do.
Principles
The 12 Operational Principles
The PromoGrid Standard rests on twelve immutable principles. They govern both the permanent component (the Trunk) and the 12 selective modules. No deliverable, no operational decision, and no PromoGrid artifact may contradict these principles.
The list of the 12 principles remains open: additions may be adopted through explicit, recorded decisions.
Lifecycle
The 7 Phases of a Promotion
Every promotion operated under the PromoGrid Standard goes through seven phases, in fixed order. Transition from one phase to the next is a punctual, documented event, with defined inputs and outputs. Returning to a previous phase is allowed, but requires recorded motivation.
| Phase | Name | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Conceptualization | The Beneficiary's commercial brief becomes operational concept. The nature, complexity, and genetic risks of the promotion are identified. |
| F2 | Configuration | Parameters are calibrated, the set of active modules is composed, critical scenarios are anticipated, the operational pre-flight is prepared. |
| F3 | Validation | Formal three-key approval mechanism, before any executive step. No validation, no launch. |
| F4 | Launch | Official activation of the promotion. All active modules enter operational regime. |
| F5 | Operation | Daily run: monitoring, incident management, support, deliveries, runtime control. The densest operational phase. |
| F6 | Closure | Promotion shutdown, final reconciliation (Module J), formal campaign archival. |
| F7 | Post-Mortem & Learning | Post-campaign systemic activity (Module K). Not a phase of the promotion itself, but a mandatory step for institutionalizing the lessons. |
Canonical note: F7 has special status — it is a systemic activity, not a phase of the promotion. It is executed after formal closure, but is mandatory for any campaign, regardless of complexity or results.
Modules
The 12 Modules of the PromoGrid Standard
Each module addresses a distinct category of operational risk. Modules are activated selectively: a simple campaign may use 3–4 modules, a complex one may require all 12. Every module has a precise role, clear boundaries, and firm prohibitions.
"OPS validates the process, not «luck»."
The formal entry filter. It checks whether every participation exists, is complete, and meets the minimum criteria set in the regulations. It removes from the start what cannot be processed, before the raw volume enters the operational chain.
"No record = no existence."
The discipline of prizes. Reception, storage, and allocation with complete traceability, under the custody of the OPS Operator. A missing prize discovered at reception is a logistic incident; the same missing prize discovered by a winner becomes a public scandal.
"OPS delivers the process, not promises."
Controlled delivery to winners. Every package has an auditable route, from warehouse to confirmation of receipt. Delivery is the moment of truth for the participant — this is where the whole promotion is judged.
"If it cannot be defended in an audit, it is not done."
The controlled interface with participants. Everything that comes in — questions, complaints, ambiguous cases — receives a ticket, priority, and a documented answer. Every answer carries implicit contractual force.
"Control Room does not run the promotion. It makes it intelligible."
The promotion's radar. It aggregates in real time what is happening across all active modules, surfaces deviations, and issues documented alerts. It does not pilot — it makes the flight visible.
"OPS protects the process and the reputation, not the quick fix."
The preventive shield. It identifies in advance the sensitive areas — ambiguous interpretations of the regulations, compliance risks, reputational exposure — and sets limits before incidents occur. It works upstream, not in repair.
"OPS analyzes possibilities, not promises."
The scenario laboratory. It simulates variants (optimistic, realistic, stress, failure) before launch, so that decisions are made knowingly. It does not make uncertainty disappear — it makes it visible and manageable.
"OPS protects the standard, not technical comfort."
The integration layer. It connects the PromoGrid Standard with the Beneficiary's systems (platforms, CRM, ERP, couriers) without compromising it. Technology adapts to the standard, not the other way around.
"Process beats any particular case."
Data cleaning and structuring. It transforms raw and heterogeneous input into a coherent set, ready to be used operationally, and verifies participant eligibility against agreed criteria. The original information remains intact — all transformations are derived, auditable layers.
"Process prevails over the particular case (financial closure)."
The financial closure of the campaign. It confronts costs with payments, documents every discrepancy, and produces a unified, auditable report. It does not decide commercial policy — it provides the Beneficiary with a clear numerical picture of the campaign.
"Process prevails over the particular case (doctrinal closure)."
The memory of the standard. Mandatorily activated at the end of every campaign, it extracts the lessons, classifies them (process, calibration, risk, excellence), and integrates them into the PromoGrid Standard. Through Module K, every campaign makes the next one better.
"OPS standardizes the response, it does not improvise it."
The disciplined response to incidents. 18 canonical Playbooks, grouped in six families (platform continuity, prizes, GDPR, reputation, budget, framework documents), with predefined steps, clear roles, and SLAs on four levels (30 minutes, 2 hours, 4 hours, 24 hours). Module L does not eliminate incidents — it eliminates improvisation in the first 30 minutes, the window in which improvisation does the most damage.
Risk
The Risk Matrix
The PromoGrid Standard classifies the risks of a promotion into eight categories. Each category has primary modules responsible for managing it and, where applicable, secondary supporting modules. The Strategic category remains external, in the Beneficiary's decision sphere — the OPS Operator does not assume it, but signals it.
Strategic
external (Beneficiary)
Data
I, A, K
Operational
E, Trunk, K
Logistic
B, C
Financial
J (primary), G (secondary)
Legal / Compliance
F, Trunk
Reputational
D, F, L
Control / Traceability
E, H, K
The matrix is not a static list: it is a living instrument, updated whenever a campaign reveals a new risk. The Reputational category explicitly includes Module L (Playbooks), because the disciplined response to incidents is the primary reputational defense of a promotion in progress.
Documents
Public Deliverables of the PromoGrid Standard
The PromoGrid Standard produces two formal documents intended for the public — Beneficiaries, partners, authorities, and anyone interested in understanding how promotions are operated under this standard.
The External Manual
Operational document addressed to Beneficiaries. It describes, for each module activated in a campaign, what the OPS Operator concretely does, what it does not do, what the Beneficiary receives as a result, and the limits of responsibility. It is the reference document for the contractual relationship — every promise in the External Manual carries operational force.
The White Paper
Doctrinal positioning document. It presents the vision, principles, and underlying logic of the PromoGrid Standard for readers who wish to understand not only how the standard operates, but also why it operates the way it does. It is the document for strategic understanding, not for execution.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Trunk is the permanent component of the PromoGrid Standard — active in any promotion, regardless of type or scale. It contains the immutable principles, governance structure, and base workflow. The 12 modules (A–L) are layered over the Trunk and activated selectively, depending on the complexity of the promotion. The Trunk does not change between campaigns; the modules do.
No. The modules are selective. A simple promotion may require only 3–4 modules. A complex promotion — with prize stock, deliveries to participants, multi-channel support, and financial reconciliation — may activate 10 or even all 12. The nature of the campaign determines which modules are needed.
The matrix classifies the risks of a promotion into eight categories — Strategic, Data, Operational, Logistic, Financial, Legal/Compliance, Reputational, Control/Traceability. Each category has primary modules responsible for managing it. The Strategic category remains under the Beneficiary's responsibility. The matrix is a living instrument — updated whenever a campaign reveals a new risk.
Seven immutable phases, in fixed order: Conceptualization (F1), Configuration (F2), Validation (F3), Launch (F4), Operation (F5), Closure (F6), and Post-Mortem & Learning (F7). Transition between phases is a punctual, documented event. Returning to a previous phase is allowed but requires recorded motivation. F7 has special status — it is a systemic post-campaign activity, mandatory, not a phase of the promotion itself.
Two public documents: the External Manual, addressed to Beneficiaries, describing for each activated module what the OPS Operator does and does not do, what the Beneficiary receives as a result, and the limits of responsibility; and the White Paper, a doctrinal positioning document presenting the vision, principles, and underlying logic of the standard.
Because incident response cannot be improvised. In the first 30 minutes of an incident — outage, data breach, reputational crisis, prize wrongly delivered — improvisation does the most damage. Module L contains 18 canonical Playbooks, grouped in six incident families, with predefined steps, clear roles, and firm SLAs across four levels (30 minutes, 2 hours, 4 hours, 24 hours). OPS standardizes the response — it does not improvise.