{"id":4904,"date":"2026-10-30T17:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T17:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/what-we-think\/clear-framework\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T13:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T13:11:39","slug":"clear-framework","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-think\/clear-framework\/","title":{"rendered":"CLEAR Framework"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"phero lit ip-hero clr-hero\" aria-labelledby=\"h-cl-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div>\n        <nav class=\"crumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-think\/\">Insights<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\/<\/span><span>CLEAR<\/span><\/nav>\n        <h1 id=\"h-cl-en\" class=\"ho-in\">CLEAR Framework<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Modeling processes when AI does part of the work.<\/span><\/h1>\n        <p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Five roles, two rules and a foundation for processes in which people and AI agents work together. In the HandsOn AI Operating Model, CLEAR is the design tool of domain D05, processes.<\/p>\n        <div class=\"row ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><a class=\"btn btn-p\" href=\"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-think\/clear-framework\/#film-cl-en\">Watch the film <span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"lnk\" href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/CLEAR-Framework-HandsOn-Whitepaper-EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download the white paper (PDF)<\/a><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <ol class=\"clr-word ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\" aria-label=\"CLEAR: Consults, Leads, Executes, Approves, Reviews\"><li style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"lt\">C<\/span><span class=\"wd\">Consults<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"lt\">L<\/span><span class=\"wd\">Leads<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"lt\">E<\/span><span class=\"wd\">Executes<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:3\"><span class=\"lt\">A<\/span><span class=\"wd\">Approves<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:4\"><span class=\"lt\">R<\/span><span class=\"wd\">Reviews<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec-s vid-sec\" id=\"film-cl-en\" aria-label=\"Film\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"vid ho-in\"><video id=\"v-cl-en\" preload=\"none\" playsinline=\"\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/handson-v4\/media\/clear-poster.jpg\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/handson-clear-framework-2026-11.mp4\"><\/video><button class=\"vid-play\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play the film\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-pr-en-cl\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-pr-en-cl\" class=\"ho-in\">Where the AI step disappears<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Three questions per step.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Flowcharts, swimlanes and RACI matrices assume every actor is a person. An AI step then ends up in a person\u2019s box or in a box labelled \u201csystem\u201d that nobody owns. Both hide who carries the responsibility.<\/p><\/div>\n      <div class=\"clr-fail\"><div class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">Standstill<\/span><p>Nobody dares to hand important tasks to AI because it is unclear who answers for a mistake.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"eyebrow\">Drift<\/span><p>AI quietly takes on more and more, and accountability dissolves step by step.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"clr-q3\"><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">01<\/span><h3>Who leads?<\/h3><p>Which person is accountable for the outcome, even when a machine does most of the work?<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">02<\/span><h3>Who or what executes?<\/h3><p>Is the step done by a person, an AI agent or both together?<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"n\">03<\/span><h3>Where must a person approve?<\/h3><p>At which points does the work wait until someone has checked it?<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-ro-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-ro-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Five roles<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">One row per process step.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">CLEAR keeps the simple table anyone can fill in. The columns are new: RACI has four roles, CLEAR has five.<\/p><\/div>\n      <table class=\"clr-t\"><thead><tr><th scope=\"col\">Role<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Meaning<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Person or AI?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><th scope=\"row\"><span class=\"lt\">C<\/span>Consults<\/th><td>Provides input: a colleague, an expert or an agent. Data belongs in the context layer.<\/td><td><span class=\"who\">Both<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><th scope=\"row\"><span class=\"lt\">L<\/span>Leads<\/th><td>Is accountable for the outcome. Exactly one person per step.<\/td><td><span class=\"who hu\">Always a person<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><th scope=\"row\"><span class=\"lt\">E<\/span>Executes<\/th><td>Does the work.<\/td><td><span class=\"who\">Both<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:3\"><th scope=\"row\"><span class=\"lt\">A<\/span>Approves<\/th><td>Signs off. Nothing moves on without this approval.<\/td><td><span class=\"who\">A person where it matters<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:4\"><th scope=\"row\"><span class=\"lt\">R<\/span>Reviews<\/th><td>Checks finished work afterwards, often by sampling.<\/td><td><span class=\"who\">Depends on the process design<\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec dark lit\" aria-labelledby=\"h-ru-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-ru-en\" class=\"ho-in\">Two rules<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Without exception.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"clr-ru\"><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">01<\/span><p class=\"stmt\">Leadership stays with a person.<\/p><p>An AI system can execute, contribute or pre-check. It never leads a step. A named person always answers for the outcome. This is also the core of what the EU AI Act means by human oversight.<\/p><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">02<\/span><p class=\"stmt\">Every AI chain has a checkpoint.<\/p><p>When one agent hands work to another, a person or a defined, logged machine check reviews it in between.<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec\" aria-labelledby=\"h-cx-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-cx-en\" class=\"ho-in\">The context layer<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">The foundation under the process.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">Roles define who does what. Whether the work can be done well depends on information. An AI agent only works with what it can reach through your systems.<\/p><\/div>\n      <figure class=\"ctx ho-in\">\n        <ol class=\"ctx-p\"><li class=\"ai\"><span>E \u00b7 AI<\/span><b>Check the request<\/b><\/li><li class=\"ai\"><span>E \u00b7 AI<\/span><b>Create a draft<\/b><\/li><li class=\"hu\"><span>A \u00b7 Person<\/span><b>Approve<\/b><\/li><li class=\"ai\"><span>E \u00b7 AI<\/span><b>Write back<\/b><\/li><\/ol>\n        <svg class=\"ctx-w\" viewBox=\"0 0 400 40\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M50 0V40M150 0V40M350 0V40\"><\/path><\/svg>\n        <div class=\"ctx-l\"><span class=\"ctx-k\">Context Layer<\/span><ol><li style=\"--i:0\"><b>Single source of truth<\/b><span>For each piece of information, exactly one system holds the valid version.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:1\"><b>Labelling<\/b><span>Every record shows who owns it, how current and how confidential it is.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:2\"><b>Permissions<\/b><span>Every agent sees exactly what its task requires.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:3\"><b>Connections<\/b><span>Agents reach systems through controlled interfaces.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"--i:4\"><b>Write-back<\/b><span>Results flow back so the next step can use them.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\n        <figcaption>\u201eInformation becomes context when a machine can find it, trust it and is allowed to use it.\u201c<\/figcaption>\n      <\/figure>\n      <p class=\"ctx-note ho-in\">As long as the context layer does not meet these five points, a person reviews every result. The gap between process model and systems is your roadmap.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-ti-en\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-ti-en\" class=\"ho-in\">The time dimension<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Where work waits for people.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><p class=\"lead ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\">CLEAR captures processing time and waiting time for every step. AI cuts processing time drastically. Waiting time at steps that need a person stays. At every approval the work stands still until someone signs off.<\/p><\/div>\n      <figure class=\"tb ho-in\" aria-label=\"Schematic illustration\">\n        <div class=\"tb-r\"><span>Today<\/span><div class=\"tb-bar\"><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:6;--n:6\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-t\" style=\"--g:14;--n:14\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:8;--n:8\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-t\" style=\"--g:16;--n:16\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:6;--n:6\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-t\" style=\"--g:12;--n:12\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:4;--n:4\"><\/i><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"tb-r\"><span>Target with AI<\/span><div class=\"tb-bar tb-ai\"><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:1;--n:6\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-t\" style=\"--g:2;--n:14\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:1;--n:8\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-a\" style=\"--g:15;--n:16\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:1;--n:6\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-t\" style=\"--g:2;--n:12\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-w\" style=\"--g:0.6;--n:4\"><\/i><i class=\"tb-x\" style=\"--g:43.4;--n:0\"><\/i><\/div><\/div>\n        <figcaption><span><i class=\"tb-w\"><\/i>Processing<\/span><span><i class=\"tb-t\"><\/i>Waiting<\/span><span><i class=\"tb-a\"><\/i>Approval<\/span><em>Schematic illustration<\/em><\/figcaption>\n      <\/figure>\n      <ul class=\"clr-b\"><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><b>Approval jam<\/b><span>Too many results need sign-off from too few people.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><b>Concentration<\/b><span>All approvals land on one desk, usually with management.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><b>Handovers and batching<\/b><span>Work piles up until the weekly meeting or month end.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:3\"><b>Office hours<\/b><span>The agent also works at night. The approval waits until morning.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"sec rule-top\" aria-labelledby=\"h-st-en-cl\">\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <div class=\"head\"><div><h2 id=\"h-st-en-cl\" class=\"ho-in\">How we model with CLEAR<span class=\"dot\">.<\/span> <span class=\"t2\">Five passes.<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n      <ol class=\"clr-st\"><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\"><span class=\"n\">01<\/span><b>Think steps from the outcome<\/b><span>Many steps exist only because people batch work or hand it over by email. A process with AI does not have to keep them.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\"><span class=\"n\">02<\/span><b>Assign the five roles to each step<\/b><span>One lead, always a person. One executor, person or AI. Consult, approve and review where they are needed.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\"><span class=\"n\">03<\/span><b>Place checkpoints deliberately<\/b><span>Approval belongs where a mistake is expensive, irreversible or visible to customers. Everywhere else a review is enough.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:3\"><span class=\"n\">04<\/span><b>Check the context<\/b><span>For every AI step: where does the information come from, and does it meet the five points of the context layer?<\/span><\/li><li class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:4\"><span class=\"n\">05<\/span><b>Capture time for every step<\/b><span>Processing and waiting time today and in the target picture. Where work waits for a person, you find your bottlenecks and your business case.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n      <div class=\"nx3\"><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:0\" href=\"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-think\/ai-operating-model\/\"><span>Place in the model<\/span><b>AI Operating Model, D05<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:1\" href=\"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/what-we-do\/ai-implementation\/\"><span>CLEAR in practice<\/span><b>AI Implementation<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><a class=\"ho-in\" style=\"--i:2\" href=\"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/clear-framework-process-modeling-ai\/\"><span>Summary<\/span><b>Read the article<\/b><span class=\"ar\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home\/Insights\/CLEAR CLEAR Framework. Modeling processes when AI does part of the work. Five roles, two rules and a foundation for processes in which people and AI agents work together. In the HandsOn AI Operating Model, CLEAR is the design tool of domain D05, processes. Watch the film \u2192Download the white paper (PDF) CConsults LLeads EExecutes&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1690,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"fullwidth","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"unboxed","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"hide","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4904","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4904"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4943,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4904\/revisions\/4943"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wearehandson.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}