| name | arckit-story |
| description | Generate comprehensive project story with timeline analysis, traceability, and governance achievements (project) |
You are helping an enterprise architect generate a comprehensive project story that documents the journey of an ArcKit-managed project from inception to completion, with heavy emphasis on timeline analysis and governance achievements.
This command creates a ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v1.0.md document that serves as:
- A historical record of the project's evolution through the ArcKit governance framework
- A detailed timeline analysis with multiple visualization types (Gantt, flowchart, table, pie chart)
- A demonstration of end-to-end traceability from stakeholder needs to delivery plans
- A showcase of governance quality and compliance achievements
User Input
$ARGUMENTS
Instructions
Note: Before generating, scan projects/ for existing project directories. For each project, list all ARC-*.md artifacts, check external/ for reference documents, and check 000-global/ for cross-project policies. If no external docs exist but they would improve output, ask the user.
Step 0: Read existing artifacts from the project context
MANDATORY (warn if missing):
- PRIN (Architecture Principles, in
projects/000-global/)
- Extract: Governance standards, technology constraints, compliance framework
- If missing: warn user to run
$arckit-principles first — principles are the foundation of the ArcKit governance framework
RECOMMENDED (read if available, note if missing):
- STKE (Stakeholder Analysis) — personas, goals, priorities
- RISK (Risk Register) — risks, mitigations, risk appetite
- SOBC (Business Case) — benefits, costs, ROI
- REQ (Requirements) — BR/FR/NFR/INT/DR traceability
- DATA (Data Model) — entities, relationships, governance
- DIAG (Architecture Diagrams) — C4, deployment, data flow
- RSCH / AWSR / AZUR — technology research
- WARD (Wardley Map) — strategic positioning
- PLAN (Project Plan) — timeline, phases, gates
- SOW / DOS — procurement documents
- EVAL (Evaluation Criteria) — vendor evaluation
- HLDR / DLDR (Design Reviews)
- TCOP (TCoP Assessment)
- SECD / MSBD — security assessments
- DPIA (DPIA)
- AIPB (AI Playbook)
- ATRS (ATRS record)
- BKLG (Product Backlog)
- DEVOPS (DevOps Strategy)
- TRAC (Traceability Matrix)
- ROAD (Roadmap)
- ANAL (Governance Analysis)
Minimum artifact check: A meaningful project story requires at least 3-5 artifacts. If the project has fewer than 3, warn:
⚠️ Warning: This project only has [N] artifacts.
A comprehensive story typically requires at least:
- Architecture principles (global)
- Stakeholder analysis
- Requirements or Risk Register
Consider running more ArcKit commands before generating the story, or proceed
with a limited story based on available artifacts.
Step 0b: Read external documents and policies
- Read any external documents listed in the project context (
external/ files) — extract project history, key milestones, lessons learned, user research insights, governance decisions
- Read any enterprise standards in
projects/000-global/external/ — extract enterprise reporting templates, programme dashboards, cross-project narrative standards
- If no external docs exist but they would enrich the project story, ask: "Do you have any project reports, user research findings, or governance decision records? I can read PDFs directly. Place them in
projects/{project-dir}/external/ and re-run, or skip."
- Citation traceability: When referencing content from external documents, follow the citation instructions in
.arckit/references/citation-instructions.md. Place inline citation markers (e.g., [PP-C1]) next to findings informed by source documents and populate the "External References" section in the template.
Step 1: Identify the target project
- Use the ArcKit Project Context (above) to find the project matching the user's input (by name or number)
- If no match, create a new project:
- Use Glob to list
projects/*/ directories and find the highest NNN-* number (or start at 001 if none exist)
- Calculate the next number (zero-padded to 3 digits, e.g.,
002)
- Slugify the project name (lowercase, replace non-alphanumeric with hyphens, trim)
- Use the Write tool to create
projects/{NNN}-{slug}/README.md with the project name, ID, and date — the Write tool will create all parent directories automatically
- Also create
projects/{NNN}-{slug}/external/README.md with a note to place external reference documents here
- Set
PROJECT_ID = the 3-digit number, PROJECT_PATH = the new directory path
Step 2: Comprehensive Project Artifact Scan
Scan the project directory to find ALL artifacts:
# Find all .md files in the project directory
find "$PROJECT_DIR" -type f -name "*.md" | sort
Expected Artifacts (categorize by type):
Foundation Artifacts:
ARC-*-STKE-*.md - Stakeholder analysis
ARC-000-PRIN-*.md in projects/000-global/ - Architecture principles (global)
ARC-*-RISK-*.md - Risk assessment
Business Case Artifacts:
ARC-*-SOBC-*.md - Strategic Outline Business Case
ARC-*-DATA-*.md - Data model and ERD
Requirements Artifacts:
ARC-*-REQ-*.md - BR/FR/NFR/INT/DR requirements
Strategic Planning Artifacts:
ARC-*-RSCH-*.md - Technology research and build vs buy
wardley-maps/ARC-*-WARD-*.md - Wardley maps
diagrams/ARC-*-DIAG-*.md - C4 and deployment diagrams
ARC-*-PLAN-*.md - Project plan with timeline
Procurement Artifacts:
ARC-*-SOW-*.md - Statement of Work
ARC-*-DOS-*.md - Digital Outcomes and Specialists
ARC-*-EVAL-*.md - Vendor evaluation framework
vendors/*/scoring.md - Vendor scoring sheets
Design Review Artifacts:
vendors/*/reviews/ARC-*-HLDR-*.md - High-Level Design reviews
vendors/*/reviews/ARC-*-DLDR-*.md - Detailed Design reviews
Delivery Artifacts:
ARC-*-BKLG-*.md - Product backlog with user stories
ARC-*-SNOW-*.md - ServiceNow CMDB and SLA design
Compliance Artifacts:
ARC-*-TCOP-*.md - Technology Code of Practice
ARC-*-SVCASS-*.md - GDS Service Assessment
ARC-*-SECD-*.md - Security assessment
ARC-*-SECD-MOD-*.md - MOD security (if defence)
ARC-*-AIPB-*.md - AI Playbook (if AI system)
ARC-*-ATRS-*.md - ATRS (if algorithmic)
ARC-*-JSP936-*.md - MOD AI assurance (if MOD AI)
Governance Artifacts:
ARC-*-TRAC-*.md - End-to-end traceability
ARC-*-ANAL-*.md - Governance quality analysis
For each artifact found, note:
- File path
- File name (maps to ArcKit command used)
- Date created (from file modification time or git log)
- Size (as proxy for completeness)
Step 3: Extract Comprehensive Timeline
Preferred Method: Git Log Analysis
If the project is under git version control, extract the timeline from git history:
cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
# Get detailed git log with timestamps for all project files
git log --follow --format="%ai | %s" --name-only -- . | grep -E "(\.md|^[0-9]{4})"
This will show:
- Timestamps (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)
- Commit messages (which often contain ArcKit command names like "$arckit-requirements")
- Files changed
Parse this data to create timeline events:
- Event date/time
- Command used (extract from commit message)
- Artifact created/modified
- Days from project start
Fallback Method: File Modification Dates
If git log is not available or sparse, use file modification times:
# Get file modification times
stat -c "%y %n" "$PROJECT_DIR"/*.md | sort
stat -c "%y %n" "$PROJECT_DIR"/vendors/*/*.md | sort
stat -c "%y %n" "$PROJECT_DIR"/diagrams/ARC-*-DIAG-*.md | sort
stat -c "%y %n" "$PROJECT_DIR"/wardley-maps/ARC-*-WARD-*.md | sort
Extract Timeline Metrics:
- Project start date: Earliest file/commit date
- Project end date: Latest file/commit date (or "Ongoing")
- Total duration: Days between start and end
- Total artifacts: Count of all .md files found
- Commands executed: Count of unique artifacts (proxy for commands)
- Phase durations: Calculate time spent in each phase based on artifact types
- Velocity: Artifacts per week, commands per week
- Longest phase: Which phase took most time and why
- Shortest phase: Which phase was fastest and why
Timeline Data Structure:
Create an internal data structure like:
Timeline Events:
[
{
date: "2024-01-15",
days_from_start: 0,
event_type: "Foundation",
command: "$arckit-principles",
artifact: "ARC-000-PRIN-v1.0.md",
description: "Established enterprise architecture principles"
},
{
date: "2024-01-18",
days_from_start: 3,
event_type: "Foundation",
command: "$arckit-stakeholders",
artifact: "ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v1.0.md",
description: "Analyzed 8 stakeholders, 12 goals, 15 outcomes"
},
...
]
Step 4: Analyze Each Artifact
For each artifact found, read the file and extract key information:
Stakeholder Analysis (ARC-*-STKE-*.md):
- Count: Number of stakeholders, goals, outcomes
- Key stakeholders: List names/roles
- Primary goals: Extract top 3-5 goals
- Measurable outcomes: Extract metrics
Risk Register (ARC-*-RISK-*.md):
- Total risks: Count
- Risk breakdown: High/medium/low counts
- Top risks: Extract top 3-5 risks with scores
- Mitigation status: How many risks have mitigation plans
SOBC (ARC-*-SOBC-*.md):
- NPV: Net Present Value
- ROI: Return on Investment
- BCR: Benefit-Cost Ratio
- Strategic alignment: Key strategic objectives
- Procurement route: G-Cloud/DOS/Traditional
Requirements (ARC-*-REQ-*.md):
- BR count: Count of BR-xxx requirements
- FR count: Count of FR-xxx requirements
- NFR count: Count of NFR-xxx requirements (breakdown by NFR-P, NFR-SEC, NFR-S, NFR-A, NFR-C)
- INT count: Count of INT-xxx integrations
- DR count: Count of DR-xxx data requirements
- Priority breakdown: Must/Should/Could/Won't counts
- Key requirements: Extract top priority requirements
Data Model (ARC-*-DATA-*.md):
- Entity count: Number of entities defined
- Relationship count: Number of relationships
- GDPR compliance: Lawful basis, data subject rights
- Key entities: List primary entities
Research Findings (ARC-*-RSCH-*.md):
- Options evaluated: Count and list
- Build vs Buy decision: BUILD/BUY/HYBRID
- Rationale: Why decision was made
- Recommended vendor: If buy option chosen
wardley-maps/ARC--WARD-.md:
- Map count: How many maps created
- Map types: Current state, future state, gap analysis, vendor comparison, etc.
- Evolution insights: Key components and their evolution stages
- Strategic recommendations: Build vs buy alignment
diagrams/ARC--DIAG-.md:
- Diagram types: C4 context/container/component, deployment, sequence
- Component count: Number of system components
- Technology stack: Technologies identified in diagrams
- Integration points: External systems
ARC--SOW-.md:
- Procurement route: G-Cloud/DOS/Traditional
- Requirement count: How many requirements in SOW
- Deliverables: Key deliverables listed
- Commercial terms: Payment structure, KPIs
ARC--EVAL-.md & vendors/*/scoring.md:
- Vendors evaluated: Count
- Evaluation criteria: Technical/commercial/social value weights
- Winner: Vendor name and score
- Score breakdown: Individual vendor scores
vendors//reviews/ARC--HLDR-*.md:
- Verdict: APPROVED/APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS/REJECTED
- Principles compliance: Percentage
- Requirements coverage: Percentage
- Strengths: Count of strengths
- Concerns: Count of concerns
- Gaps: Count of gaps
vendors//reviews/ARC--DLDR-*.md:
- Verdict: APPROVED/APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS/REJECTED
- Implementation readiness: Assessment
- Security controls: Status
- Performance optimizations: Status
ARC--BKLG-.md:
- User story count: Total stories
- Sprint count: Number of sprints
- Sprint length: Weeks per sprint
- Estimated duration: Total weeks/months
- Story breakdown: Must/Should/Could/Won't
ARC--SNOW-.md:
- CMDB CIs: Count of configuration items
- SLA count: Number of SLAs defined
- SLA targets: P1/P2/P3/P4 response and resolution times
- Integration: ServiceNow integration approach
Compliance artifacts (ARC--TCOP-.md, ARC--SVCASS-.md, ARC--SECD-.md, etc.):
- Compliance score: X/Y points
- Compliance percentage: Score as percentage
- Status: PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL or READY/NOT READY
- Key findings: List main findings
- Framework name: TCoP, GDS Service Standard, NCSC CAF, etc.
Traceability Matrix (ARC-*-TRAC-*.md):
- Traceability coverage: Percentage
- Traceability counts: How many links in each traceability chain
- Gaps: Any gaps in traceability
ARC--ANAL-.md:
- Artifacts analyzed: Count
- Completeness: Percentage
- Quality score: Overall governance quality
- Recommendations: Key recommendations
Step 5: Build Traceability Chains
Using the data extracted from artifacts, map the traceability chains:
Chain 1: Stakeholder → Requirements
- Stakeholder Goals → Business Requirements (BR-xxx)
- Count: How many goals mapped to how many BRs
Chain 2: Requirements → Design
- Business Requirements → Functional Requirements
- Functional Requirements → Architecture Components (from diagrams)
- Non-Functional Requirements → NFR specifications
Chain 3: Requirements → Vendor
- Requirements → SOW Requirements
- SOW Requirements → Evaluation Criteria
- Evaluation Criteria → Vendor Selection
Chain 4: Requirements → Delivery
- Functional Requirements → User Stories
- User Stories → Sprint Backlog
Chain 5: Data Flow
- Data Model Entities → Data Requirements (DR-xxx)
- Data Requirements → CMDB Configuration Items
Chain 6: Compliance Flow
- Requirements → Compliance Assessments
- Architecture Principles → Design Reviews
- Risk Register → Security Assessments
Step 5b: Load Mermaid Syntax References
Read .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/gantt.md, .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/flowchart.md, .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/pie.md, .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/timeline.md, and .arckit/skills/mermaid-syntax/references/mindmap.md for official Mermaid syntax — date formats, task statuses, node shapes, edge labels, pie chart syntax, timeline formatting, mindmap indentation, and styling options.
Step 6: Generate Timeline Visualizations
Create 4 types of timeline visualizations using the timeline data extracted:
Visualization 1: Gantt Chart
Use Mermaid gantt syntax to create a visual timeline by phase:
gantt
title [PROJECT_NAME] Project Timeline
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
section Foundation
Architecture Principles :done, principles, [START_DATE], [DURATION]
Stakeholder Analysis :done, stakeholders, after principles, [DURATION]
Risk Assessment :done, risk, after stakeholders, [DURATION]
section Business Case
Strategic Outline Business Case :done, sobc, [DATE], [DURATION]
Data Model :done, data, after sobc, [DURATION]
section Requirements
Requirements Definition :done, req, [DATE], [DURATION]
Wardley Mapping :done, wardley, after req, [DURATION]
Technology Research :done, research, after req, [DURATION]
section Procurement
Statement of Work :done, sow, [DATE], [DURATION]
Vendor Evaluation :done, eval, after sow, [DURATION]
section Design
Architecture Diagrams :done, diagrams, [DATE], [DURATION]
High-Level Design Review :done, hld, after diagrams, [DURATION]
Detailed Design Review :done, dld, after hld, [DURATION]
section Delivery
Product Backlog :done, backlog, [DATE], [DURATION]
ServiceNow Design :done, snow, after backlog, [DURATION]
section Compliance
Service Assessment :done, assessment, [DATE], [DURATION]
Secure by Design :done, secure, after assessment, [DURATION]
section Governance
Traceability Matrix :done, trace, [DATE], [DURATION]
Quality Analysis :done, analyze, after trace, [DURATION]
Important: Use actual dates from timeline data. Calculate durations between events. Only include phases/commands that actually exist in the project.
Visualization 2: Linear Command Flow Timeline
Use Mermaid flowchart with dates on each command node:
flowchart TD
Start([Project Initiated<br/>[START_DATE]]) --> Principles
Principles["arckit.principles<br/>[DATE]<br/>Architecture Principles"] --> Stakeholders
Stakeholders["arckit.stakeholders<br/>[DATE]<br/>Stakeholder Analysis"] --> Risk
Risk["arckit.risk<br/>[DATE]<br/>Risk Register"] --> SOBC
[... continue for all commands actually executed ...]
Trace["arckit.traceability<br/>[DATE]<br/>Traceability Matrix"] --> Analyze
Analyze["arckit.analyze<br/>[DATE]<br/>Quality Analysis"] --> End
End([Project Complete<br/>[END_DATE]])
style Start fill:#e1f5e1
style End fill:#e1f5e1
Visualization 3: Timeline Table
Create a detailed table with all events:
| # | Date | Days from Start | Event Type | Command | Artifact | Description |
|---|
| 1 | [DATE] | 0 | Foundation | $arckit-principles | ARC-000-PRIN-v1.0.md | Established enterprise architecture principles |
| 2 | [DATE] | [DAYS] | Foundation | $arckit-stakeholders | ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v1.0.md | Analyzed [N] stakeholders, [M] goals, [P] outcomes |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Visualization 4: Phase Duration Pie Chart
Calculate percentage of time spent in each phase:
pie title Project Phase Time Distribution
"Foundation (Principles, Stakeholders, Risk)" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Business Case & Requirements" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Research & Strategic Planning" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Procurement & Vendor Selection" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Design & Review" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Delivery Planning" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Compliance & Security" : [PERCENTAGE]
"Governance & Traceability" : [PERCENTAGE]
Step 7: Generate Additional Mermaid Diagrams
Timeline Milestone Chart:
timeline
title [PROJECT_NAME] Key Milestones
[START_DATE] : Project Initiated
: Architecture Principles Established
[DATE] : Stakeholder Analysis Complete
: [N] Stakeholders, [M] Goals
[DATE] : Business Case Approved
: SOBC (5-case model)
[... key milestones with dates ...]
[END_DATE] : Project Governance Complete
: Traceability Matrix Verified
Traceability Chain Flowchart:
flowchart TD
subgraph Foundation
Principles[Architecture<br/>Principles<br/>[N] principles]
Stakeholders[Stakeholder<br/>Analysis<br/>[M] stakeholders]
Risk[Risk<br/>Register<br/>[Q] risks]
end
subgraph Requirements
BR[Business<br/>Requirements<br/>[BR_COUNT] BR]
FR[Functional<br/>Requirements<br/>[FR_COUNT] FR]
NFR[Non-Functional<br/>Requirements<br/>[NFR_COUNT] NFR]
end
[... show full traceability flow ...]
style Principles fill:#fff4e6
style Requirements fill:#e1f5e1
Governance Achievements Mind Map:
mindmap
root((Project<br/>Achievements))
Foundation
Architecture Principles Established
[N] Stakeholders Engaged
[M] Risks Managed
Business Case
SOBC Approved
[NPV] NPV
Data Model GDPR Compliant
[... continue for all phases ...]
Step 8: Write Design & Delivery Review Chapters
For the 2 key chapters in the template, write a comprehensive narrative using the data extracted:
Chapter 6: Design Review - Validating the Solution
- Timeline context: Dates, duration, percentage of project timeline
- What happened: Vendor designs underwent rigorous ArcKit governance reviews
- Key activities:
- High-Level Design Review (HLD): Assessment against principles, requirements, NFRs, risks
- Detailed Design Review (DLD): API specs, database schemas, security controls, performance
- Findings: Strengths, concerns, gaps for both HLD and DLD
- Verdict: APPROVED/APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS/REJECTED for each review
- Decision Points: HLD review decision, DLD review decision
- Traceability Chain: Principles → HLD, Requirements → HLD/DLD, Risk → DLD
- Artifacts created: ARC--HLDR-.md, ARC--DLDR-.md
Chapter 7: Delivery Planning - From Requirements to Sprints
- Timeline context: Dates, duration, percentage of project
- What happened: Translating approved designs into delivery plans
- Key activities:
- Product Backlog: Requirements → GDS user stories, MoSCoW prioritization, sprint planning
- ServiceNow Design: CMDB CIs, SLA definitions, incident/change management workflows
- Backlog Summary: Story count, sprint count, velocity assumptions
- Traceability Chain: Requirements → User Stories → Sprint Backlog, Components → CMDB CIs
- Artifacts created: ARC--BKLG-.md, ARC--SNOW-.md
Step 9: Calculate Timeline Metrics
Create a comprehensive metrics table:
| Metric | Value | Analysis |
|---|
| Project Duration | [TOTAL_DAYS] days ([TOTAL_WEEKS] weeks) | [Analysis: faster/slower than typical] |
| Average Phase Duration | [AVG_DAYS] days | [Comparison] |
| Longest Phase | [PHASE_NAME] ([DAYS] days) | [Why this took longest] |
| Shortest Phase | [PHASE_NAME] ([DAYS] days) | [Why this was fastest] |
| Commands per Week | [VELOCITY] | [Velocity analysis] |
| Artifacts per Week | [VELOCITY] | [Output rate] |
| Time to First Artifact | [DAYS] days | From start to ARC-000-PRIN-v1.0.md |
| Time to Requirements | [DAYS] days | Critical milestone |
| Time to Vendor Selection | [DAYS] days | Critical milestone |
| Time to Design Review | [DAYS] days | Critical milestone |
| Compliance Time | [DAYS] days ([PERCENTAGE]% of total) | Time on compliance |
Step 10: Write Timeline Insights & Analysis
Write comprehensive analysis sections:
Pacing Analysis:
- Overall pacing assessment: Steady/Accelerated/Extended
- Phase-by-phase analysis
- Comparison to typical ArcKit projects
Critical Path:
- Identify the critical path through the project
- Show longest dependency chains
- Identify parallel workstreams that could have been done concurrently
Timeline Deviations:
- Expected vs actual durations (if project plan exists)
- Reasons for deviations
- Impact assessment
Velocity Metrics:
- Commands per week over time
- Peak velocity periods
- Slowest periods and reasons
Lessons Learned:
- What went well (timeline perspective)
- What could be improved
- Recommendations for future projects
Step 11: Detect Version
Before generating the document ID, check if a previous version exists:
- Look for existing
ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v*.md files in the project directory
- If no existing file: Use VERSION="1.0"
- If existing file found:
- Read the existing document to understand its scope
- Compare against current project artifacts and timeline
- Minor increment (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1): Scope unchanged — refreshed metrics, updated timeline, corrected details
- Major increment (e.g., 1.0 → 2.0): Scope materially changed — new project phases covered, fundamentally different achievements, significant new artifacts added
- Use the determined version for document ID, filename, Document Control, and Revision History
- For v1.1+/v2.0+: Add a Revision History entry describing what changed from the previous version
Step 12: Construct Document Control Metadata
Construct document control fields:
- Document ID:
ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v{VERSION} (e.g., ARC-001-STORY-v1.0)
- Date Created: Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
Document control fields:
{document_id}: Generated doc ID (e.g., ARC-001-STORY-v1.0)
{version}: v${VERSION}
{status}: Final
{date_created}: Today's date
{last_updated}: Today's date
{project_id}: From project directory name (e.g., 001)
Step 13: Read Template and Populate
Read the story template:
Read the template (with user override support):
- First, check if
.arckit/templates-custom/story-template.md exists in the project root
- If found: Read the user's customized template (user override takes precedence)
- If not found: Read
.arckit/templates/story-template.md (default)
- Then read
.arckit/templates/_partials/RENDERING.md and resolve the <!-- DOC-CONTROL-HEADER --> marker in the template before writing. Do not hand-write the Document Control table: the partial RENDERING.md selects is the only source of the 14 standard fields and of the classification ladder.
Tip: Users can customize templates with $arckit-customize story
Populate ALL placeholders in the template with real data:
Square bracket placeholders (manual placeholders in template):
[PROJECT_NAME] → Actual project name
[START_DATE] → Earliest date from timeline
[END_DATE] → Latest date from timeline
[TOTAL_DAYS] → Calculated duration
[TOTAL_WEEKS] → Calculated duration in weeks
[ARTIFACT_COUNT] → Count of artifacts found
[COMMAND_COUNT] → Count of commands executed
[N], [M], [P], [Q] → Actual counts from artifact analysis
[BR_COUNT], [FR_COUNT], [NFR_COUNT], etc. → Actual requirement counts
[DATE] → Actual dates from timeline
[DAYS] → Actual day counts
[PERCENTAGE] → Actual calculated percentages
[VENDOR_NAME] → Actual vendor name if selected
[BUILD/BUY] → Actual decision
- All other placeholders → Replace with actual data
Curly brace placeholders (document control):
{document_id} → Generated document ID
{version} → v1.0
{status} → Final
{date_created} → Today's date
{last_updated} → Today's date
{project_id} → Project ID
CRITICAL:
- Replace EVERY placeholder with real data
- If data is not available, use "Not available" or "N/A"
- Ensure all Mermaid diagrams have real dates and data
- Ensure all tables are complete with real counts
- Write full narrative paragraphs for each chapter with real project details
Before writing the file, read .arckit/references/quality-checklist.md and verify all Common Checks plus the STORY per-type checks pass. Fix any failures before proceeding.
Step 14: Write ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v${VERSION}.md Using Write Tool
CRITICAL: Use the Write tool to create the document. Do NOT output the full content in your response.
Write tool:
- file_path: projects/[PROJECT_ID]-[PROJECT_NAME]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v1.0.md
- content: [Full populated template with all placeholders replaced]
The document will be 2000-3000 lines with:
- Complete document control
- Executive summary with metrics
- 4 timeline visualizations
- Timeline metrics table
- Milestone timeline
- 2 detailed narrative chapters (Design Review & Delivery Planning)
- Timeline insights & analysis
- Complete traceability chain with Mermaid diagrams
- Key outcomes & achievements
- 5 comprehensive appendices
Step 15: Show Concise Summary to User
After writing the file, show the user a concise summary (NOT the full document):
✅ Project story generated: projects/001-cabinet-office-genai/ARC-001-STORY-v1.0.md
📊 **Project Timeline Summary**
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
**Project**: Cabinet Office GenAI Chatbot Platform
**Duration**: 79 days (11 weeks) from 2024-01-15 to 2024-04-03
**Artifacts Created**: 23 artifacts
**Commands Executed**: 22 ArcKit commands
**Velocity**: 2.0 commands/week
📅 **Timeline Breakdown**
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Phase Duration % of Project
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Foundation 8 days 10%
Business Case & Requirements 12 days 15%
Research & Strategic Planning 15 days 19%
Procurement & Vendor Selection 14 days 18%
Design & Review 10 days 13%
Delivery Planning 8 days 10%
Compliance & Security 8 days 10%
Governance & Traceability 4 days 5%
🎯 **Key Achievements**
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✅ Architecture Principles Established
✅ 8 Stakeholders Analyzed → 12 Goals → 15 Outcomes
✅ 35 Risks Identified (8 high, 15 medium, 12 low)
✅ Business Case: NPV £2.4M, ROI 187%, BCR 2.87
✅ 142 Requirements Defined (23 BR, 45 FR, 52 NFR, 12 INT, 10 DR)
✅ Data Model: 12 entities, GDPR compliant
✅ Build vs Buy: BUY decision (Azure OpenAI + GOV.UK services)
✅ Vendor Selected: Microsoft (92/100 score) via G-Cloud
✅ HLD + DLD Approved
✅ 67 User Stories → 12 Sprints (24 weeks delivery)
✅ TCoP: 13/13 points ✓
✅ Service Standard: 14/14 points (Ready for Beta)
✅ NCSC CAF: 14/14 principles ✓
✅ Traceability: 98% coverage ✓
📈 **Timeline Insights**
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• Research phase (19% of project) was critical for build vs buy decision
• Wardley mapping enabled rapid vendor selection
• Parallel compliance work accelerated governance validation
• Peak velocity: Week 4 (requirements + data model + research)
• Critical path: Principles → Stakeholders → Requirements → Research → Vendor → Design Reviews
📄 **Document Contents**
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The 2,400-line ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v1.0.md includes:
✓ Executive summary with timeline snapshot
✓ 4 timeline visualizations (Gantt, flowchart, table, pie chart)
✓ Timeline metrics analysis
✓ Milestone timeline
✓ 2 detailed narrative chapters (Design Review & Delivery Planning)
✓ Timeline insights & lessons learned
✓ Complete traceability chain with Mermaid diagrams
✓ Governance achievements mind map
✓ 5 comprehensive appendices (artifact register, activity log, DSM, command reference, glossary)
🔗 **Traceability Verified**
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Stakeholders (8) → Goals (12) → Outcomes (15)
Goals → Business Reqs (23) → Functional Reqs (45)
Requirements (142) → User Stories (67) → Sprints (12)
Data Model (12 entities) → Data Reqs (10) → CMDB CIs (28)
Requirements → Architecture Components → Tests
Coverage: 98% ✓
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The story demonstrates systematic architecture governance from stakeholder needs through to delivery plans, with full timeline visibility and end-to-end traceability.
Adapt the summary based on actual project data. Show real numbers, real dates, real achievements.
Important Notes
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Prerequisites first: Always check that architecture principles exist before generating a story. The principles command ($arckit-principles) is the foundation of the ArcKit governance framework and should be the FIRST command run in any project.
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Use Write tool: The ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v1.0.md will be 2000-3000 lines. You MUST use the Write tool to avoid exceeding token limits.
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Real data only: Replace ALL placeholders with real data extracted from artifacts. No "[PLACEHOLDER]" should remain in the final document.
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Timeline emphasis: The story is primarily about the timeline. Every chapter should have timeline context (dates, durations, pacing analysis).
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Git log preferred: If available, use git log for most accurate timeline. Fall back to file modification dates if needed.
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Comprehensive analysis: Don't just list what happened - analyze why, how it compares to typical projects, what lessons can be learned.
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Mermaid diagrams: Generate at least 7-10 Mermaid diagrams (Gantt, flowchart, table, pie, timeline, traceability, mind map, DSM).
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Traceability: Show complete end-to-end traceability chains with actual counts.
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Metrics: Calculate real metrics (velocity, phase durations, percentages).
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Narrative: Write engaging narrative chapters that tell the story of how the project evolved, not just a dry list of facts.
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Quality: This is a showcase document. Make it comprehensive, accurate, and professionally written.
- Markdown escaping: When writing less-than or greater-than comparisons, always include a space after
< or > (e.g., < 3 seconds, > 99.9% uptime) to prevent markdown renderers from interpreting them as HTML tags or emoji
Example Usage
# Generate story for a specific project
$arckit-story Cabinet Office GenAI
# Generate story for project by number
$arckit-story 009
# Let user choose from list
$arckit-story
# Generate story for current directory
cd projects/009-cabinet-office-genai
$arckit-story .
Success Criteria
- ✅ Prerequisites checked (architecture principles exist)
- ✅ ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STORY-v1.0.md created in project directory
- ✅ All timeline data extracted from git log or file dates
- ✅ All placeholders replaced with real data
- ✅ 4 timeline visualizations generated
- ✅ 2 key narrative chapters written (Design Review, Delivery Planning)
- ✅ Timeline metrics calculated
- ✅ Timeline insights & lessons learned written
- ✅ Complete traceability chain documented
- ✅ All Mermaid diagrams generated with real data
- ✅ Comprehensive appendices included
- ✅ Document control metadata populated
- ✅ Concise summary shown to user
This command creates a comprehensive historical record and demonstration of the ArcKit governance framework in action, with timeline as a first-class feature throughout.