planning-decompose

name	planning-decompose
effort	medium
description	When a meld contains multiple interdependent or multi-trade work items, decompose it into parallel and sequential workstreams before acting. Prevents dispatching trade A before trade B's prerequisite work is done.
triggers	["complex meld","multiple trades","multi-step repair","sequential work","decompose","planning"]

Planning Decompose

Use this skill when a meld describes more than one problem, involves multiple trades, or has sequential dependencies. Do not dispatch anything until the workstream map is built.

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When to Invoke

Invoke automatically when a meld description or thread contains ANY of:

• Two or more trade keywords (plumbing + flooring, HVAC + electrical, etc.)
• Language implying sequence ("once the leak is fixed, then...", "after demo...")
• Unknown scope requiring diagnosis before dispatch
• Multiple rooms or units affected

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Step 1 — Read the Full Thread

python3 scripts/pm-get-comments.py <meld_id>

Never decompose from the subject line. Read the thread.

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Step 2 — Identify Workstreams

For each distinct problem in the meld:

Stream	Trade	Independent or Sequential?	Gate Condition
A	e.g., Plumbing	Gate for B	Leak must be fixed first
B	e.g., Flooring	Sequential after A	Cannot replace floor until dry
C	e.g., Painting	Sequential after B	Cannot paint until floor is in

Independent: can be dispatched simultaneously
Sequential: must wait for a prior stream to complete — name the gate condition explicitly

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Step 3 — Classify Each Stream

For each stream, determine:

• Trade: which vendor category handles it
• Urgency: Emergency / High / Normal / Low (see pm-meld-triage for definitions)
• Vendor: recommended vendor (or "unknown — diagnosis needed first")
• Blocking: which other streams, if any, this stream must complete before

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Step 4 — Surface the Plan to David

Format the plan as a numbered list. Do NOT send a wall of text. One line per stream:

Meld <id> — <address> — multi-stream:

1. [URGENT] Plumbing (Stubblefield) — stop active leak → gates Stream 2
2. [Normal] Flooring (CT Flooring) — replace damaged subfloor → wait for Stream 1 completion + dry-out (est. 48–72h)
3. [Low] Painting (in-house: Carlos) — touch-up after flooring complete

Recommend: dispatch Stream 1 today. Hold Streams 2–3 until leak confirmed dry.

Then create an approval if dispatch is needed, per the approvals skill.

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Step 5 — Track Gates in Daily Memory

For any sequential stream with a pending gate condition, log the gate in today's memory file:

## Gated Workstream: Meld <id>
- Stream 2 (Flooring) blocked until: Stream 1 (plumbing) closed + 48h dry-out confirmed
- Check date: <today + 3 days>

On each heartbeat, check if any gated stream's condition has been met.

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Common Multi-Trade Patterns

Pattern	Streams	Dispatch order
Water intrusion + floor damage	Plumbing → Flooring → Paint	Sequential
HVAC + pest (unrelated)	HVAC / Pest	Independent — dispatch simultaneously
Electrical + HVAC (shared breaker issue)	Electrical diagnosis first → HVAC	Sequential
Make-ready unit turnover	Cleaning + Paint + Flooring + Appliance check	Independent except appliance = last
Sewer backup + flooring + mold risk	Plumbing → Mold test → Flooring	Sequential, flag mold as High

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Guardrails

• Never dispatch a downstream trade before its gate condition is confirmed met
• If scope is truly unknown (e.g., "everything is broken"), schedule a diagnosis visit first — do not dispatch multiple trades blind
• If the resident describes a safety risk in any stream, that stream overrides the plan and routes through habitability override in pm-meld-triage

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Use this skill before pm-meld-triage when the meld has multiple items. After decomposing, run each stream through pm-meld-triage individually.