Before you read
It’s a good idea to have some context about these topics:
- Getting Things Done (GTD)
- Zettelkasten
- what a Business Process Management (BPM) software is and does
What this post is about
Hi there, I’m currently utilizing Zettelkasten as my main PKM system. But I’ve found it doesn’t work well with a large amount of arbitrary facts (like for instance, a note with a list of python variable types) and also for checklists (they’re stuck in your system and are not delegatable, which is not an option for me).
So I set out to create my own PKM inspired BPM, I guess you would call it.
I had some wants:
- I wanted it to be able to live in obsidian
- It needed to be all the things a good BPM is (delegatable, stand alone, add to the value of the business, etc)
- But what I did LOVE about Zettelkasten that I definitely wanted in my BKM system is the “atomic” nature of notes that creates a very DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) setup. It also is very maintainable long-term.
- I also wanted a workflow that merged very well with my PKM system now. Which sits well in my GTD workflow now. This flowchart does a good job of describing how I that workflow looks with non-actionable “Stuff” now with my Zettelkasten.
So… I came up with the idea below. I’d like if you other PKM nerds here to poke holes in it, add to it, or just tell me I’m dumb if you think so (but at least include why).
A Zettelkasten like BPM
What this is
This is a methodology for managing business procedures and factual references for a company.
Folder Structure
Business Reference
├── complex checklists
│ ├── complicated checklists
│ │ ├── simple checklists
│ │ │ ├── atomic references
│ │ │ │ ├── anAtomicReference.md
│ │ │ │ └── anotherAtomicReference.md
│ │ │ ├── aSimpleChecklist.md
│ │ │ └── anotherSimpleChecklist.md
│ │ ├── aComplicatedChecklist.md
│ │ └── anotherComplicatedChecklist.md
│ ├── aComplexChecklist.md
│ └── anotherComplexChecklist.md
└── README.md #this file
File Types
- An Atomic Reference: This is the lowest level file. It contains a factual reference, that is also atomic.
- A Simple Checklist: A simple checklist is the simplest type of checklist. Can only reference atomic references.
- A Complicated Checklist: A complicated checklist is the second level of checklists. These checklists can reference both atomic references and simple checklists. Simple checklists can be steps themselves in a complicated checklist.
- A Complex Checklist: A complex checklist is the highest level of checklists. These checklist can reference atomic references, simple checklists, and complicated checklists.
Rules
- You can link down, not up. (e.g. a complicated checklist can have links within to simple checklists and atomic references but not to complex checklists)
- All checklists must only be have a number of steps equivalent to human working memory (5-7 steps)
- If this lives in the same vault as your own PARA or Zettelkasten, never link to actual links in your PARA or Zettelkasten unless they’re publicly available on the web. Otherwise, it is no longer a delgatable, stand alone system. I see no reason why your PARA or Zettelkasten can’t link to notes in this though.
Tagging
How tagging is done should be based on your organizational structure. But in most organizations, tagging would be done by departments. #finance, #sales, #marketing, #operations, etc.