ONE MILLION
DOLLAR COMPANY.

WORK 25 / A PAPER PROCESS

Please
Forward

FOR YOUR ATTENTION →

Management has forwarded this for your attention.

Choose what four desks do, connect them, and follow what happens to the same memo.

A fictional paper process. Nothing is sent to an actual desk.

The current arrangement.

MANUAL / ONE ROUND AT A TIME

Each round, every desk acts on at most its first waiting memo. New arrivals wait until a later round. Memos join the back of a queue; passing to the same desk moves a memo to the back.

Pass moves the same memo. Copy replaces it with two new memos, each labelled with its parent. File removes it. Hold keeps it first. You can change any rule while memos are waiting.

Choosing a start leaves the current memos, counters and last-round record where they are. It is used when you restart this setup.

Keep the four rules and start one original memo at Desk A. Replace the current queues, counters and last-round record. Undo can restore them.

Round
0
Waiting
1 / 32 maximum
Filed
0
Next memo
#2

Each occupied desk acts once on its first memo.

Add a new original memo to the back of Desk A’s queue.

No previous change is available.

Return to the company’s default rules and its starting desk A. This can be undone.

Memo #1 is waiting at Desk A. Choose the rules, then advance a round when you want.

Undo restores the complete previous table: rules, chosen start, queues, memo IDs, counters and the last-round record. Up to 32 previous tables are kept, including the one before a restart.

A setup link carries the four desks’ settings, including destinations kept while inactive, and the chosen starting desk. It leaves out memos, results and history. Making a link sends nothing.

Desk APass→ Desk B

Desk BCopy→ Desk C + Desk D

Desk CPass→ Desk D

Desk DFile→ Filed

Desk A

1 memo waiting

PASS

Pass uses the first destination. The second choice is retained for Copy.

Move the same front memo to Desk B. It joins the back of that queue.

Waiting at Desk A

FIRST → LAST
  1. FIRSTMemo #1Original memo · no parent
Desk B

0 memos waiting

COPY

One copy goes to each destination. Both may be the same desk.

Replace the front memo with two new copies: one at Desk C, one at Desk D.

Waiting at Desk B

FIRST → LAST

    No memo waiting at Desk B.

    Desk C

    0 memos waiting

    PASS

    Pass uses the first destination. The second choice is retained for Copy.

    Move the same front memo to Desk D. It joins the back of that queue.

    Waiting at Desk C

    FIRST → LAST

      No memo waiting at Desk C.

      Desk D

      0 memos waiting

      FILE

      Destination choices are retained while this desk does not send memos.

      Remove the front memo and add one to the filed count.

      Waiting at Desk D

      FIRST → LAST

        No memo waiting at Desk D.

        At most 32 memos may wait across all four desks. If a round would exceed that limit, the whole round is refused and the table stays as it was. Change a rule, undo a change, or leave it here.

        Last round.

        NO ROUND YET

        This record shows what the desks did in the last round. Changing rules or adding a memo leaves it as it was; undo restores the previous table’s record.

        No round has been advanced.

        Keep one beside the next.

        ONE REFERENCE / THIS VISIT

        Keep a complete table here, then continue changing the process above. Its settings, queues and last-round record stay together while the current table moves on.

        Keeping, replacing and clearing a reference do not use Undo. Undo and every restart change only the current table.

        No reference is kept. The current table is ready whenever you want to keep it.