Escalation Paths Should Start Before the Incident Clock Does

Escalation paths should be part of the workflow design before incidents happen because improvising authority under pressure slows every other response.

Escalation is part of workflow design, not a backup idea. If the team decides authority only after an incident starts, everyone loses time.

A usable escalation path should answer

• Who can pause the workflow.
• Who can override an automated path.
• What evidence must accompany the escalation.

Use the architecture guide, blackboard schema, and examples to design escalation explicitly.