Creating measures
You can create measures in two places: directly on the bow-tie diagram by clicking the + Add measure button on a connection line, or from the Causes & Effects tab on the risk detail page. Both methods produce the same result — choose whichever fits your workflow. The Measure Register is a read-only overview of existing measures; you cannot create measures from there.
Create from the bow-tie view
The bow-tie is the most intuitive place to add measures. You pick the exact connection line the measure protects, so the relationship between cause, risk, and effect stays clear.
Open the bow-tie view
Navigate to your risk and open the Bow-tie tab. Causes appear on the left, the risk event sits in the center, and effects are on the right.
Click the “+ Add measure” button on a connection line
Each connection line has an + Add measure pill button. Click the one on the line between a cause and the risk (prevention side) or between the risk and an effect (mitigation side). This opens the measure creation modal for that specific pathway.
Fill in the measure details
Complete the form fields described below. Give the measure a clear, action-oriented title and assign an owner.
Save the measure
Save to attach the measure. It appears on the bow-tie diagram along the connection line, showing exactly which pathway it protects.
Drag and drop
In the Causes & Effects tab, you can drag measures between causes and effects to reassign them to a different pathway if you realize they better address another cause or effect.
Create from the Causes & Effects tab
Open the risk detail page and switch to the Causes & Effects tab. Expand the cause or effect the measure belongs to, then click Add measure. This is useful when you are already editing causes and effects and want to stay in the form view instead of switching to the diagram.
Measure fields
Every measure has the following fields. Only the title is required, but we recommend setting an owner and due date at minimum so nothing falls through the cracks.
Clear, action-oriented description of what will be done.
Select from team members via a dropdown with avatars.
Open or Closed. Use Progress (0–100%) to track work in flight.
Percentage slider showing completion from 0 to 100%.
Target completion deadline for the measure.
When work on this measure should begin.
Date to receive a follow-up notification.
Anticipated risk reduction percentage when fully implemented.
Assigning owners and due dates
Every measure should have a clear owner and timeline. Without accountability, measures tend to remain good intentions rather than completed work.
Measure owners
- Assign one person who is accountable for completion
- Choose someone with authority to act on the measure
- Owners receive notifications and reminders automatically
- Track owner workload across measures in the Measure Register
Key dates
- Start date: when work should begin
- Due date: target completion deadline
- Reminder date: triggers a follow-up notification
- Overdue measures are flagged automatically
See also
- Attaching measures — how measures sit on bow-tie connection lines
- Causes & effects — build the bow-tie structure that measures protect