Template · C90
Map marketing-plan constraints
Which constraints are fixed, negotiable, temporary or merely assumed?
Direct answer
The register distinguishes hard limits, soft constraints, interfaces and assumptions, then quantifies the negotiation margin and the effect of a one-week breach.
01Accept, negotiate, work around, insure or verify each constraint before planning.
02The rule, the evidence and the next review date stay visible.
How to use this
Move from the question to the deliverable.
Which constraints are fixed, negotiable, temporary or merely assumed?
Accept, negotiate, work around, insure or verify each constraint before planning.
Qualified constraint set
Dataset · SQ-90
Treat a constraint by its nature, its margin and its expiry date
A constraint assumed to be fixed can lock the plan for nothing. The register distinguishes what is hard, soft, temporary or simply not yet verified.
Fictitious data set for a European launch involving product, legal, finance, data and creative capacity.
- 01Qualify
Identify the source, the authority and the real mechanism of each constraint.
- 02Test
Look for room to negotiate, possible substitution and the expiry date.
- 03Cost
Estimate the marginal effect of one week of breach or postponement.
- 04Assign
Name the action, the owner and the next verification date.
Constraint register and the value of one week of margin
Two constraints presented as fixed become negotiable after verification; the product date remains the dominant boundary.
| Constraint | Nature | Boundary | Margin | Expiry | Effect / week | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product availability | Hard | 20/10 | 0 d | Delivery | −€55k | Protect |
| Claim approval | Interface | 10 d | 3 d | New dossier | −€18k | Decouple |
| Q4 media cap | Flexible | €240k | +€30k | 31/12 | −€12k | Negotiate |
| Data residency | Hard | EU | 0 | Annual review | −€90k | Comply |
| Video capacity | Temporary | 18 d | +8 d external | 15/11 | −€9k | Substitute |
| Hiring freeze | Assumed | 0 FTE | Contractors allowed | 30/09 | −€14k | Verify |
01Data residency and the product date are design boundaries, not variables to be traded.
02The media ceiling can be negotiated only if the additional €30k stays measurable and reversible.
03The hiring freeze does not block capacity: its initial wording confused internal FTEs with external resources.
Fictitious data. A regulatory or contractual constraint must be validated by the competent function.
Coherence controls
Minimum conditions before validation.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
Usable deliverable
Qualified constraint set
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