# ResolutionFlow Feature Ideas Brainstorm > **Date:** February 4, 2026 > **Participants:** Michael Chihlas, Claude > **Context:** Brainstorming features tailored to MSP engineers, focused on the "document as you go" gap --- ## Design Principle Every feature should follow the core principle that makes ResolutionFlow work: **Engineers don't document — they troubleshoot, and the tool captures documentation as a byproduct.** New features should: - Reduce engineer cognitive load - Automate capture of what they're already doing - Make reusing knowledge frictionless - Reduce context switching during troubleshooting --- ## Ideas Summary | # | Feature | Category | Effort | Priority Signal | |---|---------|----------|--------|-----------------| | 1 | Session Time Tracking | Export enhancement | Small | High — quick win | | 2 | Share Progress / Escalation | Collaboration | Medium | High — daily use | | 3 | Command Output Capture | Context capture | Small | High — quick win | | 4 | Push Steps to Active Sessions | Collaboration | Medium-Large | Medium — needs notification system | | 5 | Path Analytics | Intelligence | Medium | Medium — needs session volume | | 6 | Session Scratchpad | Context capture | Small-Medium | High — must-have (per Michael) | | 7 | Multi-Tree Sessions | Session enhancement | Large | Medium — complex UX | | 8 | Recurring Issue Detection | Intelligence | Small-Medium | High — leverages existing data | | 9 | Tree Health Scores | Intelligence | Medium | Medium — needs session volume | | 10 | AI Tree Intelligence | Intelligence | Large | Long-term — ultimate vision | --- ## Idea 1: Session Time Tracking **Category:** Export enhancement **Effort:** Small (backend export change, no new UI) ### What Every session automatically tracks duration (start → end) and includes it in the export. ### Export Output ``` Session Duration: 23 minutes Started: 2:30 PM | Completed: 2:53 PM ``` ### Why MSP engineers bill by the hour. They troubleshoot in ResolutionFlow, export notes, then separately log time in their PSA. This eliminates the second step. ### Implementation Notes - Timestamps already exist in session decisions — just compute elapsed time - Add duration to export templates (markdown, text, HTML) - No new UI required — purely a backend export enhancement ### Future Enhancement - When PSA integration exists: if no PSA connected, ResolutionFlow tracks time natively. If PSA connected, still track time but also push it directly to the ticket in the PSA. - Analytics: average resolution time per tree, per client, per engineer --- ## Idea 2: Share Progress / Escalation **Category:** Collaboration **Effort:** Medium ### What Two mechanisms for sharing in-progress troubleshooting context: 1. **"Share Progress" button** (available mid-session) — generates a formatted summary of steps completed so far. Copy to clipboard, paste into Teams/Slack. One click instead of typing "here's what I've tried." 2. **Read-only session link** — shareable URL where anyone with the link can see the session state. If they sign in and get assigned, they can resume from where the previous engineer left off. ### Workflow 1. Junior engineer gets stuck → clicks "Share Progress" 2. Pastes formatted summary into Teams chat with senior 3. Senior reads structured summary (not a wall of chat text) 4. If needed, senior opens the read-only link to see full detail 5. If escalating: ticket reassigned in PSA, senior resumes the session in ResolutionFlow ### Implementation Notes - Copy/paste version is nearly free — existing export logic on incomplete sessions + "Steps remaining" section - Read-only link: generate share token, create public read-only session view (no auth) - Resume capability: allow session reassignment to another user ### Why This Matters Eliminates the "what have you tried so far?" back-and-forth that happens on every escalation. The structured format means the senior gets context in 30 seconds instead of 10 minutes of chat. --- ## Idea 3: Command Output Capture **Category:** Context capture **Effort:** Small ### What Action nodes (which show commands to run) get an optional "Paste Output" text area. Engineer runs the command, copies output, pastes it in. ### Export Output ``` > Ran: Get-Service -Name Spooler > Output: > Status: Stopped > Name: Spooler > Decision: Service was stopped, proceeded to restart ``` ### Why Engineers already run commands and read output. Today the output is lost — the export says "ran this command" but not what it returned. This captures the evidence. ### Implementation Notes - Add optional `command_output` field to session decision JSONB - Add collapsible text area below commands on action nodes in TreeNavigationPage - Include in export with code formatting - Pairs well with Scratchpad (Idea 6) and Share Progress (Idea 2) ### Future Enhancement - Syntax highlighting for common output formats (PowerShell, JSON) - Image paste for screenshots of GUI-based evidence --- ## Idea 4: Push Steps to Active Sessions **Category:** Collaboration **Effort:** Medium-Large ### What A senior engineer (or anyone) can send a troubleshooting step directly to someone's active session. Flips the step library from a pull model (browse and find) to a push model (someone sends it to you). ### Workflow 1. Junior shares progress link (Idea 2) 2. Senior sees they're stuck at "VDA not registering" 3. Senior picks a step from their personal library (or types one quickly) 4. Senior hits "Send to [Junior]" → step appears as notification in junior's session 5. Junior sees: "Michael sent you a step: Check Citrix Broker Service binding" 6. One click to insert into session 7. Step documented in export, optionally saved to junior's library ### Why Replaces unstructured Teams/Slack troubleshooting advice with structured, documented, reusable steps. The knowledge stays in the system. ### Implementation Notes - Requires lightweight notification/inbox system (polling or WebSocket) - Builds on: Share Progress (Idea 2) + Step Library (existing) - New API: `POST /api/v1/sessions/{id}/send-step` - Frontend: notification badge + step insertion flow ### Analytics Potential - Which seniors send the most steps (mentorship tracking) - Which pushed steps get reused (knowledge value) - Which juniors receive fewer pushes over time (skill growth) --- ## Idea 5: Path Analytics — "The Road Most Traveled" **Category:** Intelligence **Effort:** Medium ### What Aggregate completed session data to show statistical hints on decision nodes: - Badge: "78% of engineers chose Option B here" - On solution nodes: "Resolved the issue 92% of the time" - At common stuck points: "Engineers often add a custom step here" ### Why Delivers on the tagline. For a junior engineer staring at three options, seeing "most engineers went this way" is a confidence boost. For tree authors, analytics reveal dead-end branches. ### Implementation Notes - Aggregate query on session `path_taken` and `decisions` JSONB - Compute per-node: choice distribution, resolve rate, custom step frequency - Cache aggregates (recompute daily or on-demand) - Display as subtle badges on decision nodes (not intrusive) - Resolve rate: track whether session completed at a solution node + optional "did this fix it?" prompt ### Data Requirements - Needs sufficient session volume per tree to be statistically meaningful (suggest: show after 10+ sessions) - Weight recent sessions higher than old ones --- ## Idea 6: Session Scratchpad **Category:** Context capture **Effort:** Small-Medium **Priority:** Must-have (per Michael) ### What A persistent sidebar during active sessions for capturing ambient data: IP addresses, error codes, server names, usernames — anything that doesn't fit a specific decision node's notes field. ### Why During troubleshooting, engineers accumulate bits of data (from `ipconfig`, Event Viewer, phone conversations) that live on sticky notes or in their head. This gives it a home and includes it in the export. ### Export Output ``` ## Evidence / Reference - Server IP: 192.168.1.50 - Error code: 0x80070005 - Affected user: jsmith@contoso.com - Event ID: 4625 (repeated 47 times in last hour) ``` ### Implementation Notes - Persistent sidebar (collapsible) in TreeNavigationPage - Store in session JSONB as `scratchpad` array of entries - Each entry: text + optional label + timestamp - Include in export as "Evidence / Reference" section - Start simple: just a text area with "Add Note" button - Future: structured key-value pairs, tags, image paste ### Pairs With - Command Output Capture (Idea 3): structured output at nodes + freeform notes in scratchpad = complete evidence - Share Progress (Idea 2): scratchpad content included in shared summary --- ## Idea 7: Multi-Tree Sessions **Category:** Session enhancement **Effort:** Large ### What When troubleshooting reveals the problem is in a different domain, branch into another tree mid-session without losing context. The export captures the entire journey. ### Workflow 1. Engineer is in "VPN Issues" tree, 5 steps deep 2. Discovers the actual problem is DNS, not VPN 3. Clicks "Open Related Tree" → selects "DNS Resolution Issues" 4. Current tree bookmarked, linked session starts in DNS tree 5. DNS session completes → returns to VPN tree where they left off 6. Export shows unified narrative with both trees ### Export Output ``` ## VPN Connection Issues 1. Verified VPN client version: OK 2. Checked tunnel status: UP 3. Tested connectivity through tunnel: FAIL → Branched to: DNS Resolution Issues ## DNS Resolution Issues (linked) 1. Ran nslookup: timeout 2. Checked DNS config: wrong DC 3. Resolution: Updated DNS to 10.0.0.5 4. Returned to VPN - retested: PASS 5. Resolution: DNS misconfiguration causing apparent VPN failure ``` ### Implementation Notes - Session model needs: `parent_session_id`, `branched_at_node_id` - "Open Related Tree" action on any node (tree selector modal) - Breadcrumb shows tree chain: VPN > DNS - Export renderer handles nested/linked sessions - Back button returns to parent session at bookmark point ### Why Real troubleshooting rarely stays in one domain. This captures the full diagnostic story. --- ## Idea 8: Recurring Issue Detection **Category:** Intelligence **Effort:** Small-Medium ### What When an engineer starts a session and enters a client name, show previous sessions for that client in that tree. If the same resolution keeps being reached, prompt for root cause action. ### UI - At session start: "3 previous sessions for Warner Robins in this tree (last: Jan 28)" + link to view - At resolution (if recurring): "This is the 3rd time this issue was resolved the same way for this client. Consider documenting a permanent fix or escalating to address root cause." ### Why Turns ResolutionFlow from reactive (fix the ticket) to proactive (fix the root cause). For MSP managers, recurring issues per client = business intelligence for infrastructure upgrade proposals. ### Implementation Notes - Query: sessions grouped by client_name + tree_id, count + last date - Display at session start (inline, not blocking) - Recurrence prompt: compare resolution node_id across sessions - Future (with PSA/RMM): correlate with alert data for richer signals ### Data Model - No schema changes needed — query existing sessions table - Optional: normalize client names (fuzzy match or client_id foreign key) --- ## Idea 9: Tree Health Scores **Category:** Intelligence **Effort:** Medium ### What Data-driven health indicators for trees, surfaced to tree authors and admins. ### Signals - **Custom step frequency**: Engineers keep adding steps at the same node → tree is missing a branch - **Abandonment rate**: Sessions started but not completed → tree isn't leading to resolutions - **Low resolve rate**: Solution nodes that don't actually fix issues - **Staleness**: No updates in X months for a technology area that changes frequently - **Escalation rate**: High percentage of sessions shared/escalated from this tree ### Display - Green/yellow/red health badge on tree library cards - Author notification: "Your 'VPN Issues' tree has yellow health — 4 engineers added custom steps at 'Check Split Tunnel Config' this month" - Admin dashboard: team-wide tree health overview ### Why Creates a self-improving ecosystem. Sessions generate data → data identifies weak trees → authors improve trees → next engineer gets a better experience. ### Implementation Notes - Scheduled aggregation job (daily) - Health score algorithm: weighted combination of signals - Store as computed field on tree (or separate analytics table) - Notification system (pairs with Push Steps notification infrastructure, Idea 4) --- ## Idea 10: AI Tree Intelligence (Long-term Vision) **Category:** Intelligence **Effort:** Large (phased) **Status:** Ultimate goal ### What Three layers of AI, each building on the last, leveraging ResolutionFlow's unique structured troubleshooting dataset. ### Layer 1: Smart Tree Suggestions - Engineer pastes ticket description: "User at Warner Robins reports Outlook keeps crashing after latest update" - AI suggests: "Recommended: Outlook/Email Issues tree → Start at 'Recent Update' branch" - Not just which tree — which branch to start at, skipping generic initial questions - **Implementation:** NLP parsing of ticket text, match against tree node content and tags ### Layer 2: Session-Driven Tree Evolution - Aggregate session data reveals patterns: "35% of engineers add 'Check MFA Token' after 'Auth Failed' node, and it resolves 80% of the time" - Generate suggestion to tree author: "Recommended new branch based on 18 successful sessions" - Author reviews and approves with one click — tree evolves from real usage - **Implementation:** Aggregation queries + LLM formatting suggestions + author approval UI ### Layer 3: AI Tree Generation - Senior describes: "We keep getting Azure AD Sync issues, no tree exists" - AI generates complete tree draft using: - Similar trees in the system - Custom steps engineers have created for Azure AD - Resolution patterns from session history - Real PowerShell commands from command output captures - Senior reviews, tweaks, publishes - **Implementation:** RAG over tree corpus + session data + LLM generation + tree editor integration ### Why This Is the Moat ConnectWise or IT Glue could build a decision tree tool. But they don't have hundreds of structured session paths with outcomes to learn from. ResolutionFlow's data is structured by design — decision trees + session paths + outcomes — not unstructured ticket notes. That's a dataset purpose-built for learning optimal troubleshooting paths. ### Phasing - Layer 1 can ship independently with basic NLP - Layer 2 needs sufficient session volume (6+ months of real usage) - Layer 3 needs Layers 1 + 2 data + LLM integration --- ## Quick Actions Dashboard (Bonus) **Category:** UX improvement **Effort:** Medium ### What Replace the tree library as the default landing page with a troubleshooting command center. ### Sections - **Resume sessions** — "VPN Issues - Acme Corp (started 20 min ago)" for incomplete sessions - **Quick starts** — Frequent tree+client combos: "File Share Access for Warner Robins — Quick start?" One tap. - **Team activity** — "Sarah completed 'AD Replication' for Client X (12 min)" — visibility without a standup - **Your trees** — Health scores for trees you authored, pending suggestions from AI (Layer 2) - **Recurring alerts** — Clients with repeat issues that need attention ### Why Turns ResolutionFlow from a tool you visit per-ticket into something you keep open all day. Reduces friction from "open app → find tree → start session" to "open app → click the obvious next action." --- ## Suggested Build Order ### Near-term (build now, small effort, immediate value) 1. **Session Scratchpad** (Idea 6) — must-have per Michael 2. **Session Time Tracking** (Idea 1) — quick win, enhances every export 3. **Command Output Capture** (Idea 3) — quick win, pairs with scratchpad ### Mid-term (build next, medium effort, high value) 1. **Share Progress / Escalation** (Idea 2) — daily use for team collaboration 2. **Recurring Issue Detection** (Idea 8) — leverages existing data immediately 3. **Quick Actions Dashboard** (Bonus) — improves daily UX 4. **Path Analytics** (Idea 5) — needs session volume, start collecting data now ### Later (larger effort, needs foundation) 1. **Push Steps to Active Sessions** (Idea 4) — needs notification system 2. **Tree Health Scores** (Idea 9) — needs session volume + analytics infrastructure 3. **Multi-Tree Sessions** (Idea 7) — complex UX, large refactor ### Long-term vision 1. **AI Tree Intelligence** (Idea 10) — phased rollout, ultimate differentiator --- ## Dependencies & Connections ``` Scratchpad (6) ──────────────────────────────┐ Command Output (3) ──────────────────────────┤ Time Tracking (1) ───────────────────────────┤── Enhanced Exports │ Share Progress (2) ──┬── Push Steps (4) ─────┤── Collaboration │ │ └── Notification System ─┘ Path Analytics (5) ──┬── Tree Health (9) ────┬── AI Intelligence (10) Recurring Issues (8) ┘ │ │ Multi-Tree Sessions (7) ────────────────────┘ ``` Key insight: Ideas 1, 3, and 6 (time tracking, command output, scratchpad) are independent quick wins that make exports richer. Ideas 2 and 4 (share progress, push steps) build a collaboration layer. Ideas 5, 8, 9, and 10 (analytics, recurring issues, health, AI) form the intelligence layer that grows with usage. --- *Generated during brainstorming session, February 4, 2026*