Connect Up- and Downstream pattern structures the FL2 board to provide a complete view of the value stream from idea to customer impact, facilitating end-to-end coordination among product owners and dev teams.
Most boards only show parts of the value stream. This one shows all of it.
This pattern structures the FL2 board to cover the complete value stream — from the first idea upstream through to delivery and impact downstream.
The Problem
The dev team sees their sprint. The product owner sees the backlog. Nobody sees the full journey from raw idea to actual customer impact. Coordination is impossible when everyone is looking at a different slice of reality.
How It Works
The FL2 board is structured to cover three areas: Discover (upstream, where ideas emerge and product owners work), Decide (midstream, where priorities are set), and Deliver (downstream, where dev teams work). Product owners, coordinators, and teams all work on the same board — each in their area. Handoffs between phases become explicit, and where work is stuck becomes visible immediately.
When to Use It
- End-to-end coordination is the goal (not just team-level delivery)
- Product owners and dev teams need to coordinate on one shared view
- You want to connect strategic intent with operational execution
- The question "where does our work come from?" is currently unanswerable
Related Patterns
- Connecting FL — the mechanism for connecting FL2 coordination to FL1 team execution
- Outcome vs. Output — extends the downstream end to track whether delivery created actual value
Your play!
Get the cards and maps — all 18 FL2 Flow Patterns plus the new "Identify your Flow" companion map (A3 + A2 in EN, A3 in DE), ready to use in your next FL2 workshop or board design session.