Answer Table: [Term]

One table for a term people argue about: which meaning applies in which situation, and when to ask. Replace everything in [brackets]. Add a row for every situation that matters. Keep the last two rows.

The term

Term(s) people use	[e.g., gross margin, GM]
Owner of the table	[Person or role who keeps it current]

Answers

Situation	Answer	Which meaning	Owner of that meaning
[e.g., Product review]	Use it	[e.g., Product Gross Margin]	[e.g., Product Line Lead]
[e.g., Services review]	Use it	[e.g., Service Gross Margin]	[e.g., Services Lead]
[e.g., Board deck, external reporting]	Use it	[e.g., Consolidated Gross Margin]	[e.g., Controller]
[e.g., Leadership meeting]	Ask	[e.g., "Which gross margin: consolidated, product, or service?"]
Anything not listed above	Ask	[The question to ask]
[An old name that has been retired]	Use the replacement	[The new name]

Rules of the table

• The answer is one of five: use it, use the replacement, ask, flag the conflict or not governed. Guessing is never an answer.
• A situation that is not listed gets ask, not a default.
• If two owners disagree and nobody has decided, write flag the conflict, name who will decide, and by when.

Filled-in example

See the gross margin example.

Technical teams can load the same table into tools from resolution-table.csv; see the reference.