Spec deviation flagged

What this is

Spec deviation during bid

Spec deviation is the canonical "let the buyer evaluate, don't self-disqualify" workflow. Per Mike's standing rule (memory: feedback_bid_spec_deviation_notes), the right move when our spec doesn't exactly match the bid spec is to submit the price anyway with a vague submission note, let the buyer evaluate, and queue the conversation for post-award.

The workflow exists to make that rule deterministic — when the AI detects a deviation during the bid response build, it doesn't halt; it logs and flags.

Risk level 2 (low). No NS writes, no customer-facing changes. The submission note is the only externally-visible artifact.

When to use it

Trigger conditions

A bid response workflow step detects a pack/format mismatch on a line.
Spec audit comparing bid requirement against our spec_items finds a difference.
Manual flag from Mike when reviewing the bid response pre-submission.
A bid amendment changes the spec mid-bid and our line no longer matches exactly.

Heuristic

Severity classification (minor / material) drives the submission note tone. Minor (pack count off by 1) gets a one-liner. Material (different ingredient profile, different format) gets a more careful sentence — still vague, never self-disqualifying.

Step-by-step what happens

The 2 beats

01

Log deviation on bid_line

UPDATE bid_lines SET deviation_flagged=1, deviation_notes=? WHERE id=?. The bid response render reads deviation_notes to construct the submission note.

Writes bid_lines

Time ~50ms

Kind d1_write

Status stub
02

Post-award discussion flag

A proposed_actions row stages with action_type=bid_post_award_discussion. If we win, this becomes a kickoff talking point.

Writes proposed_actions

Time ~50ms

Kind stage_proposed_action

Status real

Outcomes

What's different after the workflow runs

Bid line

Flagged

deviation_flagged=1

Submission note

Vague

per standing rule

Post-award flag

Staged

in proposed_actions

NS writes

None

no NS impact

bid_lines row has deviation_flagged=1 + deviation_notes populated.
A post-award discussion is queued in proposed_actions.
The bid response render uses the vague submission note from deviation_notes.
reflexion_log carries a spec_deviation tagged row.

Failure modes

What can go wrong and how to recover

No-op when deviation is trivial

Sometimes the AI flags a non-deviation (e.g. trailing whitespace in pack size). The classifier marks it minor, the note is one word, post-award flag is informational only.

Deviation should have blocked submission

If a deviation is truly disqualifying (e.g. wrong allergen profile), the standing rule says still submit — but Mike should override and pull the line. Manual escalation path: POST /admin/bid_lines/?id/remove.

Bid amendment resolves the deviation

Sometimes an amendment changes the bid spec to match ours. The deviation_flagged remains as historical context but no longer affects submission.

Adjacent workflows + diagrams

For developers

Code paths + invariants

Concern	Where
Workflow contract	workflow_definitions WHERE workflow_type='spec_deviation_flagged'
Standing rule	feedback_bid_spec_deviation_notes (memory)
Deviation field	bid_lines.deviation_flagged + deviation_notes
Post-award marker	proposed_actions.action_type='bid_post_award_discussion'
Reflexion tag	spec_deviation
Risk level	2
Expected duration	~5 min
Trigger	event · sources=bid_response_workflow_step

// Standing rule: submit anyway, vague note const note = severity === 'minor' ? 'pack format may vary' : 'product configuration may vary; full spec on request'; await db.run( "UPDATE bid_lines SET deviation_flagged=1, deviation_notes=? WHERE id=?", [note, bid_line_id] );