Execution Debt™ (“Execution Debt” or “ExD”) is an open standard for diagnosing post-sales performance in B2B SaaS, separating product gaps from execution gaps across Customer Success, Professional Services, and Support.
Created by Nicholas Allen
First published November 2025
Licensed CC-BY 4.0
Nicholas Allen is the creator of the ExD™ Standard — the predictive economic framework for customer success.In 2025 he open-sourced the complete stack: diagnostic taxonomy, quantitative metrics, economic modeling, implementation protocols, and statistical quality validation.He previously built CS Ops functions at scale at Google Cloud and Professional Services processes at SimpliVity/HPE. Zero churn across $9M+ ACV strategic portfolio at Google Cloud.Currently accepting consulting and speaking inquiries.
The Coordination Problem Before ExD™
Same customer issue, three diagnoses:❌ Support: "Feature is broken, escalated to Engineering/Product"❌ Professional Services: "Support routed this incorrectly; it's a training issue"❌ Customer Success: "Product gap is blocking adoption"Result: Finger-pointing, redundant diagnoses, and slower resolution.After ExD™ Implementation
✅ All teams: "Type 2-A2 (Configuration Gap) - SSO misconfigured during
implementation. Professional Services to audit, estimated 10 days to
resolution."
What ExD™ Standard ProvidesType 1 vs Type 2 classification
Product gap (cannot achieve objective) vs Execution gap (can achieve
but execution failed)A1-A6 diagnostic taxonomy with diagnostic questions
• A1: Training Gap - Customer doesn't know how to use existing capability
• A2: Configuration Gap - Product configured incorrectly for their objective
• A3: Champion Turnover - Person who knew the product left or moved roles
• A4: Change Management - Organization won't adopt despite capability
• A5: Usage Gap - Customer bought but isn't using (<20% adoption)
• A6: ROI Storytelling - Product is working but customer doesn't realize valueEDI/EDR/ERS metrics for quantifying execution health
• EDI (Execution Debt Index) = Operational burden measured in
severity-days per 100 customer-months
• EDR (Economic Debt Risk) = Revenue at risk in dollars from execution
failures
• ERS (Expansion Readiness Score) = Is customer ready for expansion?
(ERS >70 = Prime, 50-69 = Prepare, <50 = Fix first)Priority ranking system
Triage interventions by economic impact - which customers need help
first?Complete resolution playbooks
• A2 Configuration Gap Playbook (12 pages) - 4-phase resolution guide
• A3 Champion Transition Playbook (15 pages) - 30-day knowledge transfer
• Additional playbooks coming in v1.1
Support
Route Tickets Correctly
Tag with A1-A6 codes
Reduce escalation time
Customer Success
Diagnose issues faster
Focus on customer objectives
Prove CS ROI
Professional Services
Prevent finger-pointing
Own A2 (configuration)
Justify Professional Services Resources
Try It This WeekThe ExD™ Standard Tier 2 Lite Tracker gets you started in 15 minutes:1️⃣ Download the Excel tracker
No form, no signup required. Open and start using immediately.2️⃣ Add your customers
Customer Name, ARR, Segment, Baseline Churn Rate (use defaults:
Enterprise 3%, Mid-Market 6%, SMB 12%)3️⃣ Log execution issues as they occur
A-code, Severity (1-5), Breadth (0.0-1.0), Start Date. Dashboard
auto-calculates Days Open.4️⃣ Dashboard shows EDI, EDR, and ERS in real-time
Company-level metrics update automatically. Priority Ranking shows
which customers need help first.Maintenance: 15-30 minutes per week
Value: See patterns within 2 weeks. Make data-driven decisions by Week 3.Perfect for CS Ops teams ready to quantify operational burden and revenue
at risk.
Complete Resource LibraryAll materials free and open-source (CC-BY 4.0). Use, modify, redistribute.Tier 1: Diagnostic TaxonomyEverything you need to start classifying execution issues systematically.
Week 1 value. Works for any team size.Tier 1: Diagnostic Framework (18 pages)
Type 1 vs Type 2 classification, A1-A6 taxonomy with diagnostic
questions, implementation guide for any team size
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedInDiagnostic Quick-Reference Card (1 page)
Printable A1-A6 definitions, Type 1/Type 2 decision tree, diagnostic
questions for each A-code
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedInTier 2: Quantitative Metrics & EconomicsFor data-driven CS Ops teams ready to quantify operational burden and revenue risk.
Progressive implementation: Month 1 basics → Month 6 advanced.Tier 2: Quantitative Metrics & Economics (11 pages)
EDI, EDR, ERS formulas with worked examples. Capital allocation
framework. Stage multipliers. Uplift models. Economic prioritization.
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedInTier 2: Implementation Guide (33 pages)
Step-by-step calibration process. Data extraction templates. Historical
classification methods. Quality validation checklists. Sanity checks.
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedInTier 2 Lite Tracker (Excel)
Production-ready template with sample data. Auto-calculates EDI/EDR/ERS.
Dashboard, Priority Ranking, Issue Tracking sheets. 15-30 min/week
maintenance.
📊 Download XLSX
📤 Share on LinkedInAdditional ResourcesStop the Blame Game (Article)
For PS Leaders: Why finger-pointing kills post-sales efficiency and what systematic diagnostic language does instead.
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedInMetrics as Relationship Protection (Article)
For Relationship-First CS: How EDI/EDR strengthen (not replaces) customer relationships. Metrics protect what matters.
📄 Download PDF
📤 Share on LinkedIn
If you implement this framework, I genuinely want to hear your experience. Not just successes, but the challenges, the places it doesn't quite fit, the ways you've had to reshape it for your reality.This can only improve through honest dialogue about what actually works in the complex and messy world of post-sales operations.
Get Updates and Share Feedback
The ExD™ (Execution Debt) Standard applies specifically to post-sales SaaS performance systems — including Customer Success, Professional Services, Support, and adoption operations. It is not affiliated with small-business process consulting, coaching systems, or other frameworks using similar terminology.
ExD™ Standard v1.0
Created by Nicholas Allen 2025
Free Open Standard (CC-BY 4.0)