3-in-3 Model

The 3-in-3 Model

The 3-in-3 Model defines the entire delivery ecosystem as a system of three entities — Client, Vendor (Team), and Product / Service — connected by three relationships: Engagement, Delivery, and Value.

      Product | Service
             / ^
            /   \
     Value /     \ Delivery
          /       \
         /         \
        /           \
       v             \
  Client <----------> Vendor (Team)
          Engagement

Each side of the triangle represents a vital relationship that must evolve for sustained delivery success.
When any side becomes weak or unbalanced, the system loses integrity — resulting in friction, rework, or loss of trust.

The Three Relationship Lines

1. Engagement — Client ↔ Vendor

Defines the working relationship and trust between those who need the solution and those who build it.
It determines how decisions are made, how transparency is maintained, and how collaboration scales.

Healthy Engagement enables:

• Shared understanding of goals and constraints.
• Clear governance, communication cadence, and risk ownership.
• Trust that empowers autonomy and reduces friction.

When weak:

• Misaligned expectations or conflicting priorities.
• Reactive communication, scope disputes, and politics.
• “Us vs Them” behavior that blocks collaboration.

2. Delivery — Vendor ↔ Product / Service

Defines the execution system that transforms ideas into working outcomes.
It represents the vendor team’s capability, flow, and technical integrity.

Healthy Delivery enables:

• Predictable progress and measurable quality.
• Architecture and engineering aligned with product intent.
• Continuous feedback between design, build, and validation.

When weak:

• Over- or under-engineering due to unclear direction.
• Hand-offs that break accountability.
• Quality or automation gaps that erode trust.

3. Value — Product / Service ↔ Client

Defines the outcome connection — how the work contributes to business goals and user needs.

Healthy Value enables:

• Clear problem–solution alignment.
• Defined success metrics and value validation.
• Regular learning loops between users, client, and team.

When weak:

• Delivered features without measurable outcomes.
• Lack of user validation or impact tracking.
• Value assumptions never revisited post-release.

The 3-in-3 Dynamic

The triangle functions as a system of balance and tension:

• Engagement builds alignment and trust.
• Delivery ensures capability and flow.
• Value validates outcomes and relevance.

When one side strengthens, the others benefit:

• Strong Engagement improves Delivery coordination.
• Reliable Delivery builds confidence and strengthens Engagement.
• Proven Value reinforces both partnership and autonomy.

3SF ensures that every decision across the SDLC protects this systemic equilibrium.

When the Triangle Collapses

If any relationship line weakens, the 3-in-3 system contracts — often reverting to a transactional pattern.
For example, when the Value connection breaks (no client product ownership or user insight), Delivery continues but meaning is lost.
When Engagement fails, trust erodes and coordination turns contractual.
These imbalances signal a system collapse, not a team failure — recovery begins by restoring the missing relationship, not by adding more process.

Summary

The 3-in-3 Model represents what the system is:
a triangle of Client, Vendor, and Product connected through Engagement, Delivery, and Value lines.