Relevant Geometry
Approved geometry required for the task.
In view
The Platform
NEED2KNOW™
Based on the need-to-know principle, NEED2KNOW™ turns an approved task, enterprise policy and current context into a defined working view. Participants receive what they need for the work at hand.
Assembly TH-204
Project access granted
Vertex ComponentsMachining supplier · Manufacture component
Runtime visibility decisionEvaluating current work context0/6
Governed view
Turbine housing assembly
Select an area to see why.
3 visible · 1 masked · 2 not visible
Decision rationale
Production geometry is required to manufacture the component.
The founding principle
Clearance does not determine what someone needs to know.
In military and intelligence environments, trusted personnel receive only the information required for an authorised duty. This is the need-to-know principle.
NEED2KNOW™ applies the same discipline to enterprise collaboration.
- Clearance asks
- What are they authorised to access?
- Need-to-know asks
- What information does this task require?
What sets the boundary
The task determines the visibility.
NEED2KNOW™ ensures that each participant receives only the information required to perform an approved task.
Not the entire environment. Not the entire repository. Not every related asset.
Only what is necessary.
- Who is participating?
- What are they approved to do?
- Which information is involved?
- Which policy applies?
- What should be visible?
One environment, many views
One environment.Different visibility.
Even if the participant is authorised, the participant only sees content that is within their task scope. Everything else remains out of reach.
Participant
3/6 in view
Proprietary Engineering Assembly
Machining supplier · Manufacture assigned component
Visibility policy active
Supplier view selected. 3 of 6 information areas are available or limited.
Dimensional Tolerances
Manufacturing and engineering constraints.
In view
Material Specifications
Approved material requirements.
In view
Internal Design Rationale
Strategic and proprietary reasoning.
Not in view
Full Product Architecture
Broader system-level relationships.
Not in view
Commercial Metadata
Commercial and strategic context.
Not in view
Governed working view
Supplier visibility is limited to the geometry, tolerances and material specifications required for the assigned manufacturing task.
What it is not
NEED2KNOW™is not access.
Access
Can this user access the asset?
- Asset access
- Visibility governance gap
- Broad visibility
NEED2KNOW™
What does this participant need to see?
- Asset access
- Visibility policy evaluation
- Task relevance evaluation
- Governed working view
What it is
NEED2KNOW™is also notless access.It is precise collaboration.
A participant may be permitted to:
- View a specific design component.
- Rotate and inspect a model
- Measure approved geometry
- Annotate a task-specific view
- Analyse an approved data subset
- Run an approved AI workflow
While remaining unable to:
- View unrelated components
- Access hidden design layers
- Inspect unrelated metadata
- Export the complete asset
- Copy protected content
- Reconstruct unrelated data
The terms of an interaction
Every participant works inside a defined boundary.
NEED2KNOW™ defines the terms of each authorised interaction: the information available, the actions permitted, the conditions that apply, the duration of the decision, and the evidence attached to it.
- 01
Information boundary
The specific assets, components, fields, layers or outputs required for the approved task.
- 02
Action boundary
The participant may view, measure, annotate, edit, copy, export or share only where policy permits it.
- 03
Governing conditions
The decision may depend on the participant’s role, project, contract, device, location, time and current risk context.
- 04
Lifecycle & duration
The working boundary can take effect, change or end as the task, role or agreement changes.
- 05
Decision record
The policy, context, outcome and relevant activity remain connected to the interaction.
The participant is not simply given access to a project. They are given a defined place within it.
Seeing and doing
Seeing information does not permit every action.
- Visibility
- Determines which information is presented.
- Usage
- Determines what can be done with that information.
Example
A participant may inspect a component, rotate it and take approved measurements while remaining unable to reveal hidden layers or export the complete model.
The operating model
Six domains. One collaboration model.
NEED2KNOW™ is built around six related control domains that translate the need-to-know operating principle into a structured digital operating model.
- 01
Identity
Who or what is participating?
Authentication, federation and identity verification establish the participant.
- 02
Visibility Policy
Under what conditions?
Policies consider role, task, project, contractual obligations, device posture, location and time.
- 03
Visibility Governance
What should become visible?
Files, design components, CAD layers, data fields, model outputs, document sections or contextual views.
- 04
Usage Control
What may the participant do with it?
View, edit, annotate, measure, copy, print, export, share or retain.
- 05
Protection
How does protection persist?
Encryption, rights management and policy persistence protect assets during and after collaboration.
- 06
Audit
What happened?
Policy decisions, interaction events, modifications, exports and collaboration activity are recorded.
When a decision changes
The decision changes when the work changes.
A task may finish. A contract may expire. A participant may change role. A device may no longer meet policy.
When the conditions behind an interaction change, the information and actions available to the participant can be reviewed or withdrawn.
Governed by policy.Accountable by design.
Define
Approve
Apply
Review
Revise
People and machines
One policy model for people and machines.
AI systems retrieve information, generate content, call tools and increasingly initiate actions. They should not receive wider information access simply because they operate through an authorised application or user.
NEED2KNOW™ applies the same need-to-know principle across human and machine participation.
From policy to infrastructure
Need-to-know is no longer a policy.It has become an infrastructure.
The next step