Pattern
Commercially irreducible constraint map
Trace customer value to the smallest constraint a capable rival cannot remove without losing that value. The map identifies the narrowest constraint that survives credible alternatives and better AI, so a boundary rests on what the customer buys and not on an element a rival can replace without penalty.
Inputs
State the purchased outcome, mechanism, architecture, alternatives, customer evidence, and future-competitor assumption.
Map
Mark each element as necessary, optional, or substitutable. For every escape route, record cost, delay, labor, safety, regulatory, accuracy, and workflow penalties.
Output
Identify the narrowest constraint that survives credible alternatives and better AI.
Stop
Stop treating the element as a commercial boundary when an equivalent route preserves the result without material penalty.