Entry Modes

The SSSC Planner supports four entry modes that control how Phase 1 scoping begins. Each mode is activated through a dedicated prompt file that sets the initial state and determines how much context the agent gathers before starting the supply chain assessment.

Capture Mode

Capture mode starts with a blank Phase 1 interview. Use this mode when no formal requirements documents exist or when you want to walk through scoping from scratch.

How It Works

1. The agent creates the project directory under .copilot-tracking/sssc-plans/.
2. State is initialized with entryMode: "capture" and empty referencesProcessed.
3. Phase 1 begins with a structured interview, asking 3-5 questions per turn covering technology stack, package managers, CI platform, release strategy, and compliance targets.
4. The agent accumulates scope information across multiple turns until the user confirms Phase 1 is complete.

Prompt File

Activate capture mode with the SSSC Capture prompt (sssc-capture.prompt.md). This prompt accepts an optional project-slug input parameter.

When to Choose Capture Mode

Situation	Fit
No PRD, BRD, or security plan available	✅
Team wants to explore the workflow interactively	✅
Existing informal notes to incorporate	✅
Well-documented project with formal artifacts	❌

From-PRD Mode

From-PRD mode seeds Phase 1 from PRD artifacts already present in the workspace. Use this mode when product requirements documents exist under .copilot-tracking/.

How It Works

1. The agent scans .copilot-tracking/ for PRD files.
2. Discovered artifacts are presented with ✅/❌ markers showing which were found.
3. The agent extracts scope information: technology stack, package managers, CI platform, release strategy, and compliance targets.
4. State is initialized with entryMode: "from-prd" and the extracted references stored in referencesProcessed.
5. Phase 1 begins with a checklist of pre-filled items and 3-5 clarifying questions for gaps.

Prompt File

Activate From-PRD mode with the SSSC From PRD prompt (sssc-from-prd.prompt.md). This prompt accepts an optional project-slug input parameter.

When to Choose From-PRD Mode

Situation	Fit
PRD artifacts exist in .copilot-tracking/	✅
Product requirements are well-documented	✅
Early-stage project without formal docs	❌
Completed security plan available	❌

From-BRD Mode

From-BRD mode seeds Phase 1 from BRD artifacts already present in the workspace. Use this mode when business requirements documents exist under .copilot-tracking/.

How It Works

1. The agent scans .copilot-tracking/ for BRD files.
2. Discovered artifacts are presented with ✅/❌ markers showing which were found.
3. The agent extracts scope information from business requirements, mapping business capabilities to technology stack and compliance targets.
4. State is initialized with entryMode: "from-brd" and the extracted references stored in referencesProcessed.
5. Phase 1 begins with a checklist of pre-filled items and 3-5 clarifying questions for gaps.

Prompt File

Activate From-BRD mode with the SSSC From BRD prompt (sssc-from-brd.prompt.md). This prompt accepts an optional project-slug input parameter.

When to Choose From-BRD Mode

Situation	Fit
BRD artifacts exist in .copilot-tracking/	✅
Business requirements are well-documented	✅
Early-stage project without formal docs	❌
PRD is more detailed than BRD for this project	❌

From-Security-Plan Mode

From-Security-Plan mode seeds Phase 1 from an existing Security Planner state file. Use this mode when a security plan has already been completed and you want to extend the analysis with supply chain coverage.

How It Works

1. The agent reads the Security Planner's state.json from .copilot-tracking/security-plans/{project-slug}/.
2. Scope information (technology stack, deployment model, data classification) is inherited from the security plan.
3. State is initialized with entryMode: "from-security-plan" and securityPlannerLink set to the source state file path.
4. Phase 1 begins with inherited scope pre-filled and 3-5 clarifying questions for supply-chain-specific gaps (package managers, CI platform, release strategy).

Prompt File

Activate From-Security-Plan mode with the SSSC From Security Plan prompt (sssc-from-security-plan.prompt.md). This prompt accepts an optional project-slug input parameter.

When to Choose From-Security-Plan Mode

Situation	Fit
Completed Security Planner state file exists	✅
Want to extend security analysis with supply chain	✅
No prior security plan	❌
Security plan is outdated or incomplete	❌

Comparing the Four Modes

All four modes converge at the same Phase 1 output. The difference is how much context the agent starts with.

Aspect	Capture	From-PRD	From-BRD	From-Security-Plan
Initial context	Gathered through interview	Extracted from PRD	Extracted from BRD	Inherited from security plan
Number of questions	More (full scope interview)	Fewer (gaps only)	Fewer (gaps only)	Fewest (supply-chain gaps only)
Time to Phase 2	Slower but more thorough	Faster	Faster	Fastest
State initialization	entryMode: "capture"	entryMode: "from-prd"	entryMode: "from-brd"	entryMode: "from-security-plan"
Best for	Projects in early stages	Projects with product docs	Projects with business docs	Projects with completed security plan

Switching Between Modes

Entry mode is set once during Phase 1 initialization and cannot be changed mid-plan. To switch modes, start a new chat session with the other prompt file and a different project slug (or the same slug after removing the existing state directory).

NOTE

All four modes produce identical Phase 2-6 workflows. The choice only affects how Phase 1 scope is gathered.

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.