---
title: Partial Rework
slug: partial-rework
url: https://templeton.host/lexicon/partial-rework/
type: defined-term
inDefinedTermSet: https://templeton.host/lexicon
author: Andrew Templeton
---

# Partial Rework

## Definition

A pipeline design where the producer emits N independent parts and the verifier checks each part independently. Only failed parts rerun. Expected total work per pass is the sum of per-part rework costs, strictly less than rerunning the entire producer per failure. Partial rework dominates full rework at any per-part accept rate below 100%, and the gap grows fast with N and with the failure rate.

## Why this term exists

The corollary that turns the verifier-producer pattern from "useful" into "economically obvious". Designing pipelines so the verifier can check parts (not just the whole) is one of the highest-leverage moves available, and most teams have not noticed it because they have not drawn the DAG.

## See also

- [DAG Topology widget](https://templeton.host/widgets/dag-topology)
- [Verifier-Producer](https://templeton.host/lexicon/verifier-producer)
- [Rework Loop](https://templeton.host/lexicon/rework-loop)
- [Serial Composition](https://templeton.host/lexicon/serial-composition)

Canonical URL: https://templeton.host/lexicon/partial-rework/