Documentation gaps aren't just missed details—they're drift. When you can't reference your foundational docs in an audit, you're operating without your own constitution.

Documentation gaps aren't just missed details—they're drift. When you can't reference your foundational docs in an audit, you're operating without your own constitution. That's the finding.

Drift doesn't announce itself. It shows up quietly when foundational documents stop being actively referenced—and by then, the gap between what you said you'd do and what you're doing is already wide.

Architect's Law Six ties symptom to cause: undisciplined systems don't fail loudly. They drift. The symptom is inconsistency. The cause is foundational docs collecting dust instead of guiding decisions.

An audit shouldn't be the first time you return to your core documents. If it is, you're not auditing a system—you're discovering one you no longer recognize.

The fix isn't more documentation. It's active reference. Your constitution only works if you govern by it. Documentation gaps aren't missed details. They're proof you stopped.