diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/julia-package-ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/julia-package-ci.yml
index 7bf1568..6564ee1 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/julia-package-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/julia-package-ci.yml
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ jobs:
         run: julia --project -e 'import Pkg; Pkg.test()'
 
       - name: Run examples
-        run: julia --project -e 'import Pkg; include("examples/import_bench.jl")'
+        run: julia --project=examples -e 'import Pkg; Pkg.develop("."); Pkg.instantiate(); include("examples/import_bench.jl")'
diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index b0736e5..e7ec467 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ authors = ["Anton Reinhard <anton.reinhard@proton.me>"]
 version = "0.1.0"
 
 [deps]
-BenchmarkTools = "6e4b80f9-dd63-53aa-95a3-0cdb28fa8baf"
 DataStructures = "864edb3b-99cc-5e75-8d2d-829cb0a9cfe8"
-Plots = "91a5bcdd-55d7-5caf-9e0b-520d859cae80"
 Printf = "de0858da-6303-5e67-8744-51eddeeeb8d7"
 Random = "9a3f8284-a2c9-5f02-9a11-845980a1fd5c"
 UUIDs = "cf7118a7-6976-5b1a-9a39-7adc72f591a4"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a66bec4..053b8fc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,31 @@
 
 Directed Acyclic Graph optimization for QED
 
-## Generate Operations from chains
+## Usage
+
+Instantiate the project first:
+
+`julia --project -e 'import Pkg; Pkg.instantiate()'`
+
+### Run Tests
+
+To run all tests, run
+
+`julia --project=. -e 'import Pkg; Pkg.test()'`
+
+### Run Examples
+
+Get the correct environment for the examples folder:
+
+`julia --project=examples -e 'import Pkg; Pkg.develop("."); Pkg.instantiate()'`
+
+Then execute a specific example:
+
+`julia --project=examples examples/<file>.jl`
+
+## Concepts
+
+### Generate Operations from chains
 
 We assume we have a (valid) graph given. We can generate all initially possible graph operations from it, and we can calculate the graph properties like compute effort and total data transfer.
 
@@ -121,3 +145,5 @@ Graph:
   Graph size in memory: 225.0625 KiB
   286.583 μs (13996 allocations: 804.48 KiB)
 ```
+
+
diff --git a/examples/Project.toml b/examples/Project.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1e4baf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/Project.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[deps]
+BenchmarkTools = "6e4b80f9-dd63-53aa-95a3-0cdb28fa8baf"
+MetagraphOptimization = "3e869610-d48d-4942-ba70-c1b702a33ca4"
+Plots = "91a5bcdd-55d7-5caf-9e0b-520d859cae80"
diff --git a/src/MetagraphOptimization.jl b/src/MetagraphOptimization.jl
index 594675b..f9a4b5d 100644
--- a/src/MetagraphOptimization.jl
+++ b/src/MetagraphOptimization.jl
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export make_node, make_edge, insert_node, insert_edge, is_entry_node, is_exit_no
 export NodeFusion, NodeReduction, NodeSplit, push_operation!, pop_operation!, can_pop, reset_graph!, get_operations
 export import_txt
 
-export ==, in, show
+export ==, in, show, isempty, delete!
 
 export bytes_to_human_readable
 
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import Base.show
 import Base.==
 import Base.in
 import Base.copy
+import Base.isempty
+import Base.delete!
 
 
 include("tasks.jl")
diff --git a/src/graph_functions.jl b/src/graph_functions.jl
index 2225508..d7647ee 100644
--- a/src/graph_functions.jl
+++ b/src/graph_functions.jl
@@ -3,6 +3,25 @@ using DataStructures
 in(node::Node, graph::DAG) = node in graph.nodes
 in(edge::Edge, graph::DAG) = edge in graph.edges
 
+function isempty(operations::PossibleOperations)
+   return isempty(operations.nodeFusions) && 
+          isempty(operations.nodeReductions) && 
+          isempty(operations.nodeSplits)
+end
+
+function delete!(operations::PossibleOperations, op::NodeFusion)
+   delete!(operations.nodeFusions, op)
+   return operations
+end
+function delete!(operations::PossibleOperations, op::NodeReduction)
+   delete!(operations.nodeReductions, op)
+   return operations
+end
+function delete!(operations::PossibleOperations, op::NodeSplit)
+   delete!(operations.nodeSplits, op)
+   return operations
+end
+
 function is_parent(potential_parent, node)
    return potential_parent in node.parents
 end
@@ -68,14 +87,25 @@ function invalidate_caches!(graph::DAG, operation::Operation)
    delete!(graph.possibleOperations, operation)
 
    # delete the operation from all caches of nodes involved in the operation
-   # (we can iterate over single values, tuples and vectors just fine)
+   # (we can iterate over tuples and vectors just fine)
    for node in operation.input
-      delete!(node.operations, operation)
+      filter!(!=(operation), node.operations)
    end
 
    return nothing
 end
 
+# function to invalidate the operation caches for a given Node Split specifically
+function invalidate_caches!(graph::DAG, operation::NodeSplit)
+   delete!(graph.possibleOperations, operation)
+
+   # delete the operation from all caches of nodes involved in the operation
+   # for node split there is only one node
+   filter!(!=(operation), operation.input.operations)
+
+   return nothing
+end
+
 # for graph mutating functions we need to do a few things
 # 1: mute the graph (duh)
 # 2: keep track of what was changed for the diff (if track == true)
@@ -127,7 +157,7 @@ function remove_node!(graph::DAG, node::Node, track=true)
    if (track) push!(graph.diff.removedNodes, node) end
 
    # 3: invalidate caches
-   while !isempty(node)
+   while !isempty(node.operations)
       invalidate_caches!(graph, first(node.operations))
    end
    delete!(graph.dirtyNodes, node)
@@ -197,7 +227,16 @@ function get_exit_node(graph::DAG)
 end
 
 function can_fuse(n1::ComputeTaskNode, n2::DataTaskNode, n3::ComputeTaskNode)
-   #Todo
+   if !is_child(n1, n2) || !is_child(n2, n3)
+      # the checks are redundant but maybe a good sanity check
+      return false
+   end
+
+   if length(parents(n2)) != 1 || length(children(n2)) != 1
+      return false
+   end
+
+   return true
 end
 
 function can_reduce(n1::Node, n2::Node)
diff --git a/src/graph_operations.jl b/src/graph_operations.jl
index 18a3414..63d41f5 100644
--- a/src/graph_operations.jl
+++ b/src/graph_operations.jl
@@ -237,9 +237,113 @@ function node_split!(graph::DAG, n1::Node)
    return get_snapshot_diff(graph)
 end
 
-# function to find node fusions involving the given node
-function find_fusions(graph::DAG, node::Node)
-   
+# function to find node fusions involving the given node if it's a data node
+# pushes the found fusion everywhere it needs to be and returns nothing
+function find_fusions!(graph::DAG, node::DataTaskNode)
+   if length(parents(node)) != 1 || length(children(node)) != 1
+      return nothing
+   end
+
+   child_node = first(children(node))
+   parent_node = first(parents(node))
+
+   nf = NodeFusion((child_node, node, parent_node))
+   push!(graph.possibleOperations.nodeFusions, nf)
+   push!(child_node.operations, nf)
+   push!(node.operations, nf)
+   push!(parent_node.operations, nf)
+
+   return nothing
+end
+
+# function to find node fusions involving the given node if it's a compute node
+# pushes the found fusion(s) everywhere it needs to be and returns nothing
+function find_fusions!(graph::DAG, node::ComputeTaskNode)
+   # for loop that always runs once for a scoped block we can break out of
+   for _ in 1:1
+      # assume this node as child of the chain
+      if length(parents(node)) < 1
+         break
+      end
+      node2 = first(parents(node))
+      if length(parents(node2)) != 1 || length(children(node2)) != 1
+         break
+      end
+      node3 = first(parents(node2))
+
+      nf = NodeFusion((node, node2, node3))
+      push!(graph.possibleOperations.nodeFusions, nf)
+      push!(node.operations, nf)
+      push!(node2.operations, nf)
+      push!(node3.operations, nf)
+   end
+
+   for _ in 1:1
+      # assume this node as parent of the chain
+      if length(children(node)) < 1
+         break
+      end
+      node2 = first(children(node))
+      if length(parents(node2)) != 1 || length(children(node2)) != 1
+         break
+      end
+      node1 = first(children(node2))
+
+      nf = NodeFusion((node1, node2, node))
+      push!(graph.possibleOperations.nodeFusions, nf)
+      push!(node1.operations, nf)
+      push!(node2.operations, nf)
+      push!(node.operations, nf)
+   end
+
+   return nothing
+end
+
+function find_reductions!(graph::DAG, node::Node)
+   reductionVector = nothing
+   # possible reductions are with nodes that are partners, i.e. parents of children
+   for partner in partners(node)
+      if can_reduce(node, partner)
+         if reductionVector === nothing
+            # only when there's at least one reduction partner, insert the vector
+            reductionVector = Vector{Node}()
+            push!(reductionVector, node)
+         end
+
+         push!(reductionVector, partner)
+      end
+   end
+
+   if reductionVector !== nothing
+      nr = NodeReduction(reductionVector)
+      push!(graph.possibleOperations.nodeReductions, nr)
+      for node in reductionVector
+         push!(node.operations, nr)
+      end
+   end
+
+   return nothing
+end
+
+function find_splits!(graph::DAG, node::Node)
+   for node in graph.nodes
+      if (can_split(node))
+         ns = NodeSplit(node)
+         push!(graph.possibleOperations.nodeSplits, ns)
+         push!(node.operations, ns)
+      end
+   end
+
+   return nothing
+end
+
+# "clean" the operations on a dirty node
+function clean_node!(graph::DAG, node::Node)
+   find_fusions!(graph, node)
+   find_reductions!(graph, node)
+   find_splits!(graph, node)
+
+   delete!(graph.dirtyNodes, node)
 end
 
 # function to generate all possible optmizations on the graph
@@ -317,15 +421,20 @@ function generate_options(graph::DAG)
       end
    end
 
-   options.dirty = false
-
    graph.possibleOperations = options
+   empty!(graph.dirtyNodes)
 end
 
 function get_operations(graph::DAG)
-   if (graph.possibleOperations.dirty)
+   apply_all!(graph)
+
+   if isempty(graph.possibleOperations)
       generate_options(graph)
    end
 
+   while !isempty(graph.dirtyNodes)
+      clean_node!(graph, first(graph.dirtyNodes))
+   end
+
    return graph.possibleOperations
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/test/Project.toml b/test/Project.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a21f89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Project.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[deps]
+Random = "9a3f8284-a2c9-5f02-9a11-845980a1fd5c"
+Test = "8dfed614-e22c-5e08-85e1-65c5234f0b40"