What to define before you build
Start with the job-to-be-done: reduce rework, shorten cycle times, or give leadership trustworthy numbers. Name the primary users, their permissions, and the failure modes you cannot tolerate—offline crews, partial uploads, duplicate records.
Map integrations early: which systems own customer records, financial truth, and scheduling. Decide whether the first release is read-heavy reporting or write-heavy operations; sequenced phases beat big-bang launches for adoption.
Planning checklist
- Goal metrics written as measurable outcomes, not feature wishlists.
- Workflow diagrams for happy path and top exceptions.
- Data model sketch: entities, owners, and retention expectations.
- Security and privacy boundaries for roles and vendors.
- Migration plan from spreadsheets or legacy tools.
- Training and rollout approach so teams actually use the system.