Describe the moment of use
Who opens the tool, what has just happened, what do they need to know and what must be true when they finish? A concrete moment produces better requirements than a broad request for a dashboard or portal.
Bring the awkward cases forward
The exceptions often define the system: partial information, duplicate records, urgent changes, approvals, cancellations and work that returns to an earlier step.
- Collect real examples with sensitive information removed.
- Identify who may create, change, approve and correct each record.
- Define which actions need history or an explanation.
- List the external tools and exports the workflow still depends on.
Define the first useful boundary
The first release should make one meaningful job noticeably clearer or safer. It does not need to reproduce every surrounding process.
A narrow boundary makes testing easier, shortens feedback loops and reveals whether the underlying workflow model is correct before more features depend on it.
Plan for operation, not only launch
Decide who owns access, data quality, support decisions and future changes. Internal software becomes part of the business; its operating model deserves the same attention as its interface.