How to Prepare for a Software Discovery Conversation

Choose a recurring task such as receiving an order, collecting rent or assigning a delivery. Describe what triggers it, who takes each step, which tools they use and how they know the work is complete.

Include an exception. What happens if the payment reference is missing, the delivery fails or the person who normally approves a request is away? These details help reveal requirements that a tidy process diagram can miss.

Point to the handoffs where information is copied, delayed or lost. Explain who is affected and how often it happens. “The operations team spends Friday combining branch reports” gives more context than “we need a dashboard”.

If possible, bring an anonymised example of the current spreadsheet, form or report. Remove personal information and confidential customer details before sharing examples.

Include someone who does the work, someone who owns the process and someone who can approve a change. They may see different parts of the same problem.

Note existing tools, any integration access, devices, connectivity constraints and dates that matter to the business. If something is unknown, mark it as an open question rather than guessing.

The next step might be a workflow assessment, a review of an existing product, an integration investigation or a scoped development proposal. Ask what information is still missing and who will provide it.

Before an assessment starts, agree its scope, deliverables, timing and any fees. A useful assessment should help you understand the problem and the options, including whether custom development is justified.