Prepare for a Systems Strategy Discussion

Choose one real workflow

Select a recurring workflow with a clear trigger and outcome, such as receiving an enquiry or approving an order. Describe what happens today rather than designing the ideal process. Bring a recent example, the information received, the decisions made and the record produced.

Identify people, systems and records

List who owns the business outcome, who performs each step and who resolves failures. Note every spreadsheet, inbox, application and manual transfer involved. Identify which record should be authoritative, who may access it and where duplicate or conflicting information appears.

Surface exceptions and operating risks

Document cases that do not follow the normal route: missing information, rejected approvals, duplicate entries, unavailable systems or delayed responses. Explain how each exception is detected, who is alerted, what recovery action is expected and what happens if nobody responds.

Frame a bounded first step

Define a small improvement that can be designed, configured and tested without assuming a full transformation. Agree what is inside and outside the boundary, which normal and exceptional scenarios matter, how acceptance will be judged, and what documentation, training and ownership are needed for handover.

Six questions to complete before your discussion

What starts this workflow, and what observable result tells the business owner it has finished successfully?

Which roles perform, approve or oversee each step, and who has authority to resolve delays or failures?

Which systems, inboxes, spreadsheets and records are used, and which source should be treated as authoritative?

What common exceptions occur, how are they detected, and who owns alerts, recovery and follow-up?

What is the smallest useful improvement that could be assessed without expanding into adjacent workflows?

Which scenarios must pass for acceptance, and who will own documentation, training, support and ongoing changes after handover?

Before booking, confirm the actual discussion agenda, scope, commercial terms and expected follow-up, as these may depend on the workflow and information provided.

Systems Strategy Discussion Preparation Worksheet