What to prepare before you commission a business system
A short checklist that makes software projects faster, cheaper and far more likely to fit how you actually work.
The most expensive part of a software project is building the wrong thing. A little preparation before the first meeting goes a long way.
Describe the problem, not the feature list
Start with what is going wrong today: orders get lost, reports take a week, stock does not match. Features follow from problems — not the other way round.
Map the current process
Write down, step by step, how the work happens now. Who does it, with what tools, and where information is handed over. Handovers are where most problems live.
Collect real examples
Bring the actual receipts, forms, registers and spreadsheets you use. They show the data the system needs to hold.
Decide who will use it
List the roles — cashier, manager, accountant, doctor, receptionist — and what each needs to see and do.
Agree what success looks like
Pick two or three things you want to be true after launch, such as daily sales report available by 6pm without manual work.
Plan for the first version
A focused first release that solves the biggest problem is better than a large system that takes a year. You can extend a well-built foundation.
If you would like help working through this, start a project conversation and we will go through it with you.
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