What we look at
- Who actually moves the work from request to done.
- Which tools they open, and which ones they walk around.
- Where a file waits, and who has to notice that it is waiting.
- What happens when the person who 'just knows' is away.
Why this step
If we skip this, we will specify the stack you already have, plus a wish list. We sit with the people who run the process and follow one request through. What we write down is what we saw in the week.
What we do
- Follow a live file from the first request to the last handoff.
- Write the path in operational language: owner, wait, missing fact, next action.
- Name the tools that already hold part of the work, and the gaps people fill by hand.
What we do not do
- A workshop that starts with which AI use cases you want.
- A requirements document written away from the people who run the week.
- A tour of our practices before we have seen your process.
Related problems
The other steps
How a file actually runs
Discovery, a scoped build, then scheduled reviews. That is the calendar of the file.
Describe the process as it runs. A specification is optional.