Begin with one recurring task
List the work your team repeats without changing the underlying decision very much. Examples include creating a CRM record, assigning an inquiry, reminding someone about a follow-up, or assembling information for review. The best starting point is usually a process you can explain clearly from beginning to end.
Map the people as well as the tools
Write down what starts the process, what information it needs, who owns the next action, and what should happen when something is missing. A tool-to-tool connection does not solve an unclear handoff. The map should include the person who notices and resolves an exception.
Separate rules from judgment
Some actions follow a clear rule. Others need interpretation, approval, or a conversation. Decide which actions can run automatically, which AI can assist, and which stay with a person. This makes the scope easier to test and gives the team a more useful picture of the workflow.
Define a small, observable outcome
Choose an initial outcome that can be checked: an inquiry gets assigned, a follow-up appears, a record contains the required information, or a reviewer receives the right notification. Record the current process before changing it so you can compare the work afterward without guessing.
Test the ordinary and the awkward cases
Include complete requests, missing information, duplicate records, unavailable tools, and an inquiry that should reach a person. Check the actions taken as well as the messages shown. Agree on monitoring and responsibility before relying on the workflow.
Start with a workflow brief
A useful brief names the task, the people involved, the tools, the trigger, the desired outcome, and the most common exception. That is enough to begin a focused discovery conversation.