Follow one record
Choose a recent application, customer request or opportunity. Follow it from arrival to the next meaningful decision. Note every spreadsheet, email thread and repeated entry along the way.
Find what the software cannot solve alone
A platform cannot decide who owns an exception if the team has never agreed it. Define the responsible person, required information and expected next action before assessing the technology.
Check the options in order
Can the current system be configured? Can an integration connect the missing information? Would a portal improve the customer experience? Consider replacement when the existing system cannot reasonably support the agreed process.
Test with your own situations
Ask to see a normal case and an exception using representative test data. A useful demonstration shows the record, the action, the reviewer and the result. Attractive screens alone do not establish workflow fit.
Include the transition
If a platform change is needed, plan field mapping, duplicate handling, access, reconciliation and the handover. Agree how staff will keep working during the transition and who owns support after launch.