Look for repetition you can describe

Write down the action, how often it happens and who performs it. ‘Improve operations’ is too broad to design around. ‘Enter the same supplier details into two systems’ gives the conversation a useful starting point. Ask the person who performs the task to explain both the normal route and the days when it does not go to plan.

Map the handover, not just the screen

Record what starts the task, where the information comes from, who checks it and who needs the output. Include the current tools and any required approvals. A process that seems simple to one team may depend on a document held by another. Making that dependency visible can improve the workflow before any software is built.

Separate a rule from a judgement

Copying a known field may follow a clear rule. Interpreting an incomplete document or deciding whether an exception is acceptable may require review. Define where an automatic step can stop, what it should flag and how a person takes over. If an action is retried, the workflow should also avoid creating a duplicate.

Choose a baseline the team can observe

Agree what you will record before comparing an improved process: time spent on a representative task, repeated entry, incomplete handovers or correction work. An illustrative example is useful for explaining the workflow, but it is not a measured customer result. Keep the definition of the measure consistent during an evaluation.

Write a short first scope

A useful brief names the people involved, the input, the expected output, the exceptions and the systems it touches. Add what will remain outside the first version. The aim is a scope that can be reviewed with the people using it. It does not have to cover every future feature.

Bring the workflow into the conversation

For a first discussion with SVLV, a description of the task, your current tools and the outcome you want is enough. There is no need to send confidential business documents immediately. If the project needs examples later, the scope and handling of those examples should be agreed first.