Describe the work, before the software
Start with the task your team repeats today. A useful brief explains who does it, where the information comes from and what a successful result looks like.
- Show a real example of the current workflow, including the awkward parts.
- Name the person who owns the process and the people who use it.
- Record frequency, time spent and the errors that are most expensive to fix.
Choose what needs to be custom
Review existing apps and Shopify Flow before commissioning something new. Custom development makes sense when the business rules, systems or user experience need a closer fit.
- Separate essential requirements from ideas for a later version.
- Decide which system owns each piece of data and who may change it.
- Ask how the tool will behave when a connected service is unavailable.
Agree on life after launch
An app needs someone to own support, access and maintenance. Put those decisions in the brief alongside the screens and workflows.
- Define a small acceptance test based on the original business task.
- Agree on permissions, hosting, monitoring and ongoing maintenance.
- Make sure the team can export its data and understand the support process.