Step 1
Follow a real record end to end
Choose representative records: a standard engagement, a change and an incomplete record. Note every manual entry, check and email exchange. Separate working time from waiting time. Click count may not be the main problem: an unclear responsibility can hold a record for days. Define the flow’s start and end before calculating its cost.
Step 2
Decide which data is authoritative
Assign a source and owner to each useful field. Billing address, operational contact and contractual scope may come from different sources. Bidirectional synchronisation without precedence can spread errors faster. Document what may change after approval and how corrections propagate. Use a stable identifier instead of a company name alone.
Step 3
Check what the systems support
Inventory native features, exports and interfaces available in your actual subscription. Check accessible fields, permissions, quotas and maintenance conditions. A published API does not guarantee coverage of every need. Compare configuration, connection and business tooling against the same scope. Include operations, error recovery and eventual supplier exit.
Step 4
Test failures as well
The pilot should cover a repeated send, missing data, interruption and a correction after transfer. Failure must leave an understandable trace and assigned action. Avoid retries that create a second record. Acceptance checks rules and exceptions, then speed. A fallback process and rollback capability belong in delivery.
Step 5
Measure a comparable scope
Before the pilot, record re-entry time and corrections on a sample. Afterwards, use the same engagement types and disclose changes in volume or complexity. Record maintenance effort too. Less typing is useful only if total cost and final quality improve. If rules remain unstable, postpone expansion.
Method and scope
Original Robinswood editorial guidance for framing a decision. These are proposed methods, not measured client results or legal advice. Adapt them to your systems, data and responsibilities.
Continue with the relevant need, the audit method and the illustrative deliverable. No confidential client document is used in this guide.