Consultations

A requirement that says exactly what you need — before a line of code is written.

Most failed software projects were never badly built; they were badly defined. Our consultation process turns conversations, spreadsheets and workarounds into a written, prioritised and signed-off requirement that separates what your business genuinely needs from what it would like to have.

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The process at a glance

Six stages from first conversation to signed requirement

Each stage produces something you can read, review and challenge. Nothing moves forward on assumption.

01Discovery call
02Process mapping
03Requirement definition
04Scope & priorities
05Prototype validation
06Sign-off & roadmap

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Consultant and clients reviewing business dashboards in a discovery session — Discovery: understanding the business before discussing software.

Process workflow being mapped on a glass whiteboard during a workshop — Workshop: mapping every step, hand-off and exception with your team.

Requirement specification document being signed off at a desk — Sign-off: an agreed scope, estimate and definition of done.

Step by step

What each step requires from you, and why it matters

STEP 01Critical

Discovery call

Typical duration: 30–60 minutes

A structured conversation about what the business does, where the current system stops helping and what a better outcome would look like in practical terms.

What it requires

One decision maker and one day-to-day system user
A short list of the problems costing you the most time
Access to any existing system, spreadsheets or reports

Why it matters

This is where we separate the real problem from the symptom. Getting it wrong here multiplies cost through every later stage.

STEP 02Critical

Process mapping workshop

Typical duration: Half day to two days

We walk your process end to end with the people who run it — capturing every hand-off, approval, exception and workaround on a single diagram.

What it requires

Time with the staff who actually perform each step
Samples of real documents: quotes, job cards, invoices, reports
Volumes, deadlines and the rules behind each exception

Why it matters

Undocumented exceptions are the number one cause of rework. Mapping them now turns them into designed behaviour instead of late surprises.

STEP 03High

Needs and wants separation

Typical duration: 1–2 days

Everything captured is split into must-have needs, high-value wants and later-phase ideas, so budget goes to what the business cannot operate without first.

What it requires

Honest input on what is legal, contractual or operationally mandatory
An agreed budget range and target go-live
A nominated owner to break ties between departments

Why it matters

A clear needs-versus-wants line is what keeps phase one deliverable, affordable and on time — without losing the good ideas.

STEP 04Essential

Requirement specification

Typical duration: 3–10 days

We write the requirement in plain language: data model, roles and permissions, screens, reports, integrations, automation and acceptance criteria per item.

What it requires

Review time from the decision maker and key users
Details of systems we must integrate with and their credentials or documentation
Data protection, audit and retention rules that apply to you

Why it matters

This document becomes the shared definition of done. It is what makes estimates meaningful and disagreements resolvable by reference rather than by memory.

STEP 05High

Prototype and validation

Typical duration: 1–2 weeks

A clickable prototype or working slice of the highest-risk workflow, tested by the people who will use it every day, with the requirement updated from what we learn.

What it requires

Two or three users available for short feedback sessions
A sample data set that reflects real-world messiness
Willingness to change the plan where the prototype proves us wrong

Why it matters

Users recognise the right system far faster than they can imagine it. Validating early is dramatically cheaper than correcting after build.

STEP 06Essential

Sign-off, estimate and roadmap

Typical duration: 2–5 days

A fixed scope for phase one, a costed estimate, a delivery timeline and a phased roadmap for the wants — signed by both sides before development starts.

What it requires

Formal approval from the budget holder
Agreement on acceptance testing and hand-over criteria
A decision on hosting, licensing and support arrangements

Why it matters

Sign-off protects both parties: you know exactly what you are buying, and we know exactly what to build and when you will consider it done.

One accountable partner

The consultant who defines the requirement stays with the project through build, launch and support — nothing is lost in a hand-over.

Written before built

Nothing goes into development without a written, approved requirement and acceptance criteria you have read and understood.

Phased delivery

Needs land first and go live early. Wants follow in planned phases, funded by the value the first phase already delivers.

Integration-first design

We connect to what you already have before we build anything new.

Most businesses do not start from a blank page. During the consultation we map your existing ERP, CRM, accounting, FileMaker, Supabase or legacy databases and design the new system as a layer that talks to them cleanly through REST APIs, direct connectors or scheduled data flows.

See integration services

API and connector review

We audit the systems you already rely on — FileMaker, Supabase, ERP, CRM, accounting packages — and identify the cleanest integration path for each one.

Data migration planning

Existing records are mapped, cleansed and moved in phases with validation rules, so historical data remains accurate and searchable in the new system.

REST and custom bridges

Where no standard connector exists, we build secure middleware that translates between your legacy data and the new application without touching the source.

Hosting and coexistence

We design hosting, backups and service levels so old and new systems coexist safely until the transition is complete and everyone is confident.

Start with a conversation

Let's define the system properly before anyone builds it.

Book a 30-minute discovery call. You will leave it with a clear view of the next step — whether that is a full requirement workshop, a rescue of what you already own, or an integration layer between your existing systems.

info@bluelinesolutions.co.za