01

Start with the actual workflow

Document the input, decisions, exceptions and output. Include the people who handle unusual cases and approvals. Separate rules that can be specified from judgments requiring review. Document the unusual cases, not only the process shown in a demonstration.

02

Identify the information boundaries

A healthcare administrative workflow and a logistics reporting process can have different access, integration and oversight needs. State those constraints before asking providers for a solution. State permitted processing locations, sensitive information and any restrictions on model training or retention. Keep those conditions in every invited provider's brief.

03

Decide what needs assessment

If feasibility, data readiness or specialist input remains uncertain, scope an assessment with clear findings before committing to implementation. Request a measurable baseline and a defined test set. An assessment should report limitations and feasible next steps, not presume a follow-on implementation award.

04

Make the assessment useful even if the tool changes

Ask for a process map, the information inputs, the exceptions and a clear explanation of feasible approaches. Those findings should help your organisation make a decision even if it does not commission the next phase from the same provider. Keep the assessment deliverables and implementation proposal distinct, and ask what your internal team needs to contribute.

Turn the guidance into your brief.

Record the outcome, scope, assumptions and outstanding decisions in a shared requirement. Ask every invited provider to respond to the same version, and keep missing information visible rather than treating silence as agreement.

BlueBlocks helps structure that conversation. Specialist discovery that requires substantial work can be quoted as its own project before implementation is commissioned.

Take these questions into the conversation.

  • Which part of the workflow is repetitive?
  • Where do exceptions need a person?
  • What findings would make a discovery project useful?

Explore the work behind this question.

When the next step needs specialist expertise, start with a focused requirement. Explore the service, then talk to BlueBlocks about what fits your organisation.

Research & references Reviewed 2 November 2026

These primary sources inform the context and questions on this page. Procurement recommendations are BlueBlocks editorial guidance. A cited organisation does not endorse BlueBlocks; applicability depends on your systems and obligations.