01List every CRM, ERP, inbox, helpdesk, document store, spreadsheet, database, portal, payment tool, or vertical platform touched by the workflow.
02Define whether the automation starts from email, form submission, file upload, ticket status, order event, webhook, schedule, or manual review.
03Check available APIs, connectors, rate limits, authentication, field mappings, sandbox access, webhook support, and vendor responsibilities.
04Start with the narrowest read access needed for source context, sample records, retrieval, classification, drafting, or approval packet preparation.
05Specify which updates are blocked, draft-only, approval-required, or allowed after review, including CRM tasks, statuses, notes, messages, and records.
06Decide which system wins when records conflict, how duplicate records are handled, and what data must never be overwritten by automation.
07Document retries, permission denials, API errors, missing records, timeout handling, manual fallback, owner alerts, and pause authority.
08Log triggers, retrieved records, tool calls, permission denials, retries, write-back actions, reviewer approvals, latency, and cost.
09Launch with the smallest useful integration set before expanding to more systems, write actions, users, or adjacent workflows.