Minimum useful context
One workflow. One outcome. One decision.
A useful first request does not need a complete solution design. It needs a bounded piece of work, an observable result, and enough context to decide whether a structured diagnostic can produce a responsible next decision.
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Workflow boundary
Where does the work begin and end? Name the queue, handoff, decision, document, system interaction, or recurring exception creating friction.
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Desired outcome
Which result should change: cycle time, quality, cost, capacity, service, revenue, rework, risk, or another observable measure?
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Decision needed
Are you deciding whether to assess, simplify, integrate, automate, use machine intelligence, compare vendors, pilot, remediate, scale, defer, or stop?