Make your next
technology decision clearer.

1. Define the work

   Describe the task, who does it, how often it happens, and where time or quality is lost. Record the current process so you have a baseline for comparison.

2. Check the information

   Identify the sources the system would need. Confirm permission to use them, remove unnecessary sensitive information, and assess whether they are accurate and current.

3. Choose a test

   Build a representative set of examples, including difficult cases. Agree on what a useful result looks like, which mistakes are unacceptable, and who reviews the output.

4. Plan human review

   Decide when a person must approve an action, how staff can correct mistakes, and what happens if the service is unavailable. Keep a simpler fallback available.

5. Review the operating model

   Discuss access, vendor data use, retention, running costs, and ownership. Compare the pilot with existing software features or a simpler automation before expanding it.

Your next step: Bring a workflow description, a few non-sensitive examples, and a proposed success measure to your first conversation.

1. Identify users and tasks

   List who will use the software and the most important tasks they need to complete. Include staff who administer the system or handle exceptions.

2. Separate essentials from later ideas

   Describe the smallest release that would be useful. Make a separate list of improvements that can wait until people have tried it.

3. Map systems and data

   List the applications it must connect to, who owns each data source, and any access or licensing constraints. Note information that needs to be migrated.

4. Set acceptance criteria

   Write down how you will check important workflows, permissions, accessibility, performance, and error handling. Identify who can approve the result.

5. Plan life after launch

   Agree on hosting, ownership, documentation, training, maintenance, and support. Include a budget and process for later changes.

Your next step: Bring your priority workflows, existing tools, target date, and budget range if you have one.

1. Inventory the environment

   List applications, servers, databases, accounts, integrations, and owners. Include scheduled jobs, shared files, and systems maintained by other suppliers.

2. Define requirements

   Document access, performance, availability, data location, and retention needs. Work through contractual or regulatory requirements with the appropriate advisers.

3. Compare the full cost

   Consider licensing, storage, network traffic, backup, monitoring, support, and the cost of running old and new environments during transition.

4. Test before cutover

   Validate the migration with a representative workload. Check user access, integrations, restore procedures, and the performance of everyday tasks.

5. Agree on the change plan

   Name the decision makers, expected interruption, rollback trigger, communication plan, and post-migration checks. Retire old systems only after sign-off.

Your next step: Bring an inventory, system owners, known dependencies, and your acceptable change windows.

1. Protect accounts

   Review multi-factor authentication, administrative privileges, shared accounts, and the process for removing access when people leave. Know who can recover critical accounts.

2. Keep systems maintained

   Maintain an inventory of devices and software. Assign responsibility for updates, endpoint protection, unsupported systems, and reviewing alerts.

3. Check recovery

   Identify critical data and systems, confirm backup coverage, and test restoration. Record recovery priorities and keep recovery instructions available during an outage.

4. Prepare people

   Make it easy to report suspicious messages and unexpected payment requests. Give staff a clear way to verify requests through a separate, trusted channel.

5. Plan a response

   List internal owners, service providers, and escalation contacts. Agree on how incidents will be assessed, contained, documented, and communicated.

Your next step: Bring a list of critical systems, current support arrangements, and any gaps you already know about.

Further reading: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: baseline controls.

1. Map calls and people

   List users, locations, main numbers, call queues, reception duties, and after-hours routing. Note mobile staff and any accessibility needs.

2. Check existing equipment

   Identify desk phones, your phone system, network equipment, and devices such as alarms or door entry systems that may use a phone line. Confirm compatibility individually.

3. Review the whole quote

   Compare licences, calling plans, usage, hardware, setup, support, taxes, and contract terms. Confirm which features are included and which depend on additional services.

4. Plan number transfers

   Confirm number eligibility, account details, authorization, and the proposed transfer date with the providers. Keep your existing service active until the transfer is confirmed.

5. Prepare for disruption

   Review internet and power dependencies, emergency calling requirements, registered locations, and fallback arrangements. Train users before the change takes effect.

Your next step: Bring your current bill, user count, number list, and the call flows that matter most.

Before choosing a service, read our 911 emergency calling information and phone service terms.