Map the workflow and data
Begin with users, approval steps, sensitive data, and existing integrations. Record the operational impact of downtime, the source of each data field, and the permissions required at each stage.
Design for access and recovery
Use least-privilege access, auditable changes, clear integration boundaries, and recovery procedures. Document the applicable business and regulatory requirements with the responsible stakeholders before selecting the architecture.
Define acceptance before release
Agree access-control checks, recovery targets, workflow completion criteria, and representative load tests. Validate these against a documented baseline and retain a rollback plan for production changes.