Software creates leverage when it supports how work actually moves through an organization. That requires more than reproducing a spreadsheet on a screen.
Start with the operating model
Good discovery identifies the people involved, the information they need, the decisions they make, and the exceptions that interrupt the normal path. These details shape the data model and the interfaces more than a feature checklist does.
Make ownership visible
Every important record should answer a few practical questions: who owns the next action, what changed, what is blocked, and what happens afterward? Clear state and history reduce the communication work that surrounds a process.
Design for change
Business rules evolve. A maintainable system keeps those rules in focused modules and avoids tying every screen to one fixed process. That makes future improvements controlled rather than disruptive.