Track 01 / Portal
Customer or partner access
Use a portal when people outside the operating team need to submit requests, see status, exchange documents, manage accounts, or complete a defined process. Discovery maps identity, permissions, notifications, language needs, records of truth, support responsibility, and what must remain private behind the interface.
A portal is not automatically a replacement for the systems behind it. A narrow layer can often present the right information while established operational tools remain in place.
Track 02 / Workflow
Internal coordination
Use a workflow system when a request changes hands repeatedly, approvals are unclear, the same information is entered more than once, or managers cannot see where work is blocked. The scope starts with states, roles, exceptions, evidence, and escalation—not a screen list.
The useful measurement may be shorter cycle time, fewer missed handoffs, less duplicate entry, or clearer accountability.
Track 03 / Integration
Connect systems already in use
Use integration when the existing products remain suitable but the transfer between them is manual or unreliable. Each connection needs an owner, authentication plan, data map, retry behavior, monitoring path, and manual fallback. Vendor limitations and API access are confirmed before estimates are treated as commitments.
Track 04 / Modernization
Replace only what has become a liability
Use phased modernization when a critical application cannot be safely maintained, supported, secured, or changed. Inventory current behavior first. Preserve data and essential operations, build acceptance evidence, plan rollback, then move in controlled stages instead of treating a rewrite as a single dramatic launch.