Scope an MVP around the first complete sales journey
A worked workflow connects a request, a confirmed order and a completed service.
Choose an outcome for a specific customer group
Describe the task a customer should complete with the first version. GOV.UK recommends joining related steps into a journey that makes sense to users. Scope can be small; important handovers still need to work. Define that journey first, then choose the screens and automation required.
Example: fulfil a maintenance order
This example is entirely fictional. A business offers a bounded device-maintenance service to a limited group of business customers. Customer and provider confirm the order through an agreed manual channel; invoicing is also handled outside the portal. Service request RQ-24 is the example reference. The table contains expected evidence, not executed tests or sales.
Step | Minimum scope in this example | Expected evidence |
|---|---|---|
Understand the service | Describe service, limits and required information. | Customer understands what can be requested and the prerequisites. |
Submit a request | Capture device, location and preferred date; store the request durably. |
|
Confirm the order | Provider clarifies availability and price; both parties confirm through the agreed channel. | Confirmation is traceably linked to the order. A request alone does not count as a sale. |
Assign the work | Record the responsible person and agreed date. | Work has a named owner; customer knows the date and contact route. |
Complete the service | Document work performed and unresolved issues. | Only service completed against agreed criteria is marked complete. |
Support closure | Communicate results, allow questions and assign invoicing. | Customer knows the outcome and contact person; separate invoicing has an owner. |
Cut extras and check handovers
A recommendation engine or automatic dispatch planning can wait. Manual order clarification and invoicing still need an owner, available staff time and traceable records. GOV.UK describes joining online and offline channels with the operations team.
Check the journey with suitable sample data before customer use. If no suitable date is available, provide a clear refusal or agreed alternative; a button press is not confirmation. Unfinished work remains visible in its actual state. Assess which steps customers can complete and where processing stalls before planning further features.
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