“We want to automate” describes an ambition. A useful brief describes the work.

Before comparing mechanisms or discussing features, write down the task in plain language. The aim is to give everyone the same picture of what happens today and which question a new approach should answer.

1. Start and end at a clear point

Choose a specific part of the workflow. Describe what arrives at the start, what should exist at the end and which steps sit between them. Include preparation and handover if they influence the task.

A narrow task is easier to discuss than an entire construction process. If there are several tasks, identify the one that matters most for the first conversation.

2. Describe the variation

Construction work rarely happens under identical conditions. Note differences in material, geometry, access, sequence or surroundings. Distinguish what is typical from what happens only occasionally.

A brief does not need to resolve every variation. It should make the important ones visible.

3. Name the constraint

Explain what currently makes the task difficult. It may be an awkward handover, inconsistent input, limited space or a process dependency. Describe the observation without assuming the cause or prescribing a machine.

4. Define a useful outcome

What would you want to learn from an engineering discussion or a bounded evaluation? Use an outcome that can be observed. Avoid presenting an unmeasured aspiration as an established performance target.

5. Identify who can help

The people closest to the work can explain details that a document misses. Identify a site contact, an equipment contact and whoever would make a next-stage decision. One person may fill more than one role.

A compact brief structure

Task → current workflow → main constraint → working conditions → intended outcome → people involved.

Keep the first version non-confidential

Start with enough information to make the discussion useful. If drawings, detailed process data or sensitive commercial information become necessary, agree how they will be shared first.

This guide organises a planning conversation. It is not an operating procedure, machine specification or site approval.

Create your project brief