A brief that asks for “AI, cloud and enterprise security” leaves most delivery decisions open. Describe the workflow first: who uses the system, what they need to do and what would count as a successful result.
For AI, define an evaluation
For a document search tool, identify the source documents and who may read each one. Prepare sample questions with expected answers. Include questions the system should decline to answer, and decide who reviews incorrect results. This gives the team something concrete to test before adding more features.
For cloud work, define the operating boundary
List the environments, current hosting and external dependencies. Clarify who owns the cloud account, who approves infrastructure changes and who receives alerts. Ask the proposal to explain deployment, backup restoration and rollback, including work that remains with your internal team.
For security, describe access and data
Document what data enters the system, where it is stored and which roles can access it. Identify retention requirements and any internal review the release must pass. Give the development team your requirements rather than relying on a broad claim that the application will be secure.
What to include in the first brief
- A current workflow and the problem to address.
- Sample data that is approved for sharing.
- Systems the application must connect to.
- A named reviewer and a target for the first release.
- Open decisions that need investigation before estimation.
The brief does not need to settle every technical detail. It should make the unresolved questions visible.