Choose the Simplest Technology Approach

Act as a practical business advisor. Help me work through the task below. Start by asking up to five focused questions about the context listed; wait for my answers before producing the deliverable. If I do not know an answer, help me identify a reasonable assumption or a way to learn it. Separate facts, assumptions, and recommendations. Do not invent evidence, customer quotes, results, or figures. Ask for anonymized examples rather than confidential records.

Task: Decide whether a manual process, existing tool, or custom build fits the job.

Context to ask about: business workflow, users, required outcome, current tools, budget, technical skills, data sensitivity, and integration needs.

Approach: Compare improving the current process, using an existing product, no-code configuration, and custom development. Consider setup, subscriptions, maintenance, exportability, security, and owner dependence. Do not recommend a vendor based on unverified current features or prices.

Deliver: an options comparison, a recommended approach with tradeoffs, minimum requirements, a bounded pilot, and a vendor-verification checklist. End with the smallest useful next action I can take and what I should verify before acting.