Clients passing off broken processes as system requirements
Clients submit lengthy requirement documents that literally just type out their current broken workflows in bullet points. When an audit reveals what they must do to fix their messy systems and enable new capabilities, they refuse the solutions because they do not want to change.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Start with a small, highly visible fix for sales reps to build momentum and secure buy-in for larger changes.Did this help you?
- 2Bill by the hour to protect yourself financially when clients resist the necessary work.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Client: I need help, our Hubspot is mess, our Sales people are just doing whatever they want, etc etc Me: after deep research/audit - Ok, you have to do this, this and this. Otherwise you can't do xyz (AI Agents...) Client: no, not like that! We don't want to change!”source ↗
“My client just sent me a 47-page "requirements" doc that's literally just their current broken processes typed out in bullet points.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9How to document company processes that only exist in people's heads
- 11Why built-in software AI features don't fit real work
- 4Helpdesk alternatives to an overwhelmed shared inbox
- 21Why do big companies require so many rigid formalities?
- 4How do solo sysadmins handle endless ad-hoc software and system requests?
- 2Why won't HVAC contractors follow my Manual J report?