How to prepare for a usage trend assessment
A little preparation shortens discovery and improves the quality of findings. Here is what we ask clients to gather.
Define the application boundary in one paragraph. Include what is in scope and what neighboring services are out of scope. Ambiguous boundaries waste the first week of an assessment.
Export at least 30 days of usage history in a format your team already trusts. CSV or warehouse extracts both work; the important part is that definitions match what operators already use in standups.
List known incidents, releases, and campaigns in that window. Without that context, analysts misread spikes and dips as mystery signals.
Name one product contact and one operations contact. Assessments stall when every clarifying question waits for a committee.
Finally, write down the decision the assessment should inform—capacity purchase, roadmap prioritization, or seasonal staffing. Findings written without a decision target tend to stay on a shelf.