The best first workflow is usually hiding in a message someone sends every week. A new request arrives, one person asks two clarifying questions, then forwards it to someone else. Start by writing down that sequence as it happens today.
Find a clear finish line
A workflow needs a recognizable starting signal and a specific handoff. “A new request is assigned to an owner with a short brief” is easier to test than “our intake gets better.” Collect a few anonymized requests and write down what a good handoff would include for each.
Keep exceptions in view
Try a typical request, an incomplete request and one that belongs in the wrong queue. If the next step is unclear, give the workflow a place to pause and explain why. You can add branches once the simple version makes sense to the people doing the work.