1. Start with the Markham service area, not a generic software brief
Markham is a municipality in Cook County, Illinois. The 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year population estimate for Markham city is 11,355, with a margin of error of 28. That is geographic context, not evidence of legal demand, case volume or software requirements. It does, however, make service-area definition important: your team should decide whether the tool is for work handled in Markham, work handled throughout Cook County, or the firm’s broader Illinois practice. Those are different operating boundaries. A custom build should reflect the actual people, matters and locations it serves rather than use “Markham” as a substitute for a workflow definition.
Recommended approach
Bring a precise service-area description to the consultation. Identify which office or team owns the process, whether the workflow applies to Markham matters only or to a wider Cook County and Illinois practice, and which records must remain separated. Treat the population figure as planning context, not as a forecast of demand or return.
