ENGAGEMENT MODELS
The right level of support
for the next step.
Four ways to work together. The honest version of each, including when it is the wrong choice.
No prices, durations or contractual terms are published here. Those are agreed per engagement and written down before work starts.
THE FOUR MODELS
Pick the shape that
fits where you are.
Most engagements start with one of these and change model later as the work changes.
CLARITY BEFORE COMMITMENT
ENGAGEMENT MODELStrategy Workshop
A focused piece of work for businesses that want to understand their options clearly before committing to any implementation.
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES
- Structured conversations with the people who do the work, not only those who sponsor it
- Reviewing the systems, data and processes already in place
- Mapping the current process and naming where value is actually lost
- Shaping and comparing realiztic options, including doing less than proposed
- Working through what each option would need from your team and systems
DELIVERABLES
- A written summary of the current situation as we found it
- A clear statement of the problem worth solving first
- Two or three described options with trade-offs set out plainly
- A recommended direction with our reasoning shown
- An outline of what a sensible first piece of work could cover
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
We work closely with a small group from your side, usually a sponsor and a few people close to the day-to-day work. Most of the effort is listening, then testing our understanding back with you so nothing rests on an assumption we made quietly. You end up with something you can discuss internally, whether or not you choose to build anything with us.
Less suitable when. If you already know what needs building and have agreed the scope internally, a Defined Project will get you there with less preamble.
AN AGREED SCOPE
ENGAGEMENT MODELDefined Project
A specific digital challenge with an agreed scope, designed and delivered as a piece of work with a clear beginning and end.
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES
- Agreeing the scope in writing, including what is deliberately out of it
- Design work covering the user experience and the technical approach
- Building in reviewable stages, so you see progress rather than waiting for a reveal
- Testing with the people who will use the result, and acting on what they say
- Handover, documentation and support through the switch to live use
DELIVERABLES
- A written scope and the acceptance criteria we both work to
- Design artefacts covering flows, screens and structure
- The working software described in the scope
- Technical and user documentation for the delivered work
- A handover session with your team and a record of known limitations
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
We agree the scope up front and then work in regular review cycles, so you can see the work taking shape and raise concerns early. You get a named point of contact and a predictable rhythm of demonstrations and decisions. Where something turns out to be harder or less valuable than expected, we raise it rather than quietly absorbing it.
Less suitable when. If the requirements are still moving, or the end state is genuinely uncertain, a fixed scope becomes an obstacle and an Embedded Delivery Team usually suits better.
CAPACITY ALONGSIDE YOURS
ENGAGEMENT MODELEmbedded Delivery Team
Ongoing design, engineering or technical delivery capacity working as part of your team on evolving priorities.
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES
- Working inside your planning rhythm rather than running a separate process
- Design and engineering work against priorities you set and can reorder
- Regular planning and review sessions with your own team
- Writing things down as we go, so knowledge stays with you
- Flagging technical risk and accumulating complexity before it becomes expensive
DELIVERABLES
- Working software released in regular increments
- Design work covering the features in progress
- Documentation and technical notes that stay with your team
- Visible planning and progress your stakeholders can follow
- Regular reviews of priorities, risks and what we learned
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
We join your rituals, use your tools where we can, and work to priorities you own. The intent is to feel like part of your team rather than a supplier working at a distance, which means being honest in planning conversations even when that is awkward. Over time we aim to leave your own team more capable, not more dependent.
Less suitable when. If you have one clearly bounded piece of work and no appetite to manage priorities week to week, a Defined Project is simpler and easier to govern.
CARE AFTER LAUNCH
ENGAGEMENT MODELContinuous Improvement
Long-term support and optimization for systems already in use, keeping them healthy and improving them steadily.
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES
- Monitoring, maintenance and keeping dependencies current
- Fixing defects and responding to issues your team reports
- Reviewing how the system is used and where people struggle
- Making small, steady improvements rather than periodic large rewrites
- Reviewing security, performance and technical health regularly
DELIVERABLES
- Regular maintenance and update work on the live system
- An agreed route for reporting and resolving issues
- Periodic health reviews covering security and performance
- Improvement work prioritized with your team
- A kept-current record of the system and its known issues
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
We keep a steady, low-drama relationship with your team, with an agreed way to raise issues and a regular review of what to improve next. Most of the value shows up as small things handled before they become incidents. We tell you plainly when something needs more than maintenance, rather than patching around a problem indefinitely.
Less suitable when. If you need substantial new capability built, this model moves too slowly on purpose, and a Defined Project or Embedded Delivery Team is the better fit.
NOT SURE WHICH
Most conversations
start the same way.
A short call about the problem, then a recommendation about which model fits. If a workshop is not needed, we say so.
A CLEARER VIEW
Your next move starts with a clearer view.
Tell us what you want to improve, what is getting in the way, or what you want to build. We will help you explore a practical path forward.