00 / How we work
A method that takes the risk out of implementation
Every engagement follows the same four steps: Map, Architect, Build and Integrate, Operate and Optimise. Fixed governance, a named owner on both sides and a monthly report from the first month. This page explains what happens in each step, what your team does and how we keep the work on track.
Map, Architect, Build and Integrate, Operate and Optimise
- One accountable team from audit to operation
- Weekly rhythm, monthly report, quarterly review
- European team, EU data handling, GDPR by default
01Principles
Four rules we do not bend
- 01 /
Outcomes before features
Every step starts from the business result it must produce. Features that do not serve it are cut, however interesting.
- 02 /
Integrate before you replace
We connect to the systems you run and only replace what demonstrably holds you back. Fewer migrations, less disruption.
- 03 /
You own everything
Code, configurations, data, documentation and accounts are in your name from day one. No lock-in by design.
- 04 /
Nothing happens in the dark
A shared plan, a weekly update and a demo every fortnight. You never wonder where the project stands.
02The four steps
Map, Architect, Build and Integrate, Operate and Optimise
The steps are the same for a website, an ERP, an automation programme or a sales system. What changes is the depth and the duration of each.
- Step 1
Map
We audit how the work flows today: processes, systems, data, people and numbers. The goal is a shared, honest picture of where value is lost and what to fix first.
- Typical duration
- 1 to 3 weeks depending on the size of the organisation
- Your team's role
- A sponsor who can decide, one contact per department for a two hour session each, and access to the systems and reports we need to see. Roughly half a day per week from the sponsor.
What happens
- Interviews with the people who do the work, not only the people who manage it
- Inventory of systems, integrations, data quality and licences
- Baseline of the numbers that matter: response times, conversion, cycle times, cost per outcome
- Prioritisation of opportunities by impact, effort and risk
What you receive
- A written audit with findings and a baseline
- A prioritised opportunity list with expected impact
- A recommended scope for the first release
- Step 2
Architect
We design the solution before we build it: architecture, data model, integrations, security, timelines and the measures of success. Decisions are written down and signed off, so the build has no surprises.
- Typical duration
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Your team's role
- Team leads review the designs and confirm the processes. IT or your provider confirms access, security requirements and hosting constraints. Two to three review sessions in total.
What happens
- Solution architecture and data model, including what stays, what connects and what is replaced
- Integration design per system, with ownership of each data field
- Clickable prototypes or process walkthroughs validated with the end users
- Delivery plan with waves, dependencies, risks and the cutover approach
What you receive
- The blueprint: architecture, integrations, security and data handling
- A delivery plan with milestones, budget and the acceptance criteria per milestone
- The KPI tree we will report against from the first month
- Step 3
Build and Integrate
Delivery in short cycles with a working demo every fortnight. Integrations, migration, testing, documentation and training are part of the build, not extras added at the end.
- Typical duration
- 4 to 16 weeks for a first release, depending on the solution
- Your team's role
- A product owner on your side who attends the demos and decides on priorities, plus test users per team for acceptance. Expect two to four hours per week from the product owner.
What happens
- Two week cycles, each ending in a demo of working software or a live process
- Integrations and data migration built and tested against real records early, not in the last week
- Acceptance testing by your users on each milestone, with a written sign-off
- Training, playbooks and a controlled go-live per team or process
What you receive
- Working releases in production, milestone by milestone
- Documentation, credentials and repositories in your name
- Trained teams with written playbooks and a support channel
- Step 4
Operate and Optimise
A system is only finished when it keeps improving. We monitor, maintain and report, and we use the numbers to decide what to improve next, month after month.
- Typical duration
- Ongoing, monthly cycle
- Your team's role
- The product owner joins the monthly review and sets priorities for the next month. The sponsor joins a quarterly review of results and roadmap.
What happens
- Monitoring, security updates, backups and incident response with agreed response times
- Monthly review of the KPI tree against the baseline from the Map step
- A prioritised improvement backlog delivered in the same fortnightly rhythm
- Adoption coaching, office hours and refresher training as teams and processes change
What you receive
- A monthly report: results against KPIs, incidents, changes delivered and next priorities
- A living roadmap reviewed each quarter
- Agreed service levels and a named owner on our side
03Governance and KPIs
How we keep the work honest
Implementation projects fail on governance more often than on technology. This is the structure every engagement runs on.
- 01
One owner on each side
A named lead from our team and a product owner from yours. Decisions have a name and a date; nothing waits in a group chat.
- 02
A fixed rhythm
Weekly written update, fortnightly demo, monthly report and steering, quarterly review of results and roadmap.
- 03
A KPI tree agreed before the build
Business outcomes at the top, system and adoption measures underneath. Every report shows the same tree against the baseline.
- 04
Change control without bureaucracy
New requests go into the backlog with an impact estimate. Scope changes are decided in the monthly steering, in writing, with the budget effect visible.
04Security and data
European by default
We build for businesses that answer to regulators, auditors and their own clients. Data handling is designed in the Architect step, not patched in before go-live.
- 01
EU hosting and data residency
Systems and data are hosted in the European Union unless you decide otherwise, with processors documented and agreements in place.
- 02
GDPR built in
Data minimisation, retention rules, consent and access requests are designed into the system, with a data processing agreement as standard.
- 03
Access, roles and audit trails
Single sign-on where available, least-privilege roles, logged changes and offboarding procedures for every system we touch.
- 04
EU AI Act ready
Automated systems are classified, documented and given human review steps where the regulation or the risk requires it.
05Your first 90 days
What working with us looks like in practice
A typical timeline for a first engagement. Larger implementations take longer, smaller ones move faster, the sequence stays the same.
- Days 1 to 30
Map and blueprint
Kick-off, interviews, audit and baseline. The blueprint and delivery plan are signed off before the month ends, and the first build cycle is scheduled.
- Days 31 to 60
First releases
The first two build cycles deliver working pieces into production: a process, an integration, a portal or a campaign. Your users test and sign off each one.
- Days 61 to 90
Go-live and first report
The first release is live and adopted, teams are trained and the first monthly report compares results with the baseline. The next priorities are set together.
07Questions
Questions about working with us
How much time does our team need to invest?
Who makes decisions during the project?
What happens when requirements change halfway?
What if the project runs late?
What documentation do we receive?
Can we stop after a step?
Do you work on site or remotely?
How do you handle access to our systems and data?
Next step
See what the first 90 days would look like for you
In a 30 minute strategy call we look at your situation and outline what we would map first, what the blueprint would cover and when the first release could be live. No slides, no obligation.
- GDPR compliant
- 100% confidential
Tell us where it is getting stuck
We reply within one business day. Your details are used only to prepare the call and handled as described in our privacy policy.