How we engage
Predictable engagements are a product feature, not an afterthought.
Every client moves through the same commercial and delivery process: consultative discovery, a paid assessment, structured onboarding, phased delivery, and a support relationship that continues afterwards.
Sales motion
Consultative discovery instead of a product demonstration.
We do not give away extensive solution architecture before an engagement exists. A free consultation establishes fit; a paid assessment produces the design.
- Prospect
- Discovery call
- Qualification
- Assessment
- Solution design
- Proposal
- Negotiation
- Contract
- Deposit
- Delivery
- Managed services
| Stage | Entry criteria | Exit criteria | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| New opportunity | Qualified enquiry with a named contact | Business problem captured | Principal consultant |
| Qualification | Problem, authority, budget status and timeline explored | Confirmed fit and next step agreed | Principal consultant |
| Discovery | Discovery session scheduled | Requirements outline and stakeholders identified | Consultant / analyst |
| Solution design | Assessment findings available | Approach, scope and estimate drafted | Solution architect |
| Proposal | Scope agreed verbally | Proposal delivered and acknowledged | Principal consultant |
| Negotiation | Commercial questions raised | Terms agreed | Principal consultant |
| Contract | Terms agreed | Agreement signed | Operations |
| Closed won | Signed agreement plus deposit received | Onboarding triggered | Operations |
Probability and forecasting
Stage probabilities should be derived from your own conversion history as it accumulates, rather than adopting generic percentages that would make early forecasts misleading.
Onboarding
Onboarding starts the moment the agreement is signed and the deposit clears.
Most of this is automated, so the client experiences the same professional start every time.
- Signed agreement
- Deposit confirmed
- Welcome email
- Questionnaire
- Stakeholders identified
- Access provisioned
- Discovery
- Requirements
- Scope confirmed
- Project plan
- Kickoff
Automated on closed-won
- Account record updated and project created
- Project manager assigned and folder structure generated
- Onboarding checklist and kickoff tasks created
- Welcome email and discovery questionnaire sent
- Access checklist and stakeholder records raised
- Communication plan drafted for confirmation
Confirmed with a human before kickoff
- Scope and exclusions restated in plain language
- Named decision-makers and approval path
- Risk assessment and dependencies
- Meeting cadence and escalation route
- Access, security and environment requirements
Delivery framework
Ten phases, each with a deliverable and an approval.
| Phase | Objective | Deliverables | Quality control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Understand the business problem | Discovery notes, current-state process, stakeholder map | Sponsor review |
| Requirements | Agree what will be built | Functional and non-functional requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria | Requirements sign-off |
| Solution design | Define the approach | Architecture, data model, security model, automation and integration design | Design approval |
| Build | Configure or develop the approved solution | Working solution, configuration log | Peer review |
| Testing | Verify against requirements internally | Test scripts, defect log | Internal QA gate |
| UAT | Customer validates the solution | UAT results and sign-off | Customer approval |
| Training | Prepare users and administrators | Training materials and sessions | Attendance and competence check |
| Deployment | Release safely | Deployment plan, release notes, rollback plan | Go-live approval |
| Hypercare | Stabilize after launch | Support log, rapid fixes | Defect trend review |
| Closure | Close cleanly and transition | Documentation, final approval, lessons learned | Support handover |
Project management
Hybrid by default, with the method chosen per engagement.
Choosing the method
| Method | Best used for |
|---|---|
| Hybrid | Most consultancy implementations — structured discovery, iterative build |
| Agile | Evolving requirements and discovery-heavy work |
| Scrum | Larger development teams with sustained velocity |
| Kanban | Managed services, support and small enhancements |
| Waterfall | Sequential or strongly regulated scope |
Controls maintained on every project
- Scope and change request register
- Timeline and milestone tracking
- Budget and burn against estimate
- Risk and issue registers with owners
- Actions, decisions and dependencies log
- Resource allocation and capacity view
Client portal
Transparency with a clear line between shared and internal information.
Clients see the state of their work. Commercial internals stay internal.
| Visible to clients | Internal only |
|---|---|
| Projects, milestones and deliverables | Profit margin and internal rates |
| Meeting notes and approvals | Internal staff notes |
| Support cases and service requests | Internal risk scoring |
| Invoices and contracts | Contractor cost |
| Documents and reports | Internal escalation threads |
| Requests and status history | Team workload and sales notes |
Next step
See the process from the inside on your own project.
Book a consultation and we will walk you through the exact artifacts you would receive at each phase.