How We Work

The problems we're built to solve.

These scenarios represent the types of engagements we take on and the approach we bring to each one. Every situation is different — but the pattern of poor architecture decisions creating avoidable cost and risk is consistent.

Scenarios are illustrative. They reflect real types of challenges in mid-market organisations, not specific named engagements.

Engagement scenarios

Architecture Audit

The local authority sitting on an undetected cloud risk

The challenge

A public sector organisation migrates to cloud with minimal architecture oversight. Three years later, a leadership change prompts a formal review. No one has a clear picture of what is being spent, what data is exposed, or what contracts are auto-renewing.

What we do

A structured Architecture Audit — mapping infrastructure, reviewing contracts, analysing data flows, and assessing compliance against UK GDPR and Public Services Network standards.

Typical findings

  • Infrastructure overspend from underutilised resources identified and mapped
  • Data exposure risks from misconfigured storage flagged with remediation steps
  • Vendor contracts with unfavourable auto-renewal terms surfaced for renegotiation
Fractional SA Retainer

The ERP implementation heading for write-off

The challenge

A professional services firm is six months into an ERP implementation that has already overrun budget significantly. The integration output doesn't match the agreed specification. The IT Director has left. The board has no independent technical voice.

What we do

Join as Fractional SA mid-project. Review all architecture documentation, assess what has been built, provide an independent technical report to the board. Chair architecture reviews and challenge the systems integrator through recovery.

Typical outcome

  • Project recovered
  • Board confidence maintained
  • Significant write-off avoided
AI Transformation

The housing association drowning in manual triage

The challenge

A large housing association manages maintenance requests through a manual process. Days pass between report and operative assignment. Resident satisfaction is falling and the maintenance team is overwhelmed.

What we do

Design and deliver an AI-powered triage layer built on AWS — integrating with the existing housing management system, classifying requests by urgency using a language model, and routing automatically to the right operative.

Typical outcome

  • Time from maintenance report to operative assignment reduced from days to hours
  • Resident satisfaction scores improved within the first quarter
Cloud Strategy

The scale-up that can't survive technical due diligence

The challenge

A SaaS company approaching a Series B fundraise has AWS infrastructure built for speed rather than structure. No formal architecture documentation, single points of failure, no disaster recovery plan. The CTO knows it won't withstand investor scrutiny.

What we do

Fractional SA Retainer. Document current state, identify all failure points, design target architecture, work with the engineering team through implementation. Produce the full technical architecture pack for investor due diligence.

Typical outcome

  • Technical due diligence passed
  • Infrastructure cost reduced
  • Uptime materially improved post-architecture
Working with us

Every engagement starts with understanding your situation

No two organisations have the same technology challenge. These scenarios give a sense of the types of problems we solve and how we approach them. The best way to understand whether we're the right fit is a conversation.

Start a conversation

Discovery calls are 45 minutes, completely free, and low-pressure.

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