Why is the discovery (audit) paid?

Because it is the work. The first day of a proper engagement is mapping how the team actually works, not telling you what a proper engagement looks like. A free discovery call is a sales pitch dressed as a deliverable. A paid audit is a deliverable, full stop: it produces a written document with a punch list you can act on even if you never hire us for the build. The audit fee credits in full against the build if you proceed.

No, with one exception. The audit-first rule applies to every pillar: Engineering, Data & AI, Managed Delivery. The exception is the Hosted Website Plan (parallel funnel) which has its own discovery call instead of a paid audit. Everywhere else, the order matters: triage qualifies the fit, discovery produces the spec, build is built against that spec, live is optional.

How long does the whole arc take?

The chat is 15 minutes. The audit is a half-day to one day on-site or remote, with the written document delivered within five working days. Builds run two to ten weeks depending on scope: a single automation script lands at the lower end, a multi-system bespoke app at the higher end. Live (managed delivery) is ongoing, monthly, with a three-month minimum.

What if the audit says ‘don’t build’?

That happens, and it is fine. Sometimes the right answer is ‘use Zapier for this one, it’s fifty quid a month and two hours to set up’, or ‘the workflow is fine, the problem is who is doing it’, or ‘this is a Xero question, not a software question’. The audit document says so plainly. The audit fee is not refunded in those cases because the work was done; the deliverable is the honest answer.

Do you sign an NDA before the discovery?

Yes, on request, before the audit conversation begins. The standard form is a short mutual NDA. If you have a preferred template, that is fine too, within reason.

Yes. Each phase has its own short fixed-fee agreement: one for the audit, one for each build, one for managed delivery. Plain English, signed by email. No retainers without an audit. No build without a signed scope.

How much does it cost?

Depends on the shape of the work. The triage chat costs nothing. The audit, build, and retainer are all fixed-fee, agreed up front before any work starts. We don’t put numbers on the marketing site because pricing without context invites anchoring on the wrong figure. Ring us on 07754 218 688 or send a message and we’ll talk through what you’re trying to do; you’ll have a fixed number on the table within the chat or shortly after.

Methodology · Fol. I · How a project flows

Triage. Discovery.
Build. Live.

four phases · one engagement arc · fixed fees throughout

Every project we run moves through the same four phases. A 15-minute triage chat to qualify the fit, costs nothing. A paid one-day discovery (the workflow audit) to map the team and produce the punch list. A fixed-fee build against that punch list. An optional managed delivery retainer once it ships. Plain English, no strategy decks, no hourly billing theatre. Every phase has its own fixed-fee agreement, with the number agreed before any work starts.

Tell us what’s broken See the four pillars

or ring us on 07754 218 688 any weekday · costs nothing to chat

Methodology · Four phases · Fig. 0.00Nottingham · MMXXVI

Fol. II·The Arc

§ four phases, one engagement

01Phase 1 of 4

Triage.

Costs nothing, 15 minutes

15 minutes · costs nothing

A chat, not a sales call. The biggest operational bottleneck on the table, an honest read on whether we’re the right fit, and a clear next step. Ring us on 07754 218 688 or book a slot from the calendar on /contact.

→Describe the bottleneck
→Honest fit assessment
→Audit scope estimate (if relevant)
→Or a polite ‘not us, here’s who to talk to’

02Phase 2 of 4

Discovery.

The paid workflow audit

Half to one day on-site or remote · fixed fee

Pillar: Strategy & Service Design

The discovery work. We sit with the team, watch the work get done (not how someone thinks it gets done), inventory the tools, and write the punch list. Fixed fee agreed in the triage. Output: a systems map, a prioritised punch list, and a fixed-cost proposal for each fixable item.

→Workflow observation
→Tool & integration inventory
→Team interviews
→Written audit document (within 5 working days)
→Fixed-cost proposals per item on the punch list

03Phase 3 of 4

Build.

Fixed-fee engineering

2 to 10 weeks · fixed scope, fixed price

Pillar: Engineering · Data & AI

We execute one or more items from the punch list. Fixed-fee, fixed-timeline, fixed-scope, all agreed before we start, against the spec the audit produced. Custom automation, internal tools, bespoke web apps, dashboards, LLM-augmented workflows. The audit fee credits in full against the build.

→Engineering work against the audit spec
→Weekly written progress notes
→30-day bug-fix window included
→Documentation your team can actually read
→Source code handed over on delivery, no lock-in

04Phase 4 of 4

Live.

Optional managed delivery

Monthly retainer · 3-month minimum

Pillar: Managed Delivery

Optional. We keep what we built running on UK infrastructure, patched, monitored, backed up, plus continuous evolution as the business changes: small fixes, regulatory updates, new integrations. The relationship that turns one good build into a system that still works in two years.

→Dedicated UK VPS, fully managed
→Daily automated backups, OS patching
→Uptime monitoring with alerts
→Continuous evolution budget
→30 days notice to cancel after the 3-month minimum

Fol. III·The Principles

§ the rules every phase obeys

Principles · Fol. III

Five rules
every phase obeys.

The methodology is short on purpose. These five rules apply whether the engagement is a small audit or a large build. Same shape, different scale.

Plate III · The RulesFig. 3.00

R.01
Audit first, no exceptionsEvery build is gated by a paid workflow audit. Hosted Website Plan is the only carve-out.
R.02
Fixed fees, every phaseTriage is free. Audit is fixed. Build is fixed. Retainer is fixed. No hourly invoicing, ever.
R.03
Evidence-based, not assumption-basedThe audit observes the work. The build is built against what was observed, not what someone thinks happens.
R.04
You own the outputSource code, documentation, infrastructure config: handed over on delivery. No lock-in. No licence fee.
R.05
The customer is the domain expertWe build the tools. Your compliance officer, accountant, DPO, solicitor remain the authority on the rule itself.

Fol. IV·Questions

§ asked often

Asked often

Questions we get often.

Why is the discovery (audit) paid?: Because it is the work. The first day of a proper engagement is mapping how the team actually works, not telling you what a proper engagement looks like. A free discovery call is a sales pitch dressed as a deliverable. A paid audit is a deliverable, full stop: it produces a written document with a punch list you can act on even if you never hire us for the build. The audit fee credits in full against the build if you proceed.
Can I skip a phase?: No, with one exception. The audit-first rule applies to every pillar: Engineering, Data & AI, Managed Delivery. The exception is the Hosted Website Plan (parallel funnel) which has its own discovery call instead of a paid audit. Everywhere else, the order matters: triage qualifies the fit, discovery produces the spec, build is built against that spec, live is optional.
How long does the whole arc take?: The chat is 15 minutes. The audit is a half-day to one day on-site or remote, with the written document delivered within five working days. Builds run two to ten weeks depending on scope: a single automation script lands at the lower end, a multi-system bespoke app at the higher end. Live (managed delivery) is ongoing, monthly, with a three-month minimum.
What if the audit says ‘don’t build’?: That happens, and it is fine. Sometimes the right answer is ‘use Zapier for this one, it’s fifty quid a month and two hours to set up’, or ‘the workflow is fine, the problem is who is doing it’, or ‘this is a Xero question, not a software question’. The audit document says so plainly. The audit fee is not refunded in those cases because the work was done; the deliverable is the honest answer.
Do you sign an NDA before the discovery?: Yes, on request, before the audit conversation begins. The standard form is a short mutual NDA. If you have a preferred template, that is fine too, within reason.
Is there a contract?: Yes. Each phase has its own short fixed-fee agreement: one for the audit, one for each build, one for managed delivery. Plain English, signed by email. No retainers without an audit. No build without a signed scope.
How much does it cost?: Depends on the shape of the work. The triage chat costs nothing. The audit, build, and retainer are all fixed-fee, agreed up front before any work starts. We don’t put numbers on the marketing site because pricing without context invites anchoring on the wrong figure. Ring us on 07754 218 688 or send a message and we’ll talk through what you’re trying to do; you’ll have a fixed number on the table within the chat or shortly after.

Start with phase one.

Signed, the team

The 15-minute chat costs nothing, takes a quarter of an hour, and ends with a clear answer on whether the rest of this arc is the right move for you. We’ll tell you straight either way.

Nottingham·MMXXVI·Open for enquiries

Tell us what’s broken

or ring us on 07754 218 688 any weekday

Triage. Discovery.Build. Live.