What this means
We work inside your workflow, with the people who do the work and the people who own the systems. We build in the tools and stack you actually use, test the result against criteria you agree to, help put it into use only with your authorization, and hand over ownership so your team can run it.
This way of working is often called forward-deployed engineering (FDE): engineering that happens next to the customer's real work rather than advice delivered from a distance. We use the term to describe how we work, not as a certification or an affiliation.
The four steps
Find
We observe the current workflow, capture a baseline of time, cost and quality, check what data and systems can be used, and agree on one useful outcome. This is stages 1 to 3 of the Company OS Method.
Output: a scoped problem, non-goals, responsibilities and acceptance criteria. Concluding that something should not be built is a valid result.
Build
We design the digital employee or workflow, map it to the workspace, and build one bounded slice alongside your team: connected to the data and tools you permit, with human review and failure handling in place. This is stages 4 to 6.
Output: inspectable configuration and code, tests, and a working slice in the agreed environment.
Prove
We compare the slice against the baseline using a workload you permit, and report its limitations and its tradeoffs between cost, quality and speed. This is stage 7.
Output: an evaluation and a rollout decision. A demonstration is never presented as proof of production readiness.
Hand over
We deploy only with your authorization; explain monitoring, ownership, rollback and operating costs; and train the people who will run it. This is stages 8 and 9. Ongoing operation is a separately agreed scope; see Run.
Output: a working system your team owns, with the documentation to maintain it.
What is included, and what is not
| Included | Not included unless agreed separately |
|---|---|
| Mapping the workflow with your team | Replacing your systems of record |
| A bounded first slice, built in your environment | Broad automation before the first slice is proven |
| Human approval for anything outward-facing, irreversible or involving money | Autonomous actions on high-stakes work |
| Evaluation against your baseline | Claims of results before they are measured |
| Documentation and handover | Ongoing operation, maintenance or response times |
What you own
Your data, your accounts, your workspace, the configuration and code we build for you, and the documentation. We design for a customer-owned deployment, so the system keeps working if the engagement ends.
How we keep it safe
- Nothing is published, sent, spent or changed on a live system without your approval.
- An approval applies to the exact item approved. Any change to it needs a new approval.
- Every connection is limited to the specific account or resource it needs, and starts with no access.
- Every run is recorded, and every role can be paused immediately.
What we need from you
- A named owner who decides and approves.
- Access to the people who do the work today.
- Permission to read the systems involved, and accounts for anything the role will connect to.
- Time for reviews at each stage gate.
Start a conversation
Describe the work you want to improve on the booking page, or see how engagements are packaged on services. Scope, responsibilities, cost and timeline are agreed for each engagement.