Architecture uncertainty
Several approaches may meet the immediate requirement but differ in deployment, integration, or maintenance. The decision needs to account for how the product will be operated.
Technology and architecture consulting
Evaluate the technical choices behind your product or platform. ACW compares architecture, tools, and infrastructure against requirements, dependencies, and the cost of operating and changing the system.
Review the consulting scopeContact UsCompare the consequences before choosing a platform
Costs beyond implementation
Licensing, infrastructure, support, migration, and specialist skills affect the cost of a technical choice. Initial build effort is only part of the comparison.
Delivery constraints
Existing interfaces, access rules, data formats, and team capabilities can limit which options are feasible. Identify these constraints before a preferred solution becomes a commitment.
Examine the choices that affect delivery
Receive a recommendation with its trade-offs
An options comparison records the alternatives considered and the criteria used to assess them.
An architecture recommendation explains the proposed system structure and why it fits the requirements reviewed.
A risk and dependency assessment identifies constraints, unanswered questions, and checks needed before implementation.
Together, these outputs let the decision owner review the reasoning and the team understand its implications.
Investigate the current system before recommending change
The review starts with requirements, architecture documentation, integration details, and discussions with system owners. Access to code, environments, or operational data is agreed where needed.
We compare the selected options and investigate the assumptions that could change the recommendation. A prototype or performance test can be included when a specific question warrants it; its purpose and acceptance criteria are defined first.
The recommendation review records the chosen direction, remaining uncertainty, and implementation considerations.
Set the depth of the assessment
Specify which systems and decisions are in scope, which evidence can be accessed, and how recommendations will be reviewed. Acceptance checks that the agreed options, criteria, risks, and rationale are documented.
Consulting does not automatically include code changes, procurement, migration, or a full security audit. Any implementation work needs a separate scope and owner.
Illustrative example
Illustrative example: extend or replace an integration layer?
A platform team needs to connect more external services. The assessment would compare extending the existing integration layer with introducing a new component, examining interfaces, failure handling, maintenance, and migration effort. The recommendation would explain the preferred option and what must be validated before implementation.
Questions about technology consulting
Do we need to change our existing stack?
That depends on the requirement and the constraints found. The assessment can consider retaining, extending, or replacing components; a replacement is not assumed at the outset.
Can our internal team take part?
Yes. Their knowledge of system behavior and maintenance informs the comparison. The scope defines the people needed for technical review and decisions.
Will we receive a fixed implementation estimate?
An assessment may identify effort drivers and estimation assumptions. A delivery commitment requires sufficient scope detail, dependencies, and agreed implementation responsibility.
Explain the technical choice you need to make
Share the alternatives under consideration, current system context, and constraints that affect the decision.