Engagement models

Four ways to work with us.

The commercial structure changes how a project behaves. Choose wrong and every discovery becomes an argument. Here is what each model suits, and where each one hurts.

Discuss which fits How we deliver

Fixed scope, fixed price

A clearly defined project with settled requirements and a firm budget.

We run a paid discovery workshop, produce a written scope and a milestone plan, then deliver against it for an agreed price. Changes are quoted separately and approved before work starts.

Where it hurts

Fixed price rewards precision. If requirements are still moving, it forces early decisions you may not be ready to make — a dedicated team is usually a better fit in that case.

What you get

  • A fixed total price
  • A milestone payment schedule
  • A defined deliverable list
  • Change requests priced transparently
Talk about this model

Dedicated team

Ongoing product development where the roadmap will keep evolving.

You get named engineers working only on your account at a monthly rate. You set priorities sprint by sprint; we handle employment, cover and retention. Scale the team up or down with 30 days' notice.

Where it hurts

This model needs someone on your side to set priorities. Without a product owner, a dedicated team drifts.

What you get

  • Named engineers you interview yourself
  • A predictable monthly cost
  • Full control of priorities
  • Ability to scale up or down
Talk about this model

Time & materials

Exploratory work, integrations and projects where scope genuinely cannot be defined in advance.

Work is billed against actual hours with a monthly cap you set. Detailed timesheets, and you can stop or change direction at any point.

Where it hurts

Requires more of your attention than a fixed-price project. We set a monthly ceiling so cost never surprises you.

What you get

  • A cap you control
  • Detailed weekly time reporting
  • Maximum flexibility
  • No change request overhead
Talk about this model

Support retainer

Live systems that need monitoring, patching and a steady stream of small improvements.

A fixed monthly fee covering SLA-backed support, proactive maintenance and an allocation of enhancement hours. Anything larger is quoted as a separate project.

Where it hurts

Unused enhancement hours roll over for one month only, so it works best when you have a steady flow of small changes.

What you get

  • Defined response times by severity
  • Proactive monitoring and patching
  • Monthly enhancement hours
  • Monthly service reporting
Talk about this model

Choosing

A quick way to decide

Answer these honestly and the model usually picks itself.

Do you know exactly what needs building, down to the edge cases? If yes → fixed scope. If not → dedicated team.
Will the roadmap keep changing for the next six months? If yes → dedicated team. Fixed price will fight you.
Do you have someone who can set priorities every fortnight? If no → fixed scope. A dedicated team without a product owner drifts.
Is this a one-off integration or investigation? Then time and materials with a monthly cap, and stop when it is done.
Is the system live and mostly needing care? Then a support retainer, sized to how critical it is.

Not sure which one fits?

Describe the project in a sentence or two and we will tell you which model we would recommend — including when it is the one that bills us less.

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