Entry engagements

Ways to start

Six fixed-scope engagements. Each one lists what you get, how long it takes, how it is priced and what it doesn't include.

The six engagements

Engagement 1 · Architecture ReviewMost common start

Cloud Architecture, Cost & Risk Assessment for AWS

Best when cloud spend, reliability or a modernization decision is on the table.

PricingFixed fee

Duration2–4 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

Executive findings and architecture observations
Risk and cost register mapped to Well-Architected pillars
Modernization and cost priorities
90–180 day roadmap

Not included

Implementation or remediation
Formal security audit or penetration test
Ongoing operations

The full review plan →

Engagement 2 · Data & AI Readiness AssessmentMost common start

Data & AI Readiness Assessment

Best when a funded analytics or AI outcome is blocked by data access, quality or ownership.

PricingFixed fee

Duration2–4 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

Readiness scorecard with evidence
Prioritized data and governance gaps
Target-state principles and use-case path
90-day implementation roadmap

Not included

Production pipelines or model development
Enterprise-wide governance rollout
Regulatory certification

What we check, week by week →

Engagement 3 · Modernization Sprint

Cloud Modernization & Platform Foundation Sprint

Best when one high-stakes workload or platform constraint has a deadline.

PricingMilestones

Duration4–8 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

A working platform or modernization result
Infrastructure as code and tests
Acceptance evidence and runbooks
Ordered backlog for the next phase

Not included

Enterprise-wide migration
24×7 operations after handover
Work outside the agreed workload

How the sprint runs →

Engagement 4 · AI Production Readiness

Generative AI Discovery & Production Readiness

Best when a sponsored use case needs evaluation, security and ownership before launch.

PricingFixed fee

Duration2–4 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

Production architecture for one use case
Data, evaluation and control requirements
Cost and latency view
Implementation plan with go / no-go criteria

Not included

A finished AI product
Prototype, unless scoped separately
Regulated model validation

The launch plan and checklist →

Engagement 5 · Strategy Workshop

Executive Cloud & AI Strategy Workshop

Best when a named sponsor must make a specific cloud or AI investment decision.

PricingFixed fee

Duration1–2 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

One defined executive decision
Options compared on cost, risk and time
Decision memo
Immediate action sequence

Not included

Open-ended strategy programs
Implementation
Vendor selection on your behalf

The day-by-day plan →

Engagement 6 · Cloud Cost Review

Cloud Health, FinOps & Governance Review

Best when cloud cost or governance has drifted and no one owns the whole picture.

PricingFixed fee

Duration2–3 weeks

TermsAfter scoping

Cost and governance baseline
Prioritized savings and control actions
Owner map and cost allocation model
Operating cadence

Not included

Guaranteed savings percentages
Purchasing authority
Production operations

The review plan and what we need →

Each engagement has a fixed scope and a fixed price. We quote it after a short scoping call, based on size, stakeholders, data access and risk, and set it in a Statement of Work before work begins.

What the report looks like

Each finding has evidence, an owner, a business impact and a next step.

Findings mapped to the six AWS Well-Architected pillars
Each risk rated by consequence and likelihood
Cost savings shown as ranges, with assumptions
A 90–180 day roadmap you can run with or without us

Architecture Review · Risk & cost registerExample data · click a row for details

Number#	Finding	Area	Severity	Recommended action
1	Settlement database runs single-AZ; failover untested	Reliability	High	Multi-AZ with a quarterly failover drill; RTO/RPO agreed with the business owner
EvidenceRDS configuration; no failover event in 18 months of logs Business consequenceSettlement delayed for the duration of an AZ outage EffortMedium, 2–3 weeks OwnerPlatform lead
2	Shared admin role used by CI pipeline and engineers	Security	High	Split pipeline and human roles; least privilege and MFA
EvidenceIAM role trust policy and CloudTrail usage Business consequencePipeline compromise grants full account control EffortSmall, 1 week OwnerSecurity owner
3	Analytics cluster sized for month-end peak all month	Cost	Medium	Schedule-based scaling; 25–40% saving on this workload, to be validated
EvidenceUtilization metrics below 20% for 24 of 30 days Business consequenceRecurring spend with no business return EffortSmall, 1–2 weeks OwnerData platform lead
4	No ownership tags on 38% of resources	Operations	Medium	Tagging policy enforced at account level; cost allocation by product
EvidenceResource inventory and tag coverage report Business consequenceCosts and incidents cannot be routed to an owner EffortMedium, 3–4 weeks OwnerFinOps owner
5	Reconciliation job blocks reporting for 4 hours daily	Performance	Low	Incremental processing; candidate for a Modernization Sprint
EvidenceJob run history and query plans Business consequenceFinance reporting available only after midday EffortMedium, Modernization Sprint scope OwnerData engineering

What we don't do

If you need one of these, we'll point you to the right kind of provider.

24×7 managed operationsWe design and build, but don't run on-call.

Large migrationsWe focus on targeted modernization, not lift-and-shift at volume.

Penetration testing and auditsThese belong with certified specialists.

Tier-1 bank programsThese need large program teams; we focus on specific, high-stakes problems.

Staff augmentationWe take on defined outcomes, not open-ended hours.

Not sure which one fits?

Tell us what's going on and we'll recommend one, or tell you if you don't need us.

Book a scoping call