What this is
A software architecture review is an independent read of how your system is built and where it will break first. We look at the code, the structure, the data model and the delivery process, then hand you ranked findings with the evidence behind each one. This is software architecture, not buildings. We call it the Technology Health Check: five working days, fixed fee, and a report written so a non-engineer can act on it.
What the engagement covers
- System structure, boundaries and the coupling that makes change expensive.
- Code quality where it matters most, which is rarely where it is prettiest.
- Data model and the migrations that will eventually be needed.
- Test coverage measured against risk rather than against percentage.
- Build, deploy and rollback, including how it behaves at 2am.
- A ranked list of what to fix first, with effort in weeks.
Who this is for
Teams whose releases keep slipping without an obvious cause. Companies about to commit to a large build and wanting a second opinion first. Anyone who has inherited a system and needs to know what they are holding. If a deal or an investment is involved, the fuller technical due diligence report is the better fit.
What five days is enough for, and what it is not
Five days is enough to find the things that will hurt you. It is not enough to read every line, and any supplier claiming otherwise is selling you a scan.
We spend the first day with your engineers, because they usually know where the problems are and have never been asked in a way that made it safe to say so. The rest is reading the code, the history and the incidents, then writing.
- Where the system will break first under the growth you are planning.
- Which parts only one person can safely change, and what happens when that person is unavailable.
- Which technical debt is actually costing you money and which is merely untidy.
- Whether the delivery process, rather than the code, is what is slowing you down.
- What a sensible first ninety days of remediation looks like, in order.
Why an outside review finds things your team already knows
Most of what we report is not news to your engineers. It is news to whoever pays for it.
Internal teams carry a political cost for raising structural problems, especially ones created by decisions their manager made. An external report has no such cost, which is most of its value. We are careful with that. The report describes systems, not people, and we will say clearly when a decision was reasonable given what was known at the time.
Cost, and what happens next
€4,500 to €6,500, five working days, fixed. The number does not move because the scope does not move.
You get the written report, a ninety minute walkthrough, and the prioritised plan. What you do with it is your call.
- The fee comes off your first invoice if we go on to do the work, on projects above €50,000.
- Valid for six months, one time, not a running discount.
- The report is yours either way. If your own team acts on it, that is a good outcome.
- If you need a broader assessment for an investment or acquisition, the due diligence engagement covers more ground over two to four weeks.
Questions we get asked
What is a code audit?
A structured read of a codebase by engineers who did not write it, producing ranked findings about quality, risk and maintainability. Ours is bundled with the architecture review because looking at code without looking at structure gives you half a picture.
How much does an architecture review cost?
€4,500 to €6,500 for the five day engagement, fixed. Broader assessments tied to an investment or acquisition run €18,000 to €35,000 over two to four weeks.
Will this upset our engineering team?
Handled badly, yes. We interview the team first, describe systems rather than people, and share findings with them before the report is final. In our experience engineers are relieved, because it says out loud what they have been raising for a year.
What do you need from us?
Read access to the code, an hour with whoever knows the system best, and access to the issue tracker and deployment history. NDA first if you prefer.
Can you fix what you find?
Yes, and the fee comes off the first invoice above €50,000. You are under no obligation, and taking the report elsewhere is a legitimate outcome.