How we work
We help you find a direction, test it in practice and make it part of everyday work. Conditions change along the way, so our decisions build on what we learn together.
We start with you
We start with what you want to change, what you already know and the conditions you work in. It may not be clear at first what will work. We agree a first step and adapt as we learn. That is what adaptability means to us.
Four questions for the next step
These questions guide our services, software development and learning programmes.
What matters to you?
We look for a purpose rooted in your experience, abilities and motivation. Something you want to put energy into beyond the initial enthusiasm.
Who will it help?
We explore what others need and how they deal with their situation today. That helps us choose where to invest our time.
What needs testing?
We test assumptions through conversations, prototypes or small pilots. Results can confirm a direction, change it or show that it is not worth pursuing.
What makes it viable?
We weigh costs, benefits and capacity. A solution needs an economic foundation and people who can and want to keep working with it.
Working together
We take an agile approach to bespoke work, staying in regular contact and deciding together how to proceed. Small, testable steps reduce the risk of work failing to deliver the benefit you need.
Start with the greatest benefit
We prioritise tasks with the greatest expected benefit for you and the people affected by the change. We agree the first deliverable and your team's involvement.
Test in practice
We regularly test whether results work and help the people using them. Together, we adjust priorities and next steps based on what we learn.
Tools for ongoing development
Our tools, including ORIGAM, are designed for this way of working. They support incremental development and changes informed by operational experience. We also share knowledge with the people who will build on our work.
Estimates, budgets and billing
We bill bespoke work for actual time worked at agreed rates. Estimates help you plan and decide where to invest. They are not a promise of a fixed final price.
Before we start
We clarify the expected benefit, first tasks and deliverables. We agree estimated effort, rates, a budget framework and how we will review progress together.
As work progresses
Together, we review results and compare actual time spent with estimates. You can see what the work delivers and how the budget is being used. Findings inform estimates for the next steps.
When circumstances change
We discuss and agree changes in direction, scope or budget with you as we go. We can adjust priorities, defer tasks or stop if further investment no longer makes sense.
What you pay
Billing reflects actual time worked at agreed rates. Courses and defined programmes follow their published price list or the terms of their specific offer.
When findings change the plan
Germania
Another route to the data
When migrating ticket data, the supplied records were incomplete and the planned retrieval method was unreliable. We built a tool to retrieve data from the original application's user interface. The verified solution led to further system integrations and sales reporting.
Waldorf Lyceum
More time for a student project
The fourth year left too little time for a business project before final exams. We proposed a sequence from sales experience in year one, through exploring a business in year two, to a project of the students' own in year three. The proposal gives students more time to put their plans into practice and build on earlier experience.