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The assessment
Most engagements start the same way: a fixed-scope read of what you have, what it should become, and what it would take to get there.
A paid, fixed-scope engagement, typically one to two weeks.
You already know something needs to change. What’s usually missing is an accurate picture of where you’re starting from, and a plan that follows from it. That is what the assessment produces.
It’s paid and fixed-scope. Scope and price are agreed in writing before it starts, so there is no open-ended meter running.
The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Not every situation needs one. If you already know what you need and want hands to build it, skip the assessment and tell us the scope.
If you want a second opinion on a decision already taken, say so. That’s a shorter conversation, and it doesn’t need a week of work.
And if nothing here is a fit, you’ll hear that in the first conversation, before you’ve paid for anything.
- A conversation first, at no cost, to understand what’s going on and whether an assessment is the right next step.
- If it is, a scope and a price in writing before anything starts.
- Then the work, typically one to two weeks depending on the size of the estate. It ends in a document and a conversation about what’s in it. What you do next is your decision.
Four things, in writing.
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Current-state read What you’re running, where it has drifted, and which parts are load-bearing.
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Target architecture Where we’d take it, with the trade-offs named so you can weigh them yourself.
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A prioritized plan A sequence we’d suggest, with rough effort, so you can decide what comes first and what can wait.
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A recommendation Our view, written plainly, including “not yet” where that’s the honest answer.
It is written to be argued with.
One engagement, whatever you’re solving. Each links to the work it usually leads into.
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Linux fleet assessment Where the Linux estate stands: patching, monitoring, backup and recovery readiness, and hardening.
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VMware exit assessment The estate you are leaving, its dependencies, and the cleanest path off it.
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Kubernetes platform assessment Whether the platform will stay reliable, and what running it properly takes.
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Private AI design assessment The foundation private AI needs on infrastructure you control.
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SECO private cloud discovery Workloads, source environment, compliance target, and sizing for SECO, our sovereign private cloud. Ends in a POC plan as well as a report.
Nothing. It ends in a report and a plan.
The output is yours. If you decide to do the work in-house, or hand the plan to another firm, that’s a legitimate outcome and the deliverable is written to be used that way. A plan that only we can act on wouldn’t be worth paying for.
And if you do go ahead with us, the assessment fee credits against the engagement.
What does it cost?
The assessment is paid and fixed-scope. The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing, and if an assessment is the right next step, scope and price are agreed in writing before anything starts, so there is no open-ended meter running. If you go ahead with the work afterwards, the assessment fee credits against the engagement.
How long does the assessment take?
Typically one to two weeks, depending on the size of the estate. It ends in a document and a conversation about what’s in it.
Is the assessment remote or on-site?
Remote. The practice is remote-first across the United States.
Will you sign an NDA first?
Yes, if you would rather. Say so and we start there, before you send anything.
What do we get at the end?
Four things, in writing: a current-state read of what you’re running and where it has drifted, a target architecture with the trade-offs named, a prioritized plan with rough effort, and a recommendation. It is written to be argued with.
Do we need one if we already know what we want?
No. If you know what you need and want hands to build it, skip the assessment and tell us the scope. If you want a second opinion on a decision already taken, say so: that’s a shorter conversation, and it doesn’t need a week of work.
Do we have to use you afterwards?
No. It ends in a report and a plan, and the output is yours. Taking the work in-house, or handing the plan to another firm, is a legitimate outcome, and the deliverable is written to be used that way. A plan only we could act on wouldn’t be worth paying for.
Find out where you actually stand
Tell us what you’re running and what’s forcing the decision. We’ll come back within two business days with a scope in writing, and a price where what you have sent is clear enough to carry one. An NDA first is fine if you’d rather.