Architecture advisory
Lemraj provides independent architecture advisory — assessments, technology selection, and second-opinion engagements on programmes already in flight.
Who it's for
This service is for organisations carrying one or more of the following:
- A modernization, integration, or platform programme that another partner is delivering, and a need for an independent read on whether the architecture will hold.
- A technology selection — platform, framework, vendor, build-vs-buy — where the decision is consequential and the in-house team would benefit from an external perspective.
- An architecture review at a programme gate, where leadership needs confidence in the design before further investment.
- An in-house architect role that is open and not yet filled, with a specific architectural problem that cannot wait for a hire.
Architecture advisory is the natural entry point for working with Lemraj. It is also the engagement we recommend most often when a discovery conversation reveals that a delivery commitment is not yet justified.
What's included
An architecture advisory engagement at Lemraj usually includes some combination of:
- Architecture assessment. A structured read of an existing or proposed architecture, with explicit attention to the trade-offs that have been made implicitly.
- Risk and dependency review. Where the design fails first under realistic load, change, regulatory, or organisational pressure.
- Technology selection. A defensible recommendation on platform, framework, or vendor — informed by the constraints the in-house team actually carries, not by what is fashionable.
- Programme review. A second-opinion read of an in-flight programme — scope, contract, delivery rhythm, technical and operational risk — with a written recommendation.
- Written deliverable. Every advisory engagement ends with a written document the client owns and can act on independently of Lemraj.
Advisory deliverables are intentionally short. We aim for a document a CTO can read in one sitting and a senior engineer can implement against.
How we engage
- Typical timing: A scoping conversation followed by a 1–4 week fixed-fee assessment, technology selection, or programme review. Strategic advisory retainers available where ongoing architectural input is justified.
- Team shape: Solo lead architect for assessments; lead architect plus a second senior reviewer for programme reviews where independent reading matters.
- Contracting: Fixed fee for defined assessments. Time and materials for retainers and for engagements that grow in scope by mutual agreement.
- Engagement size: From €25,000.
Outcomes
A typical advisory engagement produces:
- A written architecture, programme, or technology-selection assessment owned by the client.
- A clear recommendation, written so that the client can act on it without Lemraj.
- An honest read on whether further engagement with Lemraj is justified, including the answer "no, here is what to do instead".
We do not write advisory documents that are designed to lead to a delivery engagement with Lemraj. The recommendation is what it is.
Where this fits
Architecture advisory is often the first engagement before:
- Legacy modernization → — when modernization is on the table but the right scope is not yet defined.
- System integration → — when the integration plan needs an independent read before delivery starts.
- Azure cloud architecture → — when an Azure programme needs a target architecture or a programme review.
Considering an architectural decision you cannot easily reverse?
A discovery conversation is the easiest way to find out whether an advisory engagement is the right next step. Sometimes a single conversation is enough.