How we work
Three models, chosen by what the work actually is rather than by what is easiest to sell. Most clients use more than one over the life of a system: a fixed-scope first phase, then a dedicated team once the roadmap becomes continuous.
Rate bands are published below. If a supplier will not tell you their rate structure before a meeting, the meeting is the product.
Comparison
| Dimension | Fixed-scope phases | Dedicated team | Staff augmentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A defined outcome with stable boundaries: a first production phase, a portal, a specific integration set. | A continuous roadmap where priorities change quarterly and the system is core to the operation. | An in-house team with capacity or specialism gaps, working to your own architecture and process. |
| Contract shape | Fixed price per phase against a signed scope, with milestone-based payment. | Monthly fee per named pod, based on composition rather than hours logged. | Day rate per engineer, invoiced monthly against timesheets you approve. |
| Minimum term | None beyond the phase itself; each phase is separately approved. | Six months initially, then rolling with sixty days' notice. | Three months, then rolling with thirty days' notice. |
| Who owns scope | Zorix owns delivery to the agreed scope; you own acceptance. | You own the backlog and priority; we own engineering practice and quality. | You own everything: backlog, architecture, standards and review. |
| How change is handled | Written change note with cost and date impact, approved before work begins. | Reprioritise within the sprint at no commercial change; capacity is the constraint. | Direct instruction from your leads; no commercial process. |
| Indicative rates | Priced per phase; see the service pages for typical phase budgets. | Monthly pod fee — see band below. | Day rate band by seniority — see band below. |
Rate bands
Rates vary with pod composition, seniority mix and the amount of UK-based leadership time a programme requires. The bands below are indicative and confirmed in writing before contract.
Our typical total engagement size is £250,000 and above. Below that, the overhead of a dedicated architect, QA function and separate environments is poor value for the client, and we will usually say so.
Choosing
Choose fixed-scope when the outcome can be described precisely enough that both sides would recognise it when it arrived. Choose a dedicated team when the priority order is expected to change more than once a quarter — fixed-scope contracting in that situation produces a change-note bureaucracy that costs more than the flexibility is worth.
Choose augmentation only when you have the engineering leadership to direct it. Augmented engineers inherit your standards, your architecture and your review process; if those are thin, the model transfers your existing problems to more people rather than solving them.
Questions
Yes, and it is common. Many clients start with a fixed-scope first phase to establish trust and a working architecture, then move to a dedicated team once the roadmap is continuous rather than discrete. The change is a contract variation, not a new procurement.
Sixty days after the initial minimum term. We do not use long lock-ins; a team you would leave if you could is not a team that should be on your system.
Through a written change note with an impact on cost and date, approved before work starts. Small clarifications inside the agreed intent are absorbed. We do not run a change-request business model where the low quote is recovered through variations.
Send the problem, not a brief. We will tell you whether it is a project we should be involved in.
Talk to us