Evolve

Evolve is the optional phase after embed. You’re running the system; we stay available to help you iterate, fix issues, and add small improvements. It’s not a permanent retainer—it’s ongoing by agreement, and you can pause or stop when it makes sense.

Why this step exists

Go-live isn’t the end. Processes drift, teams grow, and what worked at launch may not fit a year later. Without someone to tend the system—fix bugs, add a report, tweak a workflow—you either live with growing friction or you commission another big project. Evolve is the middle path. We stay available for small improvements: workflow tweaks, extra visibility, new integrations, or automation that saves manual work. You prioritise; we implement. The aim is to keep your setup aligned with how you actually work, without constant firefighting or periodic rebuilds.

Not every engagement needs evolve. Some clients are happy to run what they’ve got and only call when something breaks or they want a larger change. Others want steady iteration. We’ll agree what fits.

What happens in this phase

Agreeing how we work together

We agree how often we’ll touch base, how you’ll request changes, and what’s in scope. We might work on a retainer, as-and-when, or a mix. We’re clear about what counts as evolution (small iterations) versus a larger project (new scope, new build). We avoid vague "support" that never ends and never delivers.

Staying close to how you operate

We keep a light understanding of how your system and workflows are used. We notice when something’s creaking—repeated questions, workarounds, or friction. We don’t need to be in your systems every day; we need enough context to suggest useful improvements and implement them quickly.

Proposing and prioritising improvements

We suggest changes based on what we see and what you tell us. You decide what to do first. We don’t push change for its own sake. We’re explicit when something is a small tweak versus a larger piece of work. We’ll scope and agree before we do it.

Implementing and documenting

We make the changes we’ve agreed, test them, and document what we did. You stay in control of your systems; we don’t create hidden dependencies. We hand over cleanly so you could pause or stop evolve work without being left stuck.

Reviewing and iterating

We periodically review what’s working and what isn’t. We adjust priorities and scope with you. Evolve is ongoing by agreement; you can pause, reduce, or stop when it makes sense. We’re not on a permanent retainer unless you want that.

What we need from you

We need a clear way to request changes and prioritise what gets done. We also need access to your system when we’re making tweaks—same as build and embed. We’ll agree rhythms: how often we sync, how you raise requests, and what’s in or out of scope.

• A single point of contact (or small group) for requests and prioritisation
• Access to systems we’re changing, when we need it
• Feedback on what’s working and what’s not, so we can suggest improvements
• Decisions on scope when we propose larger changes—we won’t surprise you

What you get out of it

You get ongoing access to someone who knows your setup and can fix, extend, or improve it. Your system stays fit for purpose as you grow.

• A clear way to request changes and prioritise what we do
• Small, iterative improvements rather than boom-and-bust projects
• Documentation of what we’ve changed so you’re never in the dark
• The option to pause or stop when it no longer makes sense—we hand over cleanly

Common concerns

Time commitment. Evolve is flexible. We might sync weekly, fortnightly, or as-and-when. We’ll agree what works. Your main job is prioritising and deciding; we’re not asking you to project-manage us.

Disruption. Most evolve work is small—tweaks, new reports, extra integrations. We test before we change live. We don’t run big migrations without warning. We’ll agree when we touch your systems.

Cost anxiety. We can work on a retainer, as-and-when, or a mix. We’ll be clear about what’s included and what’s extra. You can pause or stop; we won’t lock you in.

Tool access. We need the same access we had in build when we’re making changes. We’ll ask for it when we need it. We don’t keep standing access unless you’re happy with that.

Confidentiality. We continue to treat your systems and data as confidential. Nothing changes from build or embed.

Internal buy-in. Evolve can feel like "we’re never done." We frame it as steady improvement, not endless churn. We’ll agree scope and cadence so it doesn’t become a black hole. You’re in control.

A typical example

Illustrative example. A professional services firm had run their new enquiry and job workflow for about a year. They’d added a practice area and started using a new referral source. The workflow didn’t account for either. They came back for evolve. We agreed a few iterations: updated routing rules, the new intake source wired in, and a couple of reporting tweaks. No big project—a handful of changes over two months. The system stayed fit for purpose without a redesign.

Next step

Evolve is optional and ongoing. If you’ve just finished embed and you’re happy running what you’ve got, you don’t need to start evolve. If you want someone to help you iterate and improve over time, we can. See our full process or get in touch to discuss what makes sense for you.