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Phase 2 – Solution Shaping & Proposal

This document describes how to turn discovery findings into a concrete solution outline and proposal. It is written for architects, sales, and product managers shaping solutions for customers.

Phase 2 transforms discovery insights into a concrete solution design, scope definition, and commercial proposal. The goal is to align on solution approach, scope, timeline, and pricing before contracting.

Important

Solution shaping requires balancing customer needs with ConnectSoft capabilities. Be honest about what's included, what's out of scope, and what requires custom work.

Objectives of Phase 2

The objectives of Phase 2 are to:

  • Design Solution Architecture - Define bounded contexts, services, and platform usage
  • Choose Products - Select Factory, platforms, and squads to meet customer needs
  • Define Scope - Clearly define what's included and what's out of scope
  • Estimate Timeline - Provide realistic timeline based on Factory and squad capacity
  • Create Proposal - Document solution, scope, timeline, and pricing

High-Level Solution Design

Step 1: Identify Bounded Contexts

Based on the Employment Services SaaS scenario:

Bounded Contexts: - Agent Marketplace - Browse, search, and hire agents/squads - Project Management - Manage projects, assign work, track progress - Billing & Invoicing - Automated billing, invoicing, payment processing - Analytics & Reporting - Dashboards, metrics, performance tracking - Client Portal - Self-service portal for customers

See: Architect Quickstart for architecture guidance.

See: Clean Architecture & DDD, Modularization for architecture principles.

Step 2: Decide Platform Usage

Need Platform Rationale
Multi-tenant authentication Identity Platform OAuth2/OIDC, user management, RBAC
Audit logging for compliance Audit Platform SOC2, GDPR compliance, audit trails
Feature flags and config Config Platform A/B testing, gradual rollouts, tenant settings
Conversational interface Bot Platform (optional) Customer support bot, agent assistance

See: Getting Started with Platforms for platform guidance.

Step 3: Decide Factory Usage

Factory-Generated Services: - Agent Marketplace microservice - Project Management microservice - Billing & Invoicing microservice - Analytics & Reporting microservice - Client Portal microservice

Factory Capabilities Used: - Code generation (microservices) - CI/CD pipeline generation - Documentation generation - ADR/BDR generation

See: Getting Started with Factory for Factory guidance.

Choosing Factory, Platforms, and Squads

Decision Matrix

Need Product / Squad Rationale
Multi-tenant auth Identity Platform Ready-made, production-ready
Auditing of actions Audit Platform Compliance requirements
Runtime settings/features Config Platform Feature flags, A/B testing
Conversational/AI bot UI Bot Platform (optional) Customer support automation
Build & evolve SaaS core Factory + Starter SaaS Squad Generate microservices, deliver outcomes

Squad Selection

Starter SaaS Squad selected because: - Customer needs 5 microservices (within squad capacity) - MVP timeline (3-6 months) aligns with squad delivery - Customer doesn't have large engineering team - Outcome-based delivery preferred over Factory-only

Squad Output: - 2-3 microservices per month - Complete with tests, pipelines, documentation - Integration with platforms - Deployable to dev/staging environments

See: Squads Business Model for squad details.

See: Product Portfolio - Squads for squad capabilities.

Drafting the Proposal

Proposal Structure

Use the proposal templates as a guide:

See: Proposal Template - Factory Project

See: Proposal Template - SaaS Platform Stack

Key Sections to Fill In

1. Context and Objectives

  • Company: Employment Services Company
  • Industry: SaaS / Professional Services
  • Current State: [From discovery - e.g., "Building MVP, limited engineering resources"]
  • Goals: [From discovery - e.g., "Launch MVP in 6 months, scale to 100 customers"]

2. Proposed Solution

  • Factory Access: Starter SaaS Squad subscription
  • Platforms Included: Identity, Audit, Config
  • Microservices: 5 microservices (Agent Marketplace, Project Management, Billing, Analytics, Client Portal)
  • Support Level: Standard support tier

3. Scope and Deliverables

  • Bounded Contexts: 5 bounded contexts
  • Microservices: 5 microservices
  • Platforms: Identity, Audit, Config
  • Integrations: Payment processor, CRM (if needed)

4. Timeline and Phasing

  • Phase 1 (Months 1-2): Agent Marketplace + Project Management
  • Phase 2 (Months 3-4): Billing + Analytics
  • Phase 3 (Months 5-6): Client Portal + Integration

5. Pricing Structure

  • Squad Subscription: [Per squad pricing model]
  • Platforms: [Per-platform or bundled pricing]
  • Support: [Support tier pricing]

Tip

Pricing Guidance: Reference Pricing Strategy for pricing structure. Don't include specific numbers in this template—those go in the actual customer proposal.

Review and Negotiation Notes

Scope Control

Keep Scope Controlled: - Focus on MVP first, defer nice-to-haves - Use phased approach (3 phases) - Clearly define what's included vs. out of scope - Document assumptions and dependencies

Handle Scope Creep: - Refer back to original scope - Require formal change request for scope changes - Re-estimate timeline and pricing for changes - Get approval before proceeding

Common Negotiation Points

"Just give me all code and walk away"

Response: - Factory generates code into customer's Azure DevOps (they own it) - But Factory + Squads provide ongoing value (new features, updates, support) - Partnership model ensures success vs. one-time transaction - Reference: Code Ownership Model

"Can you do it faster/cheaper?"

Response: - Factory already accelerates delivery significantly - Quality and consistency require proper process - Rushing leads to technical debt and rework - Focus on value delivered, not just speed

"What if we want to switch later?"

Response: - Customer owns all generated code - No vendor lock-in at code level - Can continue using code even if they stop using Factory - Reference: Code Ownership & IP