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Phase 3 – Contracting & Kickoff

This document describes how to move from proposal to signed agreement and kick off properly. It is written for sales, legal, project managers, and architects finalizing contracts and preparing for delivery.

Phase 3 formalizes the engagement through contracting and sets up for successful delivery through proper kickoff. The goal is to ensure all legal, commercial, and technical aspects are aligned before starting delivery.

Important

Proper contracting and kickoff prevent misunderstandings and set clear expectations. Don't rush this phase—invest time in getting it right.

Objectives of Phase 3

The objectives of Phase 3 are to:

  • Finalize Contract - Complete contract and SOW negotiations
  • Set Up Access - Configure Azure DevOps, platforms, and Factory access
  • Prepare Kickoff - Prepare kickoff meeting and materials
  • Align Expectations - Ensure all stakeholders are aligned
  • Begin Delivery - Transition smoothly to Phase 4 (Delivery)

Contract and SOW Considerations

Key Contract Elements

Code/IP Model

  • Generated Code Ownership - Customer owns all code generated into their Azure DevOps
  • Factory Runtime - ConnectSoft owns Factory runtime and templates
  • Platforms - ConnectSoft owns platform code; customer gets license to use

See: Code Ownership & IP Policy for detailed IP model.

Environments and Hosting

  • Development Environment - Customer provides or ConnectSoft provisions
  • Staging Environment - Customer provides or ConnectSoft provisions
  • Production Environment - Customer responsibility (or managed service option)
  • Hosting Model - SaaS (ConnectSoft-hosted) vs. Self-hosted

See: SaaS Platforms Business Model for hosting options.

Support/SLA Outline

  • Support Tier - Standard, Premium, Enterprise
  • Response Times - Defined response times per support tier
  • Availability SLA - Platform availability commitments (if applicable)
  • Support Channels - Email, Slack, phone (per tier)

See: Support & SLA Policy for SLA details.

Payment Terms

  • Payment Schedule - Milestone-based or monthly subscription
  • Currency - USD, EUR, etc.
  • Terms - Net 30, Net 15, etc.
  • Renewal - Auto-renewal or manual renewal

SOW (Statement of Work) Elements

  • Scope - Detailed scope of work
  • Deliverables - Specific deliverables and acceptance criteria
  • Timeline - Phased timeline with milestones
  • Assumptions - Key assumptions and dependencies
  • Out of Scope - Explicitly excluded items

Pre-Kickoff Technical Preparation

Checklist

Use these checklists to prepare:

See: Factory Project Kickoff Checklist for detailed checklist.

See: Platform Adoption Checklist for platform setup.

Required Setup

  • Azure DevOps Project Created - Project, repos, pipelines configured
  • Tenant & Access Agreed - Platform tenants provisioned, access configured
  • Initial ADR Indexes Set Up - ADR/BDR structure created
  • Factory Access Configured - Factory project created, access granted
  • Communication Channels - Slack, email, meeting links set up
  • Documentation Access - Customer has access to ConnectSoft docs

Technical Prerequisites

  • Customer Azure DevOps access confirmed
  • Customer Azure subscription confirmed (if self-hosted)
  • Network connectivity verified (if applicable)
  • DNS configured (if custom domains)
  • SSL certificates available (if custom domains)

Kickoff Meeting Agenda

Meeting Structure (60-90 minutes)

1. Introductions (10 minutes)

  • ConnectSoft team introduction
  • Customer team introduction
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Communication preferences

2. Recap of Goals and Scope (15 minutes)

  • Review proposal and contract
  • Confirm scope and deliverables
  • Discuss timeline and milestones
  • Address any questions or concerns

3. High-Level Architecture (20 minutes)

  • Bounded contexts overview
  • Service boundaries
  • Platform integration points
  • Technology stack
  • Integration patterns

See: Factory Overview for Factory architecture.

See: Clean Architecture & DDD for architecture principles.

4. Factory + Squads Overview (15 minutes)

  • How Factory works
  • How Squads deliver outcomes
  • Delivery cadence and rhythm
  • Review and feedback process
  • Quality gates and testing

See: Getting Started with Factory for Factory overview.

See: Agent System Overview for agent details.

5. Platforms Overview (10 minutes)

  • Identity Platform integration
  • Audit Platform integration
  • Config Platform integration
  • Platform APIs and webhooks

See: Getting Started with Platforms for platform overview.

6. Next 2-4 Weeks Plan (10 minutes)

  • Immediate next steps
  • First Factory run planned
  • First deliverables expected
  • Communication cadence
  • Review meetings scheduled

7. Q&A and Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

  • Address questions
  • Confirm next steps
  • Schedule follow-up meetings
  • Share contact information

Success Criteria for Phase 3

Contract Signed

  • Contract finalized and signed
  • SOW completed and approved
  • Payment terms agreed
  • Legal review completed (if required)

Access Configured

  • Azure DevOps access granted
  • Platform tenants provisioned
  • Factory access configured
  • Communication channels set up

Kickoff Completed

  • Kickoff meeting conducted
  • All stakeholders aligned
  • Next steps agreed
  • Documentation shared

Ready for Delivery

  • Technical prerequisites met
  • Team members assigned
  • First Factory run planned
  • Communication plan established