Software Strategy & Advisory Services
Get expert guidance on architecture design, platform modernization, cloud strategy, AI adoption, and engineering maturity, helping CTOs and engineering leaders make confident technical decisions that reduce risk, accelerate delivery, and align technology with business goals.
Years of Service
Client Renewal Rate
Global Clients
Ave. Onboarding
When to Choose Software Strategy & Advisory Services
Choose Scrums.com Software Strategy & Advisory When:
- Major technical decisions require external validation and you need unbiased expert perspective on architecture, technology selection, or strategic direction
- Your organization lacks specialized expertise for critical decisions like cloud migration strategy, microservices adoption, or AI implementation planning
- Technical debt and legacy systems slow innovation but you're unsure how to prioritize modernization efforts or justify investment to leadership
- Multiple technology paths exist and you need objective evaluation of trade-offs, risks, and long-term implications before committing resources
- Board or investors demand independent assessment of technical strategy, architecture viability, or platform scalability before funding
- Engineering velocity is declining and you need diagnosis of root causes, whether architecture, processes, tooling, or organizational issues
- AI adoption is a strategic priority but you lack clarity on where to start, what platforms to use, or how to integrate AI into existing systems
- New CTO or engineering leader needs rapid onboarding into current technical landscape, challenges, and strategic opportunities
Consider Alternative Scrums.com Solutions:
- Need architecture design plus implementation? → Custom Software Development
- Ready to execute modernization strategy? → Platform Modernization
- Want advisory with delivery capacity? → Dedicated Development Teams
- Need cloud infrastructure implementation? → DevOps Engineering
- Require ongoing platform management? → Cloud Hub Services
What's Included in Software Strategy & Advisory Services
Our comprehensive software strategy and advisory services provide expert guidance across all critical technical decisions, from architecture and technology selection to modernization planning and engineering maturity assessment. We deliver actionable recommendations backed by implementation experience, helping you make confident decisions that reduce risk and accelerate outcomes.
Architecture Assessment & Design
Comprehensive architecture reviews identifying scalability bottlenecks, technical debt, security vulnerabilities, and design weaknesses. We assess current architecture, design target-state solutions, create migration roadmaps, and provide detailed recommendations for microservices adoption, API design, data architecture, security patterns, and cloud-native design, ensuring your architecture supports business growth without costly rework.
Technology Stack Selection & Evaluation
Objective guidance on technology selection for new projects or platform modernization. We evaluate frameworks, languages, databases, and cloud services against your specific requirements, considering team skills, scalability needs, ecosystem maturity, vendor stability, and total cost of ownership. Our recommendations balance innovation with pragmatism, avoiding both outdated technology and bleeding-edge risk.
AI Adoption Strategy & Readiness Assessment
Strategic roadmaps for AI adoption assessing organizational readiness, identifying high-value AI use cases, evaluating AI platforms and tools, and planning implementation phases. We help you move beyond AI hype to practical adoption, determining where AI delivers ROI, what infrastructure and data capabilities you need, and how to integrate AI into existing systems safely with proper governance.
Platform Modernization Planning
Detailed modernization roadmaps for legacy system transformation including migration strategy selection (rehost, replatform, refactor), phased migration planning, risk assessment and mitigation, cost-benefit analysis, and success metrics definition. We guide you through monolith decomposition, cloud migration, database modernization, and API transformation, balancing business continuity with modernization velocity.
Engineering Maturity Assessment
Comprehensive evaluation of engineering capabilities including CI/CD maturity, testing practices, code quality, technical debt levels, DevOps capabilities, security practices, and team processes. We benchmark your organization against industry standards, identify improvement opportunities, prioritize initiatives by ROI, and create maturity roadmaps progressing from foundational practices to advanced capabilities.
Cloud Strategy & Multi-Cloud Architecture
Strategic guidance on cloud adoption, migration planning, cloud provider selection (AWS vs. Azure vs. GCP), multi-cloud architecture design, and cloud cost optimization. We help you navigate cloud decisions, determining migration readiness, designing cloud-native architectures, planning hybrid deployments, and establishing FinOps practices, avoiding common pitfalls that lead to expensive, poorly performing "legacy in the cloud."
Our Software Strategy & Advisory Approach
We don't provide generic consultant advice, we deliver pragmatic guidance backed by hands-on implementation experience. Our advisors have built and scaled production systems, not just written PowerPoint decks, ensuring recommendations are practical, actionable, and grounded in real-world constraints.
Implementation-Backed Advisory
Our advisors are architects and engineering leaders who've implemented the recommendations they provide. We understand not just ideal architecture but real-world trade-offs, organizational constraints, and execution challenges. This implementation experience means our advice is practical rather than theoretical, we've dealt with legacy systems, tight budgets, skill gaps, and organizational resistance, so our recommendations account for these realities and include execution guidance, not just strategy documents.
Data-Driven Assessment Frameworks
We use proven assessment frameworks combining automated analysis (AI-powered code analysis, architecture scanning, security audits) with expert evaluation (interviews, architecture reviews, process observation). This data-driven approach provides objective baselines, identifies issues humans might miss, quantifies technical debt and risk, and benchmarks your organization against industry standards, delivering recommendations based on evidence rather than opinions or vendor bias.
Seamless Advisory-to-Execution Transition
Unlike traditional consultancies that deliver strategy documents and disappear, we can seamlessly transition from advisory to execution. Our advisory engagements often lead to implementation partnerships where the same architects who designed your strategy lead delivery teams executing the plan. This continuity ensures recommendations actually get implemented as envisioned, reduces the "strategy-execution gap," and accelerates time-to-value by eliminating handoff friction between advisors and implementers.
Software Strategy & Advisory Process
Our structured advisory process delivers actionable recommendations quickly while ensuring thorough analysis and stakeholder alignment.
Discovery & Stakeholder Alignment
We begin by understanding your business context, technical challenges, strategic objectives, and organizational constraints. Our team conducts stakeholder interviews, reviews existing documentation, analyzes current systems, and aligns on advisory scope and success criteria.
Key Activities:
- Executive and technical leadership interviews
- Business goals and technical challenges identification
- Current architecture and technology stack documentation review
- Organizational constraints assessment (budget, timeline, skills, risk tolerance)
- Existing documentation and decision artifacts analysis
- Advisory scope and deliverables confirmation
- Success criteria and metrics definition
- Stakeholder communication plan establishment
Deliverable: Aligned advisory scope, stakeholder map, discovery summary, engagement plan
Analysis & Assessment
Conduct comprehensive analysis using automated tools and expert evaluation. We assess architecture, review code quality and technical debt, evaluate team capabilities, benchmark against industry standards, and identify opportunities and risks requiring strategic guidance.
Key Activities:
- Architecture documentation and diagram creation/validation
- AI-powered code analysis for technical debt and quality assessment
- Security and compliance posture evaluation
- Scalability and performance bottleneck identification
- Technology stack evaluation and comparison
- Team capability and process maturity assessment
- Competitive and market landscape analysis
- Cost analysis (infrastructure, licensing, operational overhead)
- Risk identification and severity assessment
Deliverable: Comprehensive assessment report with findings, benchmarks, risk analysis, opportunity identification
Strategy Development & Recommendations
Develop strategic recommendations addressing identified challenges and opportunities. We design target architecture, create technology roadmaps, prioritize initiatives, estimate costs and timelines, and prepare detailed recommendation documents with implementation guidance.
Key Activities:
- Target architecture design and documentation
- Technology selection recommendations with evaluation criteria
- Migration or modernization strategy development
- Implementation roadmap with phased milestones
- Cost-benefit analysis and ROI projections
- Risk mitigation strategies and contingency planning
- Quick wins identification for early momentum
- Success metrics and KPI definition
- Vendor evaluation and selection guidance (if applicable)
- Team capability building recommendations
Deliverable: Strategic recommendation document, architecture diagrams, implementation roadmap, cost estimates, risk analysis
Presentation & Stakeholder Alignment
Present recommendations to leadership and technical teams, facilitate discussion and refinement, address concerns and questions, gain consensus on strategic direction, and establish next steps whether continuing to implementation or closing advisory engagement.
Key Activities:
- Executive presentation of strategic recommendations
- Technical deep-dive sessions with engineering leadership
- Q&A and recommendation refinement based on feedback
- Alternative approach discussion and trade-off analysis
- Implementation partner selection (if transitioning to execution)
- Success criteria validation and adjustment
- Governance and decision-making process establishment
- Next phase planning (if proceeding to implementation)
Deliverable: Final recommendation document incorporating feedback, presentation materials, decision log, next-phase plan
Implementation Support
For organizations proceeding with implementation, we provide ongoing advisory support including architecture governance, implementation reviews, course correction as needed, and periodic check-ins ensuring execution aligns with strategy.
Key Activities:
- Quarterly strategy reviews and roadmap updates
- Architecture decision guidance and review
- Implementation progress monitoring and risk assessment
- Course correction when execution deviates from plan
- Emerging technology evaluation and adoption guidance
- Team coaching and capability building support
- Vendor relationship management guidance
- Success metrics tracking and reporting
Deliverable: Ongoing advisory support, governance reviews, updated recommendations, implementation guidance
Ready for Strategic Technical Guidance?
Our software strategy and advisory services combine implementation-backed expertise, data-driven assessment frameworks, and pragmatic recommendations to guide architecture design, technology selection, modernization planning, and AI adoption, delivering confidence when technical direction matters most, without the premium pricing of Big 4 consultancies.
Technologies We Advise On
Our advisors have deep expertise across modern and legacy technology stacks, cloud platforms, architectural patterns, and emerging technologies. From AWS and Kubernetes to AI platforms and legacy system modernization, we provide guidance grounded in hands-on implementation experience, not vendor marketing materials.
What Our Clients Say
Software Strategy & Advisory Pricing
What Impacts Software Strategy & Advisory Costs?
Scope & Complexity
Single-focus advisory (e.g., architecture review only) costs less than comprehensive strategic assessment covering architecture, technology selection, modernization planning, and engineering maturity. Broader scope = more analysis, more stakeholders, more recommendations.
Organization Size & System Scale
Advising startups with single applications costs less than enterprise organizations with dozens of systems, complex integrations, and multiple teams. Larger organizations require more discovery, more stakeholder engagement, and more comprehensive recommendations.
Urgency & Timeline
Standard 4-week advisory engagements cost less than accelerated 2-week assessments requiring dedicated consultant focus and compressed timelines. Faster delivery = premium pricing for priority access to senior advisors.
Depth of Analysis Required
High-level strategic guidance costs less than deep technical analysis including code audits, security assessments, performance testing, and detailed architecture documentation. More thorough analysis = more expert time investment.
Stakeholder & Geographic Complexity
Single-location organizations with concentrated leadership cost less to advise than distributed global organizations requiring multi-timezone coordination, travel, and complex stakeholder management across regions and business units.
Implementation Planning Detail
Strategic recommendations only cost less than detailed implementation planning including vendor selection, team composition, detailed timelines, and phased execution plans. More implementation guidance = more advisory effort.
Industry Benchmarks: What Software Strategy & Advisory Typically Costs
These are general industry ranges to help you budget:
Focused Advisory (Single Topic, 1-2 weeks)
Architecture review, technology evaluation, or specific strategic guidance
Industry range: $15K - $40K
Comprehensive Advisory (Multi-Topic, 3-4 weeks)
Architecture assessment, modernization planning, technology strategy
Industry range: $40K - $100K
Enterprise Strategic Assessment (Full Scope, 6-8 weeks)
Complete technical strategy, architecture, modernization roadmap, maturity assessment
Industry range: $100K - $250K+
Ongoing Advisory Retainer
Part-time CTO advisory, architecture governance, quarterly strategy reviews
Industry range: $10K - $30K/month
The Scrums.com Advantage: Implementation-Backed Advisory
Unlike traditional strategy consultancies delivering advice they've never implemented, we provide strategic guidance backed by hands-on delivery experience, our advisors have built and scaled the systems they recommend, ensuring practical, actionable recommendations at 40-60% lower cost than Big 4 consultancies.
What Makes Our Advisory Different:
Implementation Experience – Advisors are architects and engineering leaders who've built production systems, not just PowerPoint decks
Data-Driven Frameworks – AI-powered analysis, proven assessment methodologies, objective benchmarking against industry standards
Seamless Advisory-to-Execution – Transition from strategy to implementation without handoff friction or lost context
No Vendor Bias – Objective technology recommendations focused on your needs, not vendor partnerships or sales commissions
Rapid Time-to-Value – Deliver actionable recommendations in 2-4 weeks, not 3-6 month consulting marathons
Real-World Constraints – Recommendations account for budget limits, skill gaps, organizational resistance, and legacy reality
94% Client Renewal Rate – Clients return because our advice actually works when implemented
Three Ways to Structure Advisory Services
Focused Advisory Engagement
Time-boxed 1-2 week assessment addressing specific strategic question or technical decision.
Best for: Organizations needing expert input on targeted decision (cloud provider selection, architecture review)
Comprehensive Strategic Assessment
3-4 week engagement covering architecture, technology strategy, modernization planning, and maturity assessment.
Best for: Organizations planning major initiatives requiring thorough analysis and strategic alignment
Ongoing Advisory Retainer
Part-time advisory support (8-20 hours/month) providing continuous strategic guidance, architecture governance, and decision support.
Best for: Organizations needing consistent expert guidance through extended transformation or growth periods
Ready to See What Advisory Services Would Cost?
Pricing depends on advisory scope, organization complexity, and timeline requirements. View our transparent pricing models or get a custom advisory quote after an initial consultation.
Industries We Advise
From FinTech platforms navigating regulatory technology requirements to healthcare organizations planning HIPAA-compliant cloud migrations, our software strategy advisory delivers guidance tailored to industry-specific constraints, compliance requirements, and operational realities.
Fintech
Banking & Financial Services
Logistics & Supply Chain
Technology & SaaS
Telecommunications
Insurance
Retail & Ecommerce
Healthcare & Telemedecine
Software Strategy & Advisory Success Stories
Software Strategy & Advisory FAQs
How is your advisory different from traditional consultancies?
Traditional consultancies (McKinsey, Deloitte, Accenture) employ generalist consultants who haven't implemented the technologies they recommend, resulting in theoretical advice disconnected from implementation realities. Our advisors are architects and engineering leaders who've built production systems, they've dealt with legacy constraints, budget limits, skill gaps, and organizational resistance. This hands-on experience means recommendations are practical, account for real-world trade-offs, and include execution guidance. Additionally, we deliver advisory in 2-4 weeks (not 3-6 months) at 40-60% lower cost than Big 4 firms.
Do you have vendor partnerships or technology biases?
No. We maintain vendor-neutral independence, our recommendations focus on what's best for your specific context, not commission structures or partnership agreements. When evaluating cloud providers, we objectively compare AWS, Azure, and GCP based on your requirements. When assessing technologies, we consider total cost of ownership, ecosystem maturity, team capabilities, and long-term viability, not what vendor sponsored our last conference booth. This objectivity is critical, many "advisory" firms are actually systems integrators with strong vendor partnerships influencing recommendations.
Can you transition from advisory to implementation?
Yes, this is a key differentiator. Unlike consultancies that deliver strategy documents and disappear, we seamlessly transition from advisory to execution. The same architects who designed your strategy can lead implementation teams, ensuring recommendations get executed as envisioned and eliminating "strategy-execution gap." This continuity accelerates time-to-value and ensures practical insights gained during discovery inform implementation decisions. However, transition is optional, you're free to implement with internal teams or other partners.
What if we only need advisory on a specific technical decision?
We offer focused advisory engagements (1-2 weeks) addressing targeted questions: Should we migrate to Kubernetes? Which cloud provider fits our needs? How should we decompose this monolith? Is our architecture ready for 10x growth? These time-boxed assessments deliver rapid, actionable recommendations on specific decisions without comprehensive strategic assessment overhead. Many clients start with focused advisory and expand to broader engagements as needs evolve.
How do you assess architecture without disrupting operations?
Our assessment process minimizes operational disruption through non-invasive methods: automated code and architecture analysis (no production access required), stakeholder interviews (1-2 hours each), documentation review, and observational workshops. We don't require deep production access for initial assessment, most analysis happens through documentation, diagrams, and conversations. If deeper access benefits analysis (log review, performance monitoring), we coordinate during low-impact windows with appropriate safeguards.
What happens if we disagree with recommendations?
Disagreement indicates either we didn't understand your constraints or recommendations need better justification. We facilitate discussion exploring concerns, presenting alternative approaches with trade-off analysis, and refining recommendations based on feedback. Our goal isn't imposing solutions but helping you make informed decisions. If fundamental disagreement persists (e.g., risk tolerance differences, strategic priority conflicts), we document alternative paths and their implications, allowing you to choose the approach aligning with your judgment and context.
Can you help us secure board or investor approval for technical initiatives?
Yes. We regularly support CTOs securing funding for modernization initiatives, platform investments, or strategic technology decisions. Our advisory deliverables include executive-friendly presentations, ROI analysis, risk assessment, and business impact articulation that non-technical stakeholders understand. We can participate in board presentations providing independent validation of technical strategy and answering investor questions. Many clients engage us specifically for this "technical translator" role bridging engineering reality and executive decision-making.
Do you provide ongoing advisory or one-time engagements?
Both. One-time engagements address specific strategic questions or initiatives (architecture review, modernization planning, technology evaluation). Ongoing advisory retainers provide continuous guidance (8-20 hours/month) for organizations navigating extended transformations, rapid growth, or continuous technology evolution. Retainers include quarterly strategy reviews, ad-hoc architecture decisions, technology evaluation, team coaching, and vendor relationship guidance. Many clients start with focused engagements and transition to retainers as they value continuous expert access.
What if our internal team has strong technical opinions conflicting with advisory?
This is common and healthy. Strong internal technical perspectives indicate engaged engineers who care about architecture decisions. We facilitate constructive debate: presenting evidence supporting our recommendations, listening to internal team rationale and concerns, identifying common ground and differences, and exploring hybrid approaches addressing both perspectives. Often "conflicts" stem from different information or unstated constraints. Our role is synthesizing perspectives and helping teams reach informed consensus, not overruling internal expertise with external authority.
How quickly can you deliver advisory recommendations?
Focused advisory (single topic) delivers in 1-2 weeks. Comprehensive strategic assessment typically requires 3-4 weeks for thorough analysis and stakeholder alignment. Accelerated engagements (2 weeks for comprehensive scope) are possible with premium pricing for dedicated consultant focus. Timeline depends on stakeholder availability, documentation accessibility, and scope complexity. Most clients prefer 3-4 week timeline balancing thoroughness with reasonable urgency rather than rushing analysis that might miss critical insights.
