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Balkan Tecnologia

Technical discovery before the first line of code

Before development starts, we map what the system has to do, which systems it talks to and what is still unknown.

A mint-green thread linking three blank cards like a system plan, beside a brass compass.

Who it's for

For companies about to start a new system that do not yet know how big the job really is.

What it solves

  • Every supplier quotes a different price, because each one pictured a different system.
  • The integration with the ERP or the bank only shows up as a problem halfway through.
  • The scope lives in two people's heads and a few WhatsApp chats.
  • Nobody yet knows which personal data the system will hold, or for how long.

What we do

Business flows and rules
How the work happens today, who does each step and which rules the system must follow.
Integration inventory
ERP, bank, invoicing system, gateways: what API each one offers and who holds the access.
Feasibility checks
Real calls to the most doubtful APIs, in a test environment, before assuming they work.
Personal data map
Which personal data comes in, where it goes and who needs to see it.
List of unknowns
What we do not know yet, who can answer and what changes if the answer differs.
Splitting into releases
The work divided into parts that can go live one at a time.

What you get

  • A scope document stating what is in and what is left out
  • An integration inventory, with the access and documentation for each one
  • An initial architecture sketch and the decisions already made
  • A list of unknowns and risks, with an owner for each item
  • A phased delivery plan you can use to get quotes

How we do it

  1. Interviews

    Conversations with the people who run, decide on and maintain the current systems.

  2. Reading what exists

    Spreadsheets, screens, documentation and access to the systems that will be integrated.

  3. Technical proofs

    Small prototypes only where the doubt is technical and would change the plan.

  4. Scope and phases

    We write the scope, cut what can wait and split the rest into phases.

  5. Joint review

    We go through it all with your team and adjust whatever does not match reality.

Technology examples

  • C4 model
  • BPMN
  • OpenAPI
  • ADR
  • Postman

Related services

FAQ

Does discovery include development?

No. Discovery ends in documents and a plan. You can build with Balkan, with your own team or with another supplier.

What decides how long it takes?

The number of areas involved, how many integrations exist and how much access we have to the systems and the people. We agree on it after a first conversation.

What do you need from our team?

A few hours from people who know the operation, read access to the current systems and someone with the authority to decide the scope.

What if we already have a working system?

Discovery starts from it. If the doubt is about the quality of what exists, a technical audit is usually the first step.

Write to Balkan

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