Clarity Before You Commit to Building

Most software failures don’t happen in development.

They happen earlier, when assumptions go untested, workflows are misunderstood, and complexity is underestimated.

Systems Discovery exists to prevent that.

It’s how we help organizations understand what system should actually be built, where risk lives, and what happens if nothing changes.

What Systems Discovery Is

Systems Discovery & Architecture is a paid diagnostic engagement designed to examine your operation end-to-end before any build decisions are made.

  • This is not a sales step.
  • It is not free consulting.
  • It is the work required to make informed, defensible decisions about complex systems.

If custom software is the answer, Discovery makes that clear.
If it isn’t, Discovery prevents expensive mistakes.

Why This Step Matters

Organizations typically come to us when:

  1. operations rely on too many disconnected tools
  2. critical knowledge lives in people’s heads
  3. manual workarounds have become permanent
  4. scaling introduces fragility instead of leverage
  5. compliance, traceability, or reliability are at risk

In these environments, skipping Discovery doesn’t save time.
It multiplies risk.

What Happens During Discovery

During Systems Discovery, we work closely with leadership and operational stakeholders to:

  • map workflows end-to-end
  • identify bottlenecks, failure points, and manual risk
  • clarify data ownership and system boundaries
  • evaluate where existing tools help or hinder
  • assess where AI can safely add leverage
  • define architectural options and tradeoffs

This work is grounded in how your organization actually operates, not generic best practices.

What You Receive

At the conclusion of Discovery, you receive:

  • a clear system architecture overview
  • workflow and data-flow documentation
  • a build-versus-buy analysis
  • an AI opportunity assessment
  • a phased implementation roadmap
  • a written risk register and decision log

You leave with clarity, not just recommendations.

Structure & Investment

  • Fixed-fee engagement
  • Typically $7,500–$15,000, depending on scope and complexity
  • Approximately 4–6 weeks

Systems Discovery is a prerequisite for any build work with SongSwift.
We do not skip this phase.

What Happens Next

Discovery leads to one of three outcomes:

  1. A phased build engagement with SongSwift
  2. A smaller or alternative solution
  3. Confirmation that custom software is not required

All three outcomes are wins.
Each saves time, cost, and long-term risk.

Who This Is For

Systems Discovery is appropriate when:

  • your organization has outgrown standard tools
  • operations are becoming fragile or opaque
  • leadership needs clarity before committing resources

It is not appropriate if you are only seeking implementation labor or quick quotes.

If your organization is facing real operational complexity and needs clarity before building, the next step is a structured conversation.

All serious engagements with SongSwift begin here.

Start with Systems Discovery

Start with a Systems Discovery