Forward-deployed engineering
A senior engineer who learns your business and builds with your team.
Work directly with a Sophilabs engineer to improve a process that depends on manual work or disconnected systems. We work with the people doing the job, use your existing tools where they fit, and build the software the process needs.
Start with a task your team knows well
A forward-deployed engineer works alongside your users and technical team to understand a business problem and deliver software in your environment. The work might connect existing systems, add an internal tool, or introduce AI into a specific step. These are examples of where to start:
A request that crosses several systems
An email arrives, someone checks the customer agreement, and another person creates the task. Software could bring that context together, prepare the task, and flag an exception for review.
A recurring check that depends on an expert
Your team compares records using rules that live in documents and conversations. We can investigate which checks can run automatically and which decisions need the expert.
Proof
What we learned in our own operations
We built a Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration for Sophia, the platform we use for CRM, projects, hiring, and this website. Our team uses it to create tasks and maintain internal knowledge. Testing exposed gaps in validation and business rules that needed changes in our code. We wrote about that experience and the fixes it required.
Read our field noteAgree on who directs the work
An engineer in your team
With Staff Augmentation, your team sets priorities and directs the engineer. We agree on the role, working arrangements, and support needed for that assignment.
Staff AugmentationA defined delivery
With Product Development, Sophilabs takes responsibility for an agreed scope. Together we define the team, acceptance criteria, and who approves the delivery.
Product DevelopmentKeep the knowledge with the work
Business rules need a source and someone responsible for keeping them current. We record decisions where your team can find and review them. In Sophia, we call this knowledge layer the Brain. A project can use the documentation and tools you already have.
When an AI assistant needs access to a system, MCP can provide an interface to selected data and actions. The integration must still enforce permissions and validate requests. We define what happens when information is missing, rules conflict, or an action needs a person’s approval.
From the first conversation to a working delivery
Walk through the real process
Show us a recent example, including the exceptions. We look at the systems involved and decide what can be configured, what needs development, and where human judgment belongs.
Define the first delivery
Choose a bounded part of the process. Agree on access, test cases, the expected result, and who accepts the work. If the scope is clear, implementation can start directly.
Build and review it together
Your users and technical team review the software against the agreed cases. We document the decisions and settle deployment, handover, and ongoing ownership before the delivery is accepted.
FAQ
Do we need a discovery sprint?
If important questions remain about feasibility or what to build first, our two-week AI Discovery Sprint can help resolve them and scope a pilot. A process with a clear scope can move directly to implementation.
Explore AI DiscoveryWhat support does the engineer have?
We identify the expertise the work needs and agree on the people involved. That can include specialist help with data, QA, or infrastructure. The proposal specifies technical review and continuity arrangements, so responsibilities are clear before work starts.
Who maintains the software?
We agree on maintenance and support as part of the engagement. That includes responsibility for monitoring, incidents, and changes to connected systems or AI services. The scope and response expectations belong in that agreement.
What do we keep when the engagement ends?
The agreement sets out ownership of code and documentation, access, and any third-party licences. We plan the handover around who will operate and change the software next, including the rules and decisions they need to understand.
Tell us about your workflow.
Bring one task your team would like to improve. We can discuss the systems involved and what a useful first delivery would look like.