Services·Consulting & Architecture
04·Consulting & Architecture

We tell you what to build before you build it.

Bay Software advises organisations on technical strategy and system architecture before development begins. Architecture documents, technology assessments, engineering roadmaps, and CTO advisory for organisations that need technical leadership without a permanent hire. Sound strategy prevents expensive mistakes.

architecture.md — system overview
                     ┌────────────────────┐
                        Client Layer         
                       React SPARN App  
                     └──────┬─────────────┘
                             TLS / REST
             ┌──────────────▼──────────────────┐
                     API Gateway (Azure)          
               Auth · Rate limit · Routing    
             └────┬───────────────┬────────────┘
                                 
     ┌────────────▼────┐   ┌──────▼────────────┐
       Projects API        Notifications    
       ASP.NET Core        Worker Service   
     └────────┬────────┘   └──────┬────────────┘
                                 
     ┌────────▼───────────────────▼────────┐
               PostgreSQL (Supabase)         
         projects · users · audit_log      
     └─────────────────────────────────────┘
Why this matters

The most expensive decision in software development is building the wrong system. The second most expensive is building the right system on the wrong foundation. Both are preventable. Bay Software has reviewed systems built without architecture, systems that worked until the business tried to scale, change direction, or hand them to a new team. The cost of fixing a foundational architecture decision grows with every feature built on top of it.

Bay Software doesn't produce architecture documents for their own sake. We figure out what the business is actually trying to do, what the real constraints are versus the assumed ones, and what the simplest architecture is that meets the actual requirements. We tell clients what not to build as frequently as what to build. The deliverable is a document a development team can act on, not a slide deck that gets filed away.

Worth knowing

01

Technology choices made under deadline pressure are commitments you honour for years.

02

The cost of an architecture engagement is a fraction of the cost of a rewrite.

03

CTO-level thinking is expensive to hire full-time and affordable to consult.

Capabilities

  • Technical landscape and system architecture assessment
  • System architecture design and documentation
  • Technology stack evaluation and recommendation
  • Build-vs-buy analysis and vendor evaluation
  • Engineering roadmap and phased delivery planning
  • CTO advisory retainer — ongoing technical leadership

Engagement model

Architecture engagement
Scoped design project
Technical assessment
One-time review and report
CTO advisory
Ongoing monthly engagement

Technology

Architecture documentationTechnology assessmentRoadmap deliveryAdvisory

Need technical direction before you build?

Bay Software advises on architecture and technical strategy before a line of code is written. Talk to us; we'll scope it directly.

Where we are

Building from the southern tip of Africa.

Bay Software is based in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape, South Africa. Engineering software systems and cloud infrastructure for South African businesses, and further afield.

Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Bay Software (Pty) Ltd · Est. 2024