Engagement model
How a PortalForest consulting engagement runs from first call to final brief.
Consulting only works when both sides know the stages. This page describes our usual path for architecture reviews and related consultations.
Scoping call
Thirty to forty-five minutes on product shape, licences held or sought, and the decision you need to make. No fee. We decline work outside payments, lending, and adjacent financial software.
Written proposal
Scope, exclusions, fee, timeline, and named principal. You approve before any deep document review begins. A deposit may apply for fixed engagements — see our refund terms.
Discovery and workshops
We read diagrams, policies, and sample transactions, then run structured workshops with engineering, product, and risk. Remote by default; Adelaide office sessions available.
Brief and walkthrough
You receive the architecture or assessment brief, then a live walkthrough. Optional follow-on advisory can continue into the build phase if you want retained counsel.
What we need from you
Access to people who own the ledger, the payment integrations, and the compliance narrative. Incomplete diagrams are fine; unavailable experts are not.
Natural next actions
Browse consultations or request a review with a short note on fund movement and your next assurance date.