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SERVICE 01

Forward Deployed Engineering

FDE — Forward Deployed Engineer
It starts with
"I don't even know what to ask for."
Not a technical advisor, not a staffing service. We embed in your business on the ground and stay with you end to end — from framing the problem in clear terms through architecture design and implementation.
Process
01 Current-state analysis & problem framing
02 Technology selection & feasibility study
03 Visualizing the concept, team, and rough estimate
04 Staying on the front line through design and build
If this sounds like you
It begins right where you are: "I don't even know who to ask"
PAIN 01
You've started organizing for an RFP, but you're not confident this is the right approach
You've never commissioned a project before and don't know where to start. You want to talk to a vendor, but you're stuck on how much you need to decide before reaching out.
PAIN 02
"We know we have a problem — but we can't picture what to solve, or how."
PAIN 03
You've consulted several vendors, but their proposals all differ and you can't tell which is right
You can reach out even from exactly this point.
Let's talk it through first →
The SYSTEMI approach
We turn pre-RFP uncertainty into decision-ready material you can hand to the next phase
An FDE is not just a consultant or someone who "only handles the upstream." We stay on the front line and own the outcome to the end. That is what it means to be an FDE.
01
Current-state analysis & problem framing
We map out your workflows, pain points, and ideal state to clarify what actually needs to be solved in the first place. This is where we line up the assumptions you should settle before commissioning the work.
Output
Problem map / As-Is workflow / Non-functional requirements (draft) / Constraints inventory / Prioritization
02
Technology selection & feasibility study
We compare candidate technologies and assess everything from whether existing assets can be reused to where AI can realistically be applied. Rather than safe, generic proposals, we lay out options that are executable and give you an edge.
Output
Technology comparison table / PoC results / AI-applicability map / Risk and trade-off analysis
03
Visualizing the concept, team, and rough estimate
We bring the architecture proposal, required skills, ballpark effort, a realistic timeline, and the project-delivery approach together into a single coherent concept.
Output
Architecture overview diagram / Proposed team structure / Rough estimate / Vendor comparison criteria
04
Seeing it through on the front line — design and build
We don't stop at "just the concept." We own requirements definition, design, and implementation end to end, and stay on the front line until it's real.
What happens next
We hand the organized material straight to the next phase, and if needed, a SYSTEMI FDE takes it from design through implementation. We don't stop at "just the concept" — we stay on the front line until it's real.
How we're different
Connecting pre-RFP framing and downstream implementation in one continuous thread
Unlike teams that stop at the upstream, or those that only join once the RFP is locked, we keep the same decision context intact from concept framing through design and implementation — which makes the work easier to move forward.
Upstream-focused consultancy RFP-driven SIer Skill-supply SES SYSTEMI
When they engage Can engage from the requirements-framing stage Tends to join after the RFP is finalized Mostly joins after roles are defined Can partner with you from before concept framing
Carries through to implementation Upstream-centric
(implementation may sit with a separate team)		 Yes Depends on the team Covers design through implementation
Project ownership Mainly concept framing and recommendations Yes Depends on the contract type Partners with you from upstream to implementation
Ownership of technology selection Varies by engagement Varies by engagement Depends on the team All engineers
Able to go deep into the technical evaluation
AI × this service
How we combine AI into the work
Discovery to problem framing
AI handles structuring interview notes, extracting action items from minutes, and auto-generating the problem map. That lets people focus on judging what the real problem is.
Technology selection & concept design
AI rapidly surveys and compares a vast range of technology options. But the call on "what's best for your company" is made by a team with an engineering background.
Design to implementation
Faster implementation with Claude Code lets us deliver more for the same cost. AI does the "building," while people own the "choices and the quality."
Related cases
Start with the framing, and projects tend to land like this
The case below isn't yet backed by source material we can publish, so it's a model case built from the kinds of inquiries we actually receive. We include it as an illustration of where pre-RFP framing pays off.
Ambitious Inc.
From requirements framingReal estate
Completed a core-system overhaul starting from "we don't even know what or how to commission"
Challenge
A system over a decade old. They consulted a vendor but got stuck when asked to submit an RFP.
Outcome
3 months of requirements definition → 6 months of development → production launch. Cut operational effort by 40%.
MODEL CASE
FDE in action
Illustrative caseManufacturing / Core renewal
On an overhaul project driven mostly by AI hopes, an FDE engaged from the front line to frame "what needs to be decided first"
Where the inquiry started
They wanted to bring in AI and overhaul the core system, but departmental requests, permissions, audit, migration, and existing integrations were all unorganized. It was stalled because it was unclear who to ask for what.
What the FDE builds on the front line
Framing the key questions, non-functional requirements, technical feasibility, rough estimates, and vendor comparison criteria on the front line — assembling the decision material needed to start requirements definition and implementation without breakdowns.
See all cases →
DELIVERABLES
A sense of what an FDE produces on the front line
Examples of how we structure the actual documents we hand over after embedding on the ground as an FDE. Not a consultant's report, but decision-ready material the next phase can use as-is.
DOCUMENT 01 — FDE framing sheet (on-site discovery and issue framing)
QA_sheet_v1.2_SYSTEMI.xlsx
Current challengesWhich parts of the existing system are problematic — error frequency, maintenance cost, support effort
WorkflowAs-Is (current state) diagrammed; which workflows aren't yet systematized
Non-functional requirements (draft)Concurrent connections, response-time SLA, availability targets, data retention period
ConstraintsBudget expectations, schedule, internal decision-making flow, existing-system integration
PrioritizationOrganized with the MoSCoW method: Must / Should / Could / Won't
DOCUMENT 02 — FDE report (concept and architecture proposal)
Example proposed architecture — AI-native Web Stack
Delivery
Route 53Route 53DNS / failover
CloudFrontCloudFrontCDN / TLS
WAFWAFBlocks malicious requests
CognitoCognitoAuth / IdP integration
Ingress
ALBApplication LBSSL termination
Runtime
ReactNext.js (React)SSR / SSG / API Routes
FastAPIFastAPI / HonoBusiness API
LambdaLambdaAsync jobs
AnthropicClaude / BedrockLLM / RAG
Data
AuroraAurora PostgreSQLPrimary data + pgvector
DynamoDBDynamoDBSessions / high-frequency
S3S3Objects / assets
SQSSQS / EventBridgeEvent integration
Security
SecretsSecrets ManagerCentralized credential management
Observability
CloudWatchCloudWatchMetrics / logs
EventBridgeX-Ray / DatadogDistributed tracing
CI/CD
GitHub ActionsGitHub Actionsbuild / test / deploy
* We select technologies based on the discovery findings, present multiple options with their trade-offs, and then narrow down to one.
* The above is one example assuming an AI-native web service. Talk to us about other patterns too, such as batch systems, mobile, and IoT.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about adopting FDE
What's the difference between FDE and SES?
SES (System Engineering Service) is a contract to provide skills under direction, whereas FDE (Forward Deployed Engineering) is fundamentally different in that we take ownership and embed from discovering and framing the problem and selecting the technology, all the way through implementation and operations. FDE is defined not by "lending you people" but by "thinking and acting together with you."
Can we consult you while requirements are still undecided?
Yes — in fact, the "requirements not yet decided" stage is exactly where an FDE comes in. We engage from the preliminary work of figuring out "what to build" and "how to frame it," and work alongside you to get organized toward commissioning the project. We also support creating the RFP and defining the criteria for vendor comparison.
Can we engage just one person? What's the minimum scale?
Yes, you can start with a single FDE. Typically we embed from 2–3 days a week to frame the problems, and expand into a team structure as needed. First, tell us about the kind of situation you're struggling with.
Can you handle not just development but the upstream phases (requirements definition, design) too?
Yes — being involved from the upstream is exactly where the FDE's strength lies. We go through current-state analysis, problem framing, technology selection, architecture design, and requirements definition, and then carry it straight through to implementation, end to end. We won't just "hand over the design" partway through.
Related services
Legacy System Modernization →
New Digital Service Development →
Read about our approach →

First, let's talk about whether we can join you on the front line.

It's fine if requirements aren't decided yet.
Even at the "I don't know what or how to ask for" stage, we'll explain how an FDE can embed with you.

Talk to us about FDE (free)