OutputCurrent-state map
Process mapping
We sit with the people who do the work and draw the current state: who enters what, where it stalls, which spreadsheets fill the gaps.
Capability
Software discovery and solution architecture for UAE projects
A software project is usually won or lost in its first few weeks, long before development. Next Orbit’s discovery and solution architecture engagement turns a business need into three things you can read and question: a map of how the work really flows, a ranked scope, and a system design that engineers can build against.
- Architecture-led
- R&D-backed
- QC before every release
- UAE, GCC & global
- Workflow maps drawn with the people who do the work
- A ranked scope: first release, next release, later
- Architecture covering data, integrations, hosting and roles
- Prototypes or technical spikes where the idea is new
Quick answer
What is discovery & solution architecture and who is it for?
Discovery and solution architecture is a structured engagement that defines what a system must do, and how it will be built, before any code is written. Next Orbit runs it for organisations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, the entire UAE, the GCC and globally that are planning custom software, an ERP, an AI or IoT product, or a move away from spreadsheets. You receive a written scope, a solution architecture and a tailored proposal, each reviewed with your team.
Every engagement is architecture-led, delivered by an innovative, R&D-backed team of security-first engineers and quality-controlled before each release, for clients across Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the entire UAE, the GCC and globally.
- Workflow maps drawn with the people who do the work
- A ranked scope: first release, next release, later
- Architecture covering data, integrations, hosting and roles
- Prototypes or technical spikes where the idea is new
- 6things you receive
- 5stages, each signed off
- 8tools and standards
- 4SaaS platforms we deliver and support
From sticky notes to a system
Discovery turns a wall of problems into one architecture
Scroll and watch it happen: the pains your team names in the first workshop become modules, data flows and integrations in a drawn system. Nothing is built until this picture is agreed.
- 1Workshops, not questionnaires. We map the real process with the people who run it.
- 2Trade-offs in writing. Build-or-buy, hosting, integrations and sequencing, each with a reason.
- 3A pack you can take anywhere. The architecture is yours to tender with, even if you do not build with us.
A discovery sprint, session by session
What happens in the room
OutputRanked scope
Scope and priorities
Pains become ranked outcomes. We agree what the first release must do, what can wait and what we should not build at all.
OutputArchitecture pack
Solution architecture
Modules, data model, integrations and hosting drawn as one system, with the trade-offs written down.
OutputValidated prototype
Prototype review
A clickable prototype of the riskiest screens so your users react to something real before build.
OutputProposal
Tailored proposal
Phases, team, assumptions and commercial terms that follow the architecture, including how ownership and licensing are defined in the agreement.
What you get
Discovery & solution architecture: what we deliver
Workflow mapping, a ranked scope and a reviewed system design, completed before the first sprint is planned.
Deliverable 01 · Discovery & solution architecture
Workflow mapping
We sit with operations, finance and field teams and trace every step: what is entered, who signs off, where work waits and which spreadsheet covers the gap. You get a current-state map and a target-state map.
- Deliverable
- 01 of 06
- Tools
- Process maps (BPMN) · User stories · C4 diagrams
- State
- Delivered and documented
Deliverable 02 · Discovery & solution architecture
Ranked scope
Each requirement becomes a user story with acceptance criteria and a priority. The first release solves the most costly problem, and the rest becomes a roadmap you can budget against.
- Deliverable
- 02 of 06
- Tools
- C4 diagrams · Data modelling (ERD) · API specifications
- State
- Delivered and documented
Deliverable 03 · Discovery & solution architecture
System design
Modules, data model, integrations, roles, hosting and security are drawn as diagrams a project manager can follow and an engineer can build from.
- Deliverable
- 03 of 06
- Tools
- API specifications · Clickable prototypes · Risk register
- State
- Delivered and documented
Deliverable 04 · Discovery & solution architecture
Prototypes for new ideas
When nobody has built the idea before, we test it with a clickable prototype or a short technical spike. Next Orbit is R&D-led, so proving the hardest part early is a standard step, not an add-on.
- Deliverable
- 04 of 06
- Tools
- Risk register · Figma · Process maps (BPMN)
- State
- Delivered and documented
Deliverable 05 · Discovery & solution architecture
Platform or custom build
Sometimes one of the platforms we offer, e-trainia, e-tijariX, MeezanX or AuthentiQ, covers most of the need through configuration. Sometimes only a custom build fits. Discovery tells you which, and why.
- Deliverable
- 05 of 06
- Tools
- Process maps (BPMN) · User stories · C4 diagrams
- State
- Delivered and documented
Deliverable 06 · Discovery & solution architecture
Tailored proposal
Phases, deliverables, team, assumptions and commercial terms follow directly from the architecture. Ownership and licensing are set out in the project agreement and discussed before work starts.
- Deliverable
- 06 of 06
- Tools
- C4 diagrams · Data modelling (ERD) · API specifications
- State
- Delivered and documented
Need discovery & solution architecture for a project that does not fit a template? Tell us the problem and one of our expert engineers will map it to an architecture.
Discovery Call 01 / 03
What happens during a software discovery phase?
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A discovery phase is a set of workshops and reviews that establishes what the business needs from a system and what it does not.
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We start with the sponsor to fix the goal and the constraints, then move to the people who will use the software every day. We ask for the real material: the tracking spreadsheets, the approval emails, the monthly management pack and screenshots of any system being replaced.
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From those sessions we write a process map and a requirements list in which every item is tied to a role and a measurable outcome.
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We also write down what the first release will deliberately leave out. Agreeing those boundaries early is what keeps delivery calm later, and the document is useful even if you decide to compare other suppliers against it.
- Sponsor and user workshops, on site or online
- Current-state and target-state process maps
- User stories with acceptance criteria
- Review of existing systems, exports and data quality
- Reporting, dashboard and KPI requirements
- Data residency and sector rules to respect
02 / 03
What does a solution architecture document contain?
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A solution architecture document explains how the system is put together and why.
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It names each application, such as the web portal, the mobile app and the admin console, the services behind them, the main database entities and every outside system to be connected, for example an accounting package, a payment gateway, an identity provider or plant equipment.
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It also records the decisions that are expensive to reverse: how users sign in and what each role can see, where the system is hosted, how it is backed up, how it scales and how it is monitored.
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Next Orbit builds software and hardware together, so when a project includes IoT devices, kiosks or edge gateways, the architecture covers the device, its firmware and its connectivity alongside the cloud platform.
- Context and component diagrams
- Data model and data flow diagrams
- Integration map with methods and owners
- Roles, permissions and audit rules
- Hosting, environments and backup approach
- Performance, availability and language needs
03 / 03
Why should architecture come before development?
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Changing a diagram costs a meeting.
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Changing the same thing after months of development costs rework, retesting and lost time. Designing first brings disagreements about scope, data ownership and integration to the surface while they are still cheap to settle.
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Architecture also makes quality control measurable.
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The acceptance criteria written in discovery become the test cases our QA engineers run before each release, and the architecture becomes the reference that code reviews are checked against. Discovery can be bought on its own: you keep the output and decide afterwards how to proceed.
How we work
How we deliver discovery & solution architecture
5 stages, each with a deliverable you can review and sign off before the next begins.
Revision A · stage 1 of 5
Frame
The sponsor, the goal, the constraints and the questions discovery must answer are agreed in a first session.
Revision B · stage 2 of 5
Observe
Workshops with each user group map the workflow and collect the real documents, reports and data.
Revision C · stage 3 of 5
Scope
User stories, priorities and acceptance criteria are written up and reviewed line by line with you.
Revision D · stage 4 of 5
Design
Our solution architects produce the system design, the data model, the integration map and the hosting plan.
Revision E · stage 5 of 5
Propose
A tailored proposal with phases, deliverables and assumptions is presented and walked through with your team.
Build board
Where discovery & solution architecture takes your project next
See how this capability applies across our services, products, innovations, R&D prototypes and AI work. Pick what fits, send it as a brief, and one of our expert engineers replies with the approach and a tailored proposal.
Level Explorer
Tap the discovery & solution architecture work you would like from us. Your picks become a brief we reply to.
Applied to our services
Where this capability appears in the custom software, AI, IoT and app projects Next Orbit engineers for clients.
Applied to our platforms
How we use it every day on e-trainia, e-tijariX, MeezanX and AuthentiQ, the four platforms Next Orbit delivers: e-trainia, which we own, and three more we implement and support.
Applied to innovations
What it takes to move computer vision, digital twins, predictive models and climate data from pilot to production.
R&D and prototyping
Short, scoped experiments from our R&D team, so the decision rests on measured results rather than opinion.
AI and LLM
Where LLMs and AI agents add real value to this capability, and the controls that keep them accurate and safe.
Your brief 0 ideas
We reply with a tailored proposal: architecture first, then iterative sprints. No off-the-shelf templates.
Tools and standards
Tools, methods and standards we use for discovery & solution architecture
Tools are chosen to suit the project, not the other way round. These are the ones we reach for most often; the final selection is made during solution architecture and explained in your tailored proposal.
- Process maps (BPMN)
- User stories
- C4 diagrams
- Data modelling (ERD)
- API specifications
- Clickable prototypes
- Risk register
- Figma
Questions, answered
Discovery & solution architecture in the UAE: frequently asked questions
01 Can we buy discovery without committing to the build?
Yes. Discovery and solution architecture is available as a separate engagement. You receive the process maps, the scope and the architecture, and you choose the next step afterwards.
02 How is the cost of discovery set?
It is scope-based: the number of processes, user groups and connected systems drives the effort. After a Discovery Call we send a tailored proposal for the discovery work alone.
03 Who on our side needs to take part?
A sponsor who can make decisions, plus one or two people from each team that will use the system. Most of their time goes into workshops and into reviewing the documents we write.
04 We already have a requirements document. Is discovery still needed?
Usually a shorter version. We test your document against the real workflow, fill gaps around data, integrations and permissions, and then design the architecture on top of it.
05 Could one of your platforms replace a custom build?
06 Who owns the discovery documents?
Ownership and licensing of every deliverable are defined in the project agreement, and we discuss them openly before work begins.
Discuss discovery & solution architecture for your project
Pick what you need and the right person on our team replies.
- 1What you need
- 2About you
- 3Your request
- 4Confirm & send
Sent. Thank you.
Your reference NO-000000-0000
An engineer will reply to you. Quote the reference if you follow up.
What happens next
From first message to a tailored proposal
- Discovery call with an expert engineer
- Solution architecture drawn around your operation
- Tailored proposal with scope and milestones
More capabilities
- UI / UX design Arabic and English interfaces shaped around real tasks and tested as prototypes before development starts.
- Cloud & DevOps AWS, Azure and Google Cloud environments with containers, automated pipelines and monitoring built in.
- Data & analytics Pipelines, a reporting warehouse and role-based dashboards that give management one agreed set of figures.
- Systems integration ERP, SCADA, payment, courier, identity and legacy systems connected so data is entered once and reused.
Tell us what you are building
Share the problem, the systems involved and your timeline. You will hear back from an engineer, not a sales script.