Operating Architecture Sprint
$7,500–$12,500
A decision-ready operating map, acceptance path, implementation range, and a responsible no-build alternative when that is the right answer.
Paid in full at bookingInvestment / planning ranges
Know the order of magnitude before discovery.
Lionwork cannot responsibly quote a working operating system from a form. We can show what the first purchase is, what complete systems usually require, and exactly which conditions move the investment.
Planning ranges—not fixed quotesArchitecture before implementationAcceptance before expansionUsage and licenses disclosed
The buying sequence
Start small enough to prove. Build complete enough to run.
The first payment buys a decision, not a vague promise. Substantial custom implementation starts only after the operating path, access, authority, acceptance, and responsible no-build alternative are visible.
First Operating System
From $35,000
One recurring operating mission rebuilt from signal to recorded closure. Most complete first systems plan between $50,000 and $85,000.
Typical delivery · 6–14 weeksOwner Command — Phase One
$90,000–$175,000
One recurring owner question across two to four companies, a small set of anchor systems, and one visible exception and approval path.
Typical delivery · 16–24 weeksManaged Command
$2,500–$7,500/mo
Monitoring, issue response, reporting, a defined improvement allowance, and controlled change after the installation is accepted.
Production usage billed separatelyRange boundary
Final scope follows the Operating Architecture Sprint. Third-party licenses, cloud and model usage, unusual migration, regulated-data controls, and undocumented or restricted systems are estimated separately.
Representative configurations
Price follows the operating system around the connections.
A useful quote is not an API count. It reflects the mission, state, agent behavior, human command, testing, deployment, and evidence required to make the complete run dependable.
| Configuration | Typical components | Planning range | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused first loop | Architecture, two standard connections, one queue or workflow, simple command surface, deployment and acceptance | $35,000–$50,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Typical operating system | Three to five connections, normalized state, agent or rules, approvals, custom UI, monitoring and handover | $50,000–$85,000 | 10–14 weeks |
| Advanced operating system | Four to eight mixed-complexity connections, history or data foundation, multiple roles and deeper assurance | $85,000–$150,000 | 14–22 weeks |
| Owner Command — Phase One | Two to four companies, anchor systems, role views, executive queue, daily brief and durable decision record | $90,000–$175,000 | 16–24 weeks |
What moves the price
The range changes when the operating risk changes.
Lionwork prices the work that makes the system hold in production—not only the visible screens or the happy-path automation.
Mission boundary
How many signals, decisions, actions, exceptions, and closure states the first system must own.
Connection class
API quality, authentication, operations, volume, latency, data sensitivity, history, and test access.
Data foundation
The normalization, quality, lineage, history, matching, and reconciliation required before automation can hold.
Authority model
Which actions may run automatically and which require named approval, review, override, or escalation.
Command surface
The roles, work queues, evidence, decisions, and actions that need a purpose-built operating interface.
Assurance depth
Permissions, failure modes, observability, recovery, audit evidence, deployment controls, and documentation.
Access readiness
Sandbox quality, credentials, vendor approvals, source owners, fixtures, and the speed of client decisions.
Change after scope
New systems, objects, roles, history, volume, or acceptance requirements are estimated through written change control.
Connection boundary
“From $5,000” has a strict definition.
Connections from $5,000 are components inside an already scoped Lionwork system—not standalone transformations. Architecture, data contracts, and the surrounding operating loop must already be funded.
A standalone connection-readiness engagement normally plans from $10,000 to $15,000 because the architecture and production boundary still have to be established.
Standard
Known public API, supported authentication, limited operations and ordinary volume.
$5,000–$7,500Enhanced
Moderate transformation, bidirectional state, custom authentication, or a weak sandbox.
$8,000–$12,500Advanced
Legacy or unstable systems, browser automation, migration, sensitive data, or high volume.
$12,500–$25,000+Custom
A combination of advanced risks that requires separate architecture and an explicit estimate.
Scoped separatelyA standard connection includes
- One named system with a documented public API and usable test environment
- One supported authentication method
- Up to three named business objects and four agreed read/write operations
- Up to approximately 25 mapped fields with basic deterministic transformations
- Ordinary batch, webhook, or daily volume—normally up to about 10,000 events per day unless agreed
- Retries, idempotency, structured logs, monitoring hooks, and agreed acceptance tests
- Concise technical documentation, one revision cycle, and a defined defect-warranty boundary
It does not include
- Historical migration, backfill, deduplication, or complex reconciliation
- Undocumented or unstable APIs, browser automation, or legacy on-premise systems
- Complex identity, restricted networks, custom infrastructure, or unusual security requirements
- Regulated or unusually sensitive data without a separate eligibility review
- Strict latency, unusual volume, or material changes to the source system
- Third-party licenses, cloud or model usage, and requirements introduced after scope approval
Payment logic
Cash follows visible decision and acceptance gates.
The commercial structure is designed to fund a focused delivery team while preserving clear moments for architecture, staging, user acceptance, and production responsibility.
Sprint
100% at bookingA limited portion may be credited to an approved Lionwork build only when the proposal says so. A no-build conclusion remains paid work.
Focused build
50 / 30 / 20Signing, staging and user acceptance, then production. The milestones fund the work and preserve a visible acceptance gate.
Larger build
40 / 25 / 25 / 10Signing, architecture and data contract, staging and acceptance, then production—or agreed monthly milestones for longer delivery.
Invoices · Net 7Change orders · 50%–100% upfrontManaged Command · prepaid, initial 3-month term
Commercial principle
You should know what must be true before buying the build.
If a smaller native automation, process correction, or no-build path solves the problem responsibly, the Operating Architecture Sprint should say so.
All figures on this page are planning ranges in U.S. dollars, not fixed quotes or a promise of outcome. Final terms, scope, ownership, support, and acceptance are stated in the applicable proposal and agreement.Bring in the Lion
Bring one expensive recurring operating break.
The Operating Underwrite identifies whether the problem is bounded, valuable, and ready for a paid Operating Architecture Sprint—without pretending a form can quote the system.