Recovery of a stalled IT project
Team gone, releases stopped or software too risky to change: map the existing system, secure access and put one business path back into production.
A stalled IT project does not automatically need a rewrite. It first needs a reliable map: what works, what is missing, who controls access and why delivery stopped.
We recover existing software when the original team has left, the supplier no longer responds, production is fragile or the business has lost confidence.
When we step in
- Releases have stopped or become unpredictable
- The lead developer or original supplier has left
- Documentation is missing or no longer matches the system
- The same incidents keep returning
- Code exists, but nobody knows which version is running
- A full rewrite is proposed without an assessment
- Management can no longer explain cost or schedule
Our recovery method
1. Freeze without paralysing
We separate genuine emergencies from new requests. Scope must stop moving while the team identifies the blockers.
2. Recover what you control
Repositories, DNS, cloud, databases, backups, secrets, licences, pipelines and technical accounts. We never bypass access controls. Missing elements become explicit recovery actions.
3. Map the real system
We identify active components, dependencies, environments and business journeys people use. The map must be readable by both management and the next technical team.
4. Secure the minimum viable foundation
Shared accounts, exposed secrets, untested backups and excessive permissions come before new features. An NDA can be signed before access when the engagement is sensitive.
5. Restore a test and release path
We choose one important business journey, add the necessary test safety net, then restore acceptance, reproducible deployment and rollback.
6. Ship before modernising
A visible first release proves the recovery path. Migrations and architecture changes come later, only when they address an observed risk or cost.
What you receive
- A map of code, environments, data and access
- Risks ranked by impact and urgency
- Immediate security actions
- A 90-day recovery plan
- Recovery and operating-cost estimates
- A recommendation to repair, recover gradually, replace or retire
- Documentation the next team can use
What if documentation is missing?
We start from the real system: repositories, logs, databases, infrastructure and user interviews. Missing documentation slows the work but does not make recovery impossible. Rebuilt documentation is part of the deliverable.
What if the current supplier does not cooperate?
We first inventory what your organisation already owns. Contracts, cloud accounts, domains and backups often distinguish an access problem from a code problem. Items requiring legal or contractual action are identified and never bypassed technically.
Should everything be rewritten?
Not by default. A full rewrite adds a second project to the stalled one: data migration, coexistence, acceptance and cutover. It becomes reasonable when the current foundation cannot be secured, its technology is unsupported or every change costs more than gradual replacement.
Timing and price
The first step is the fixed-price IT assessment. Most of our assessments stay under €2,000. After an initial exchange, we state scope, required access, fee and duration. One standalone application does not require the same work as a multi-application landscape.
The recovery mission is priced separately. It can stop after production is restored, continue with a handover to your team or become readable application maintenance.
See our business platform recovery case and our guide to an IT project audit.