Changing development team shouldn't mean starting your product again.

Arch takes ownership of existing apps, websites, back office and AI systems built by another agency, freelancer or internal development team. We get access to the codebase, infrastructure, documentation and third-party services, then work through the platform until our engineers understand what they're responsible for.

That includes learning how the application is built, getting it running locally, understanding how it reaches production and identifying the parts of the platform that need attention. Once we're comfortable with the software, we become the team responsible for maintaining it, fixing it and moving it forward.

Keep the software you've already paid for.

Taking over a codebase doesn't mean we need to replace it. We first understand what is already working and preserve the parts worth keeping. Our web development team is comfortable working with established products and existing architectures, so we'll only recommend substantial change where there is a good technical or commercial reason for it.

Get more than a maintenance team.

Once Arch takes ownership, you get access to more than engineers keeping the platform online. Product strategy, UX, UI, development, testing and technical expertise can all feed into what happens next. Our Collaborative Product Development approach is designed for exactly this kind of relationship: joining an established product and helping it evolve.

We learn the code properly.

We don't want your platform to remain a black box after it arrives at Arch. Our engineers build it, run it and work through the architecture before we start making significant changes. That technical understanding gives us a much stronger foundation for supporting the product over the long term.

We can work with the technology that's already there.

Existing software rarely arrives neatly aligned with one preferred stack. Arch works across web, mobile, backend and infrastructure, with experience across a broad technology stack. We assess what you've inherited and work with it where it makes sense rather than forcing unnecessary rewrites.

We take ownership of the awkward bits too.

Hosting, integrations, deployment pipelines, third-party services and undocumented dependencies are all part of the product. A genuine software takeover means understanding those pieces as well as the application code itself.

We can move the product forward.

The objective isn't simply to keep somebody else's software alive. Once the platform is under control, we can start improving it. That might mean fixing technical debt, redesigning key journeys, adding integrations, launching new functionality or planning a wider modernisation programme. You can see the range of products we've delivered across our work.

Once Arch has assumed responsibility for the product, we can continue supporting it across its wider lifecycle.

That can include:

• Ongoing software development
• Product strategy and roadmapping
• UX and UI design
• Web and mobile development
• Infrastructure and cloud engineering
• API and third-party integrations
• Technical modernisation
• Automated testing
• Security improvements
• Accessibility
• Maintenance and support

Instead of handing your software from one temporary maintenance team to another, you gain a product partner that already understands the codebase and can continue developing it over time.

Can Arch take over software built by another agency?

Yes. That's exactly what this service is designed for. We'll take access to the existing codebase, infrastructure and documentation, get the application running within our own development environment and build the technical knowledge required to become responsible for ongoing support and development.

Can you take over from an internal development team?

Yes. If your in-house developers are leaving, have already left or no longer have the capacity to support the product, Arch can take ownership of the existing platform and provide the engineering capability needed to continue running and developing it.

Does the previous development team need to be involved?

Not necessarily. A structured handover can make the transition easier, but we can take over products where the original development team is no longer available. We'll work from the codebase, infrastructure, documentation and systems we can access to rebuild the knowledge we need.

Will you need to rebuild our software?

Not automatically. Our first objective is to understand and support the software you already have. If the existing platform is viable, we'll continue developing it. If parts genuinely need replacing or modernising, we'll explain why and plan that work around the live product.

Will Arch review the code before taking responsibility for it?

Yes. Before making significant changes, our engineers need to understand the architecture, dependencies, development setup and current technical risks. More complex platforms may benefit from a dedicated Code Review as part of the takeover.

Can you take over the hosting and infrastructure too?

Where appropriate, yes. We'll establish how the application is hosted and deployed, what cloud services and third-party systems it depends on and who currently owns those accounts. The exact infrastructure arrangement can then be agreed as part of the takeover.

What happens once Arch has taken over?

We can move directly into ongoing support and development. That might include resolving immediate issues, reducing technical debt, improving infrastructure, introducing new functionality or working with you on a longer-term product roadmap.

What if the documentation is poor?

That's common. We'll use whatever documentation exists, but we validate it against the application itself. Our engineers will run the product, inspect the codebase and work through its infrastructure and integrations to create the understanding needed to support it properly.

How quickly can Arch take over an existing platform?

The transition depends on the size and complexity of the software, the technology involved and the quality of the handover available. We establish those factors at the beginning and prioritise the areas needed for Arch to assume responsibility safely.