Legacy Software Rescue for reliable releases and a clear recovery plan
We take over inherited software with a senior team, assessing the code and restoring releases through scoped software project rescue.
The offer, in full
- Fee
- Recovery quoted after assessment: time and materials, fixed price or team extension
- Duration
- Agreed at scoping
- You receive
- 4 deliverables, one of them a release
- What we need
- The codebase you inherited, and its history
- Typical start
- 2 to 4 weeks from signature
- Ends with
- A recovery team and a working release
NDA before any access. Least-privilege access, agreed with your technical contact and read-only wherever the work allows. No production write access during the audit.
01Track record
Senior engineers for project takeover
unicrew brings senior in-house engineers to inherited code, from its assessment through agreed recovery delivery.
- 120+Projects delivered across 12 countries since 2012
- 100+Senior in-house engineers, six countries
- 5.0Unified rating across 61 client reviews on Clutch
- ISO 27001Certified security practice, audited by Quay Audit UK
02Overview
Assess the code, then agree the recovery
A software project rescue begins with an independent assessment of stalled or struggling projects. unicrew reviews the inherited code and infrastructure, then recommends what to preserve and how to restore releases. You own the assessment; the recovery scope, delivery and price are agreed separately.
03The answer
Restore releases and recover system knowledge
The assessment gives you a basis for choosing the recovery path. Your own team or the incumbent can use the findings, or we can agree delivery with a senior unicrew team.
- Blocker 01
A reproducible release path
We assess the build, environments and deployment steps, then scope the work needed for a pipeline the team can use with confidence.
- First move
- Make a release possible again
- Blocker 02
A map of the code and dependencies
We review architecture, dependencies and test coverage to identify what can stay and what needs refactoring, rebuilding or replacement.
- First move
- A legacy code audit, with the evidence
- Blocker 03
The reasoning behind the system
We recover context from the code, surviving documentation and the people who know the system, including your existing team.
- First move
- Documented decisions from senior engineers
The audit is yours whatever you decide next
Your engineers can act on the module recommendations. Further delivery is a separate commitment, scoped with the team that will own it.
04Fit
Match the first commitment to your project
Project takeover fits a release or ownership problem in existing software. These situations distinguish recovery from planned modernization, ongoing engineering and a new build.
Call us if
Good fit- Releases have stopped, or the deploy has become too risky to run.
- The team responsible for delivery has left or is handing over, and repository access and system context need transferring.
- You inherited a codebase and need an independent assessment before committing to further development.
- Your codebase includes AI-generated code, and the extent of human review needs confirming.
- Recurring outages need prioritizing alongside release recovery.
Something else if
Better first step- Your product is operating and the next commitment is ongoing engineering. Build with a dedicated development team.
- Your system operates and you are planning a module-by-module rebuild. Scope it as legacy modernization.
- You need to assess cloud operating costs. Start with the Cloud Cost and AI-Readiness Audit.
- You are commissioning a first version, or the assessment supports a smaller new product. Scope that separately as MVP in 6 Weeks.
- A buyer's security review is the first delivery requirement. Prepare it with the Security and Compliance Readiness Sprint.
When we take over a project, we start with the path from a code change to your customers. Once releases are routine, every other improvement on the list becomes easier to deliver.
Oleksandr TrofimovChief Technology Officer05Deliverables
Your assessment and recovery deliverables
The assessment gives you the audit and module recommendations. A working release and senior delivery team follow under the separately agreed recovery scope.
- 01
A legacy code audit
We review the inherited architecture, dependencies and test coverage, with findings tied to the code.
- Format
- Findings, with the evidence either way
- 02
An honest salvage read
We recommend which modules to keep and refactor, which to rebuild and which to replace, with reasoning for each.
- Format
- Keep, rebuild or replace, per module
- 03
A working release
Under the agreed recovery scope, we restore the build and deployment pipeline, then deliver the release with your technical contact.
- Format
- A pipeline, and a deploy you watch
- 04
A senior team and a plan
We name the recovery team and sequence the delivery plan, with estimates linked to the assessment findings.
- Format
- Named team, sequenced roadmap
06Delivery
How does a software project rescue work?
We assess first, then agree recovery delivery with you. Access follows the NDA and is agreed with your technical contact under our ISO 27001:2022 certified security practice.
- Read what you haveWe review the repository, architecture, dependencies and test coverage alongside the infrastructure and surviving project history.You getA legacy code audit and a salvage readFrom youRepository access, and whoever still holds the context, the incumbent vendor included
- Make a release possibleIn the agreed recovery work, we restore the build, make the environment reproducible and establish the deployment path with your technical contact.You getA working pipeline and an agreed first releaseFrom youAccess to environments, and whoever holds the credentials
- Close the urgent listWe use the incident history to prioritize outages, data problems and security gaps, then address the urgent work within the recovery scope.You getUrgent recovery work addressed in priority orderFrom youYour complete incident history, small incidents included
- Deliver the recovery planA named senior team works through the sequenced plan, with visible releases and estimates grounded in the assessment.You getA sequenced plan and a shipping teamFrom youOne decision-maker who can settle scope questions
07Proof
Experience delivering and maintaining inherited systems
Our work on inherited systems includes a healthcare monitoring platform and a financial-media platform rewritten to .NET Core. These delivery results show how release improvements and maintainable code support continuing development.
- Automated releases for a long-running platformWaiverKing has worked with us since 2014. Our refactor and release automation reduced update release time from weeks to a couple of hours.Weeks to hoursWaiverKing's update release time, after the refactor
- Refactored code reviewed independentlyBooked It's platform was reviewed, decomposed into modules and refactored to Laravel. Its CEO says on Clutch that the code base is "more stable, easier to maintain and easier to add new features". The client also commissioned a third-party audit, which he described as "extremely complimentary" of the work.3rd partyAudit of our refactored code, commissioned by the client
- Senior in-house engineeringunicrew has 100+ senior in-house engineers across six countries. We agree the named recovery team at scoping, with the engineering roles and delivery plan tied to the work your project needs.100+Senior in-house engineers, six countries
08Case studies
Release, refactoring and workflow delivery
These projects show release automation, a booking-platform refactor to Laravel and rental timing with NFC/RFID tags. The rental-system client reported a 15-20% revenue increase in 2017 from efficiency gains and accurate time tracking.
See all case studies
SaaSWaiverKing: Software Development for a Waiver Form CreatorWaiverKing is a document management business serving primarily the health and fitness industries. The platform integrates with Mindbody Online, one of the largest business-systems providers for gyms and yoga studios.Weeks to hoursTime to release an update to production
HospitalityAdaptable booking platform for entertainment venuesunicrew developed a platform for Booked It that enhanced the customer experience for nightclub, entertainment center, and festival goers.600+Businesses using the platform
LeisureSaaS modernization for a paddle sports center in CaliforniaA kayaking and paddleboard rental business in the Santa Barbara area wanted one system for equipment, customers, time and billing. That system is Adventure Rental System.15-20%Increase in revenue
09Client voices
Clients on developing existing software
Our platform has been refactored to Laravel ensuring the code base is more stable, easier to maintain and easier to add new features. Their professionalism and quality of work have stood out in the partnership. We have had the code audited by a 3rd party who was extremely complimentary of the work.
We’re one of unicrew’s smaller clients, but they’re always incredibly quick to respond. When we have issues, they treat them as if they’re extremely important. We feel like we have a partner, and that’s been incredible. That’s why we’ll keep them on for as long as we can.
Site was migrated and re-written, the new system is much more stable, and performance highly improved. Excellent technological level. highly responsive and communicative. They are highly committed to the project and business goals.
They’ve been helping us grow our platform together since the beginning, from a couple hundred companies to around 2,000. Artelogic has been front and center in this process.
The goal was to replace legacy UI elements with new UI components. The new UI components already existed, key challenge was to map the existing implementations to the new ones while not losing functionality. They were super responsive and did exactly as we agreed upon. The colleague they send to us was an extremely good fit to the problem that we have described.
Plan the recovery of your software project
Describe the system you inherited, its current release process and the work already attempted. We review that context on the scoping call and propose the first assessment in writing.
What happens after you contact us
- We reply within one business dayA senior engineer reads what you send, not a bot.
- A short scoping callWhat is broken, what has been tried, and who is left who knows the system.
- Scope and terms, in writingWhat we would do first, and how it is billed.
- NDA, then the codeSigned before any access, and the audit runs with no write access to production.
10Questions
Questions about handing over your codebase
Confirm assessment scope, access and recovery terms before granting repository access.
unicrew's software project rescue begins with an independent legacy code audit, followed by separately agreed recovery delivery.
The assessment recommends what to keep, rebuild or replace per module. You own the findings and can act on them with your own team.
Recovery work can include:
- a build that runs
- a reproducible environment
- a deployment path the team can use with confidence
We agree the initial assessment scope and price in writing; recovery delivery is quoted separately after the code review.
We use the model that fits the agreed work:
- time and materials, billed hourly and quoted per project
- fixed price, outcome based and quoted per project
- team extension, billed monthly per team member
We control the first commitment by scoping the assessment before quoting recovery delivery.
The initial scope covers the repository, environments and deployment path. Once the code has been reviewed, we quote the recovery against the module recommendations.
Estimates include their reasoning. We identify uncertain modules and agree the work to address them, so those decisions are visible before you commit to delivery.
Most engagements start within two to four weeks of signature.
We confirm the start date for your assessment at scoping. Recovery duration is agreed after the audit, alongside its scope and delivery plan.
If an outage is active, include that in your enquiry so we can discuss the priorities and work we can scope.
We recommend a rebuild when the assessment supports it, with the evidence for each module.
Module recommendations distinguish:
- existing code to retain and refactor
- modules to rebuild
- modules to replace
A full rebuild is scoped as legacy modernization. If the assessment supports a much smaller new product, we discuss MVP in 6 Weeks as a separate build.
We need repository access, available infrastructure and environment access, and any surviving documentation.
Access is least-privilege and agreed with your technical contact, read-only wherever the work allows, and with no write access to production systems during the audit. Where your customers, insurers or shippers require it, we work inside your own cloud environment.
Before an incumbent handover, we agree repository ownership and the transfer of credentials and documentation.
We sign the NDA before any access.
Yes. We work with your existing team where that supports recovery.
Their knowledge of the system informs the assessment. We agree responsibilities with them and bring a working pipeline, tests and code review into the recovery scope.
Where the need is ongoing engineering, we scope a dedicated team engagement with you.
Yes. The audit, pipeline and recovery plan are yours, and we write them for your own engineers to use.
We include in-house handover in the agreed recovery work. Your team receives the written findings, release process and sequenced plan, with the responsibilities for ongoing delivery settled as part of the handover.
11Where to go next
Choose the work that follows the assessment
Use the assessment to decide whether to continue recovery, modernize the system or plan ongoing engineering. Compare the offers for another first commitment.
Assess an AI use case in the recovered system before planning its build.
A working voice or call-AI pilot on your own data, in 30 days.
Review cloud costs when operating expense is the next decision.
Prepare evidence for a buyer's security review.
Build a smaller first version when the assessment supports a fresh product scope.
Plan a module-by-module rebuild when modernization is the agreed next step.
Continue the recovery roadmap with a standing development team, priced monthly per team member.
Improve deployment pipelines, environments and monitoring to sustain releases.
Build automated tests for the recovered system and its next changes.