Understand the systems nobody documented.
Build a documented understanding of what an application does, how it connects to other systems and which business rules it contains. Next uses available code, documentation and knowledge from your team. Where code is unavailable, we assess whether other evidence is sufficient.
The system runs the business. Nobody can say exactly how.
Many critical applications were bought, customised or built years ago. The documentation is missing or out of date, the vendor has moved on, and sometimes the source code is not available at all.
Before you can change, replace or support it with confidence, you need to know what it does, what it talks to and which behaviour must stay the same.
No documentation to start from
What exists is out of date, incomplete or written for a version that no longer runs.
Source code is missing or locked away
Packaged software, lapsed vendor contracts and lost repositories leave only the running system.
Knowledge sits with a few people
The people who understand it are busy keeping it running, and some are close to leaving.
An EU SaaS vendor serving the retail industry.
The platform had grown over many years. Much of the code was undocumented and the system documentation was out of date. Several original engineers had left and more were nearing retirement, taking tacit knowledge with them. The parent portfolio company planned a rebuild and needed that knowledge captured and structured first.
“What does the platform actually do, and where is our documentation wrong?”
I have read the codebase module by module and compared it with the existing documentation. Out-of-date sections are flagged, and every open question has a named person who can answer it.
“How do we get what we know into the record before people leave?”
Walkthroughs with the operations team and the remaining senior engineers are recorded and attached. Each section is refreshed from the transcripts, and you confirm or correct every claim.
“Is this ready to brief the rebuild?”
Each section is scored for accuracy and the outputs are approved. The rebuild team starts from one structured discovery document and an app-expert agent that answers questions with sources.
A reliable picture of the system before you change it.
Replace guesswork with an evidence-based map of what the application does, what it depends on and what depends on it. Reduce the risk of change and the reliance on a few individuals.
Documentation you can trust
Every statement is linked to the evidence behind it, and inferred rules are clearly marked for review.
Knowledge kept in one place
Walkthroughs, rules and integrations are captured once and stay current as the system changes.
A safer starting point for change
Modernisation, support handover and replacement all start from the same agreed baseline.
Configure mandatory or advisory controls within each agent workflow. Decide which actions run autonomously and which require human review or approval.
Common questions
Can Next really work without source code?
In some cases. Where the code is unavailable, Next works from data structures, interfaces, configuration, logs and walkthroughs. How complete the picture can be depends on the evidence available, and inferred conclusions are flagged for review.
What do we need to provide?
Access to the code or other evidence, any supporting documentation you have, and a few hours a week from a technical lead and a business owner. We agree the scope and access at the start.
Will AI get our business rules wrong?
Every section is scored for accuracy and linked to its evidence. Inferred rules are flagged, and your specialists approve the record before it is used.
Does this help with support handover?
Yes. The approved documentation gives a new support team or supplier a reliable starting point.
How long does it take to build the picture?
It depends on the size of the system and the evidence available. We agree the scope at the start and share findings as they emerge, so your specialists can review early rather than at the end.
What happens when the system changes?
Next retains and updates its understanding as work is completed. Changes to an existing application can automatically update the code graph and related documentation. Your team supplies changes such as new policies and regulatory requirements.
Start with the system you know least about.
Share source code and existing documentation where available. We will assess the application’s current state and risks, propose a modernised version and provide indicative cost and duration. If source code is unavailable, we can explore alternative strategies.