Engagement models
Some problems need a scoped project with a clear deliverable. Others need an engineer embedded in your team for a season. Every Willowark capability is available under the model that fits — and every model starts with a written scope.
Embedded engineering capacity — AI, software, cloud, automation, vision, IoT, or systems integration — for a specific project or period.
Senior technical ownership without hiring a full-time technical leader.
Define a deliverable, scope the project, build it, commission it, and hand it over.
Installation, integration, troubleshooting, commissioning, and testing at your facility.
Development, integration, and support delivered remotely.
Ongoing engineering capacity on a predictable monthly arrangement.
Side by side
| Model | Contract Engineer | Fractional Technical Lead | Project-Based | On-Site Support | Remote | Retainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | Weeks to months | Months, reviewed quarterly | Weeks to months, in phases | Days to weeks, scheduled around production | Any of the above, delivered remotely | Rolling monthly |
| Cadence | Weekly deliverables in your tools | Fixed days per week plus async | Milestones with working checkpoints | Planned site windows, including shutdowns and off-shifts | Your stand-ups, your review process | Reserved hours, agreed response times, monthly review |
| Who's on it | One senior engineer, part- or full-time | One lead engineer | Lead engineer plus specialists as scoped | The engineer who built it, plus site support as needed | Same engineers, no travel line | The engineers who know your system |
| How it's billed | Weekly rate | Monthly rate | Fixed fee | Daily rate | Weekly rate | Retainer |
Rates and fees are quoted in the proposal against a written scope; no amounts are published here.
A common scenario
An automation company wins a large project. They have PLC engineers and electricians — but the scope suddenly needs Python, AWS, a REST API, computer vision, a database, and a web dashboard. Instead of hiring five people, they bring Willowark onto the project as a contract engineer. The same pattern fits OEMs shipping a product and startups that can't yet justify six specialized hires.
See what we can carry on a project →Hover or focus a component to see what it is and what it talks to. Arrow keys move between them.
Their PLC team and electricians carry the controls and installation; one Willowark contract engineer carries vision, cloud, the API, the database and the web app.
Components:
Connections:
From first call to kickoff
Day 0
First call
30 minutes. You describe the problem; we ask about the systems, the constraints, and what “done” looks like. No slides.
Within a week
Scope
A written scope: deliverables, assumptions, what is out, and the risks we see. For bigger efforts we propose a small first phase.
Following week
Proposal with options
Usually two or three ways to shape the work — smallest useful version, the full build, and what changes the price.
On your decision
SOW and deposit
A statement of work you sign electronically; a deposit on signature for fixed-fee projects.
Within days of signature
Kickoff
Access, environments, and a first working checkpoint scheduled before anyone writes code.
Not sure which fits?
Answer in the browser; nothing is saved or sent. The suggestion links to the model and, where one exists, the guide that walks through a first project of that shape.
Which model fits?
1 of 3nothing is stored or sent
Common questions
It follows the engagement model: scoped projects are priced against a written scope and deliverables; contract and fractional arrangements are time-based on a weekly or monthly commitment; retainers reserve capacity at a predictable monthly rate. Every engagement starts with a written scope before work begins.
When the need is specialized, temporary, or immediate: a product that needs vision expertise for one release, an integrator staffing a large project, a startup that can't yet justify several specialized full-time hires. A contract engineer arrives productive and leaves when the need ends.
Yes. Installation, commissioning, integration, and troubleshooting often need someone standing at the machine — we travel to customer facilities for exactly that, and handle design and development work remotely where it's more efficient.
With a conversation and then a written scope. For larger or riskier efforts we often propose a small first phase — an assessment or proof of concept — so both sides learn what the full build takes before committing to it.
Everything produced: source code in your repositories, infrastructure definitions, drawings, test records, and documentation. There is no proprietary layer you would need us for later, and a retainer is an option, never a dependency.
Usually. A proof of concept often becomes a fixed-fee build; a delivered project often becomes a retainer; a contract engineer sometimes becomes a fractional lead. Each change gets its own written scope so the terms stay clear.
Strategy. Software. Systems.
A deliverable, a season of capacity, or a system that needs an owner — describe it and an engineer replies within one business day.
Book a callOr describe it here
One line is enough. A person reads it and replies within a business day.
