A technical plan of approach is created by describing the architecture, technology choices, infrastructure, integrations, and development steps of a software project in detail. The document establishes how a system is technically built, which tools and frameworks are used, and who is responsible for which components. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about this document, so you know what to expect or how to create one yourself.
What does a technical plan of approach contain?
A technical plan of approach describes the complete technical execution of a project. The document includes the system architecture, chosen technologies, data models, security requirements, infrastructure choices, and a schedule with milestones. The goal is to document all technical decisions before development begins.
Concretely, a good technical plan contains the following sections:
- Project objective and scope: what is being built and what falls outside the project
- System architecture: an overview of the components, layers, and their interrelationships
- Technology stack: which programming languages, frameworks, and platforms are used, such as React, Node.js, .NET, or AWS
- Data model and database choice: how data is stored and accessed
- Integrations: connections with external systems, APIs, or services
- Security measures: authentication, authorization, and data security
- Infrastructure and deployment: how and where the software runs, including cloud or server environments
- Planning and phasing: sprints, deliverables, and responsibilities per phase
How extensive each section is depends on the complexity of the project. For a simple web application, a compact description suffices. For a large-scale platform for fintech or blockchain, each section is considerably more extensive.
What is the difference between a functional and technical plan of approach?
The functional plan of approach describes what a system must do from the user’s perspective. The technical plan describes how that is technically realized. Both documents complement each other and are used side by side in most projects.
A functional plan contains user stories, screens, workflows, and functional requirements. Think of: “A user can log in with their email address and password.” The technical plan translates this into: which authentication method is used, how tokens are managed, and how the backend processes this.
The functional plan is primarily intended for the client and stakeholders. The technical plan is intended for the development team. In practice, both parties read both documents, but the depth and language clearly differ.
How detailed should a technical plan of approach be?
A technical plan of approach must be detailed enough so that a development team can get started without additional questions. At the same time, it must remain flexible enough to accommodate interim adjustments. The right balance depends on the project scope, the team, and the available time.
As a rule of thumb: the larger the team, the more people are involved, and the more the plan needs to document. With a small team of two or three developers, verbal consultation can fill in a lot. With a distributed team of ten or more people, for example with remote developers, detailed documentation is indispensable.
Avoid two pitfalls:
- Too little detail: developers make contradictory decisions, integrations fail, or security vulnerabilities arise because agreements are missing
- Too much detail: the plan becomes outdated quickly and the team loses time on documentation instead of development
A practical level is to fully document architecture decisions, but leave implementation details at the code level to the individual developer.
Who creates a technical plan of approach?
A technical plan of approach is created by an experienced technical lead, such as a software architect, lead developer, or CTO. This person translates functional requirements into technical choices and bears responsibility for the architecture of the system.
In practice, creating this document is a collaborative effort. The technical lead works together with:
- The client or product owner, to understand the scope and priorities
- Senior developers, to assess technical feasibility
- The functional analyst or UX designer, to translate the functional plan into technical requirements
Companies without their own technical department often engage an external party for this. A fractional CTO is a popular choice: someone with strategic and technical insight who is available on a project basis and creates the plan on behalf of the organization.
Which tools are used for a technical plan of approach?
There are no fixed tools for creating a technical plan of approach, but in practice a number of commonly used tools are employed. The choice depends on the team’s preference and the complexity of the project.
Commonly used tools per category:
- Documentation: Confluence, Notion, or a simple Word or Google Docs file
- Architecture diagrams: draw.io, Lucidchart, or Miro for visualizing systems and data flows
- Project planning: Jira, Linear, or Trello for tracking tasks, sprints, and responsibilities
- Documentation version control: Git repositories such as GitHub or GitLab, so that changes to the plan are tracked
Using diagrams alongside textual descriptions greatly increases clarity. An architecture diagram often says more than three paragraphs of text. Make sure the document is centrally located and accessible to all team members.
When is a technical plan of approach required?
A technical plan of approach is formally required for tenders, government projects, and projects where multiple parties collaborate based on a contract. In commercial software development, it is not legally required, but it is strongly recommended once a project reaches a certain size or complexity.
In the following situations, a technical plan of approach is practically necessary:
- You are working with multiple external developers or teams
- The project has a duration of more than three months
- There are integrations with external systems or APIs
- The software processes sensitive data, such as in fintech or healthcare applications
- The client wants insight and control over the technical execution
Even for smaller projects, it pays to create at least a concise technical overview. It prevents miscommunication, speeds up the onboarding of new developers, and makes it easier to implement changes later.
How we help with your technical plan of approach
At 3Bird, we combine more than 25 years of ICT experience with a team of experienced developers and Dutch fractional CTOs. We help you not only with the execution of your software, but also with the technical preparation. This means we work together with you to create a solid technical plan before the first line of code is written.
What we do for you:
- Architecture guidance: our fractional CTOs help you make the right technology choices, aligned with your goals and budget
- Complete documentation: we create the technical plan in clear language, so you as the client always know what is being built and why
- Flexible team: we scale the development team up or down based on the project phase, with developers from €25 per hour
- Broad technology knowledge: from React and Node.js to .NET, Flutter, and AWS, our team covers all relevant technologies
Whether you are a startup looking to build a first product or an established company looking to expand its software, we are happy to think along with you. Get in touch via contact@3bird.nl or call us at +(31)75-7993038 for a no-obligation conversation about your project.