Howdens: design-partner implementation plan (draft for Sandy + Dionne, 21 Oct 2026)
Working plan: meet in London on Monday 26 Oct: Sandy, Matt, Dionne, and Howdens if we can get them. Leave with Howdens agreed as our first design partner, and the build under way.
What we know (from today's founders call with Matt and Chris)
- Jeff messaged Matt yesterday: "How quick can we do a kind of test client?" We agreed next week is fine.
- The test is a mock client, "ABC Limited". It's based on a real client ("John Smith Limited") with the data anonymised, and they want to build it exactly as they would for a real client.
- We position it as a design partner: they help us find and fix bugs, and we fix them in minutes, not weeks. The first build takes a little longer, and each one after gets faster.
- Chris wants the menus sorted first, because the whole proposition is self-service.
- Matt asked for an IT pack (architecture, security, pen testing, firewalls). Sandy is starting Cyber Essentials Plus now; ISO 27001 and SOC 2 follow.
- The Howden video: Matt is checking it for errors. The product now does the whole implementation flow live; it was rebuilt overnight on 20–21 Oct.
- Other relevant decisions: the 30-day implementation clock starts after business readiness; implementation calls become customer success sessions; AI processing is in London.
- My reading of the call: the "howling video" in the notes is the Howden video, and Jeff is our contact at Howdens. Check both.
Before Monday (Wed–Sun)
| # | What | Who | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm Monday in London with Jeff, and who comes from Howdens | Matt (Dionne to support) | Thu |
| 2 | Send the NDA | Matt | Thu |
| 3 | Check the Howden video for anything the product doesn't do | Matt | Fri |
| 4 | Sort the menus (labels match what each screen does) | Chris (decision) → build | Fri |
| 5 | Run a practice walkthrough of the live app on the Demo employer | Matt + Chris (+ Sandy) | Fri |
| 6 | Write a 1–2 page IT pack: architecture, hosting and AI region (London), security controls, Cyber Essentials Plus status, the ISO 27001 and SOC 2 roadmap | Sandy | Fri |
| 7 | Write a one-page design-partner offer: what they get, what we ask, the bug-fix promise, weekly customer success session, how it moves to a real client | Sandy + Dionne | Fri |
| 8 | Write down the order-to-cash steps (NDA → design-partner letter → order form → contract) | Matt → Sandy drafts the templates | Mon |
| 9 | Product: finish the open fixes (part 4 auto-testing, part 1 cover-end) and finish ongoing administration and employee experience | Sandy / build lanes | Sun |
Monday agenda (London, about 90 min)
- Live demo on the Demo employer, following the Howden video: upload the documents, see what Halo understood, answer its questions, build, auto-test, approve, ready for launch, then the employee experience.
- The design-partner offer: what "client one" means, plus our promise on fixes and contact.
- Scope ABC Limited: which benefits and documents (policy, spec, supplier file, census), who on their side, and what data is anonymised.
- IT and security questions: take them through the IT pack.
- Dates and next steps: documents in, build start, first customer success session, and when to decide on a real client.
After Monday (week 1–2)
- Howdens send the ABC Limited documents, and we build it on Halo the same day.
- Daily fixes, plus a weekly customer success session (same named person throughout).
- At the end of week 2, review against their success criteria, then decide on a real client (early in the new year at the latest).
Questions for Dionne before Monday
- Is Howdens a client, or a channel or partner (a broker bringing their clients)? It changes the offer and the paperwork.
- Who is Jeff, and who else should be in the room (HR, benefits consultant, IT)?
- What does Howdens need to see to say yes: success criteria, timing, price?
- Commercial: is the design partner free, discounted, or free for the mock and paid for client one?
- Her action from the call: rename Halo Benefits Ltd to Halo Workplace Nurseries, so the new Halo Benefits entity (around 12 Nov) is ready for contracts.