Tricycle Advisory · Platform Architecture
Define What Your Loyalty Platform Must Do—Before You Evaluate Vendors
A fixed-scope advisory that maps requirements, assesses your current architecture, compares viable options, and produces a decision-ready recommendation with a five-year financial model.
A platform brief before a shortlist
Start with the program, operating, data, governance, and commercial requirements. Use those requirements to decide whether to optimize, replace, combine, or build.
- 4Decision phases
- 7Evaluation dimensions
- 4Decision-ready outputs
WHEN THE ADVISORY FITS
Use It When the Platform Question Is Bigger Than a Feature Comparison
The strongest fit is a consequential platform decision that the current requirements, architecture documentation, or financial evidence cannot resolve.
- An RFP or renewal is approaching, but requirements are not agreed across stakeholders.
- Teams disagree about whether the current platform is underused or structurally limiting.
- Exit costs, integration dependencies, or migration risks have not been modeled.
- New audiences, AI capabilities, growth, or regulation have changed the architecture requirements.
- Leadership needs a recommendation that technology, finance, risk, and program owners can defend.
HOW THE ADVISORY WORKS
A Defined Path From Requirements to Recommendation
Each phase narrows the decision using evidence from your program, current stack, operating model, and commercial constraints.
- 01
Define Requirements
Prioritize functional, non-functional, integration, audience, security, and governance needs.
- 02
Assess the Current State
Map used and unused capabilities, dependencies, vendor risk, constraints, and the cost of change.
- 03
Evaluate Architectures
Compare viable platforms and operating models against weighted requirements rather than feature volume.
- 04
Model the Decision
Test capability closure, implementation risk, migration cost, and five-year financial implications.
WHAT GETS EVALUATED
Seven Dimensions That Expose the Real Tradeoffs
The matrix is calibrated to your requirements. It evaluates the architecture, commercial terms, and implementation conditions behind the vendor feature list.
| Dimension | Question evaluated | Decision implication |
|---|---|---|
| Audience Architecture | Can the platform support the required B2C, B2B, or B2E models? | Determines consolidation and operating complexity. |
| Data Sovereignty | Where does client data reside, who controls it, and how portable is it? | Determines ownership, access, and exit risk. |
| AI Architecture | Where do models run, what data can they access, and how are they governed? | Determines whether the design can support the required risk and compliance posture. |
| Commercial Model | How do costs change with scale, usage, service levels, and renewal? | Reveals long-term economics and vendor leverage. |
| Integration Architecture | How does the platform exchange data with the existing stack? | Determines implementation effort and ongoing dependency. |
| Compliance Posture | Which controls, certifications, and contractual requirements are verified and applicable? | Determines suitability for the operating environment. |
| Implementation Model | Who implements, governs, supports, and extends the platform? | Determines delivery fit and organizational demand. |
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Four Outputs Built for the Platform Decision
The agreed scope defines the decision, inputs, stakeholders, timing, deliverables, and fee before the assessment begins.
- 01
Requirements Brief
A prioritized definition of what the platform must do across functional, technical, audience, security, and governance needs.
- 02
Vendor Evaluation Matrix
A weighted comparison calibrated to your requirements, including the findings and assumptions behind each score.
- 03
Architecture Recommendation
A specific recommended path, its rationale, decision conditions, dependencies, and next actions.
- 04
Five-Year Financial Model
A scenario comparison covering platform, migration, integration, implementation, and ongoing operating costs.
A recommendation, not a predetermined sale
The evidence may support optimizing the incumbent, selecting another vendor, adopting InsightsOutward, using a hybrid model, or delaying a platform change. The deliverables remain useful regardless of who implements the recommendation.
BEFORE YOU ENGAGE
Questions to Resolve Before a Platform Evaluation
The first conversation should clarify the decision, independence, available evidence, stakeholders, and scope boundaries.
Will Tricycle always recommend InsightsOutward?
No. The recommendation follows the agreed requirements and evidence. It may support the incumbent, another vendor, InsightsOutward, a hybrid architecture, or no immediate platform change.
Do you help write or evaluate an RFP?
The requirements brief and weighted evaluation matrix can establish the basis for an RFP or assess vendor responses. The exact procurement support included is defined during scoping.
What information is needed to begin?
Useful inputs commonly include program requirements, platform contracts, architecture and integration documentation, capability usage, security requirements, operating constraints, and available cost assumptions. Discovery identifies the minimum evidence needed.
Who should participate from our organization?
Usually the program owner plus stakeholders responsible for technology, data, security or risk, finance, procurement, and operations. The decision and scope determine who must participate.
How are platforms scored and requirements weighted?
Requirements are prioritized with the client before vendors are compared. The matrix records the criteria, weighting, evidence, assumptions, and confidence behind the recommendation so stakeholders can challenge the reasoning.
How are timing and fees established?
Before work begins, both teams agree to a written scope covering the decision, inputs, working team, deliverables, timeline, and fee. Timing depends on the number of options, evidence readiness, and stakeholder availability.
START WITH THE DECISION
Bring Us the Platform Decision Your Team Cannot Make Confidently
Share the decision deadline, current platform, known constraints, and stakeholders involved. We will determine whether a focused Platform Architecture Advisory is the right next step.