Engineering Practice¶
The Engineering practice spans all software engineering disciplines at CDS — from frontend and backend development through to architecture, cloud infrastructure, and technical leadership.
What This Practice Covers¶
Engineering at CDS is deliberately broad. It covers the full range of technical delivery: application development, cloud and infrastructure engineering, API design, DevOps practices, technical architecture, and the standards that underpin quality software. The practice does not draw hard lines between specialisms — whether you work in frontend, backend, platform, or anything in between, the Engineering practice serves you.
Standards and Ways of Working¶
The Engineering practice owns and maintains the technical standards CDS holds itself to across all client engagements. Several of these are documented in the handbook:
- Architecture — how we approach technical decision-making and system design
- Test Approach — our automation-first testing strategy and quality practices
- Accessibility — engineering for inclusive, accessible services
- Source Control & Delivery — our approach to source control, pipelines, and work management
- Agentic Engineering — how we use coding agents effectively and responsibly
- Claude Code — our approach to AI-assisted development
Development Pathways¶
The Engineering practice supports consultants in growing their technical skills throughout their careers at CDS — covering certifications, training, and the technical challenges and responsibilities that mark progression from Associate through to Principal level.
Development pathway details are maintained by the Engineering Practice Lead and will be published here.
Get Involved¶
Practice sessions are open to everyone at CDS — no invitation needed. If you're a client or partner interested in our technical approach, our standards documentation above is a good starting point.