From appointment to declared engagement, in one ordered sequence.

1. 01

   Appointment

   A business defines the engagement: discipline, sector, value band, geography, expected duration, engagement type, and whether the appointment is open or confidential. The appointment becomes the reference object against which everything else is recorded.

   Business

   Define the appointment, set confidentiality, reserve introduction credits.

   Operator

   Maintain a current profile so eligible appointments surface accurately.

2. 02

   Introduction

   The business submits an introduction request to a published operator. The operator reviews the appointment and accepts, declines, or requests further information. Where the appointment is confidential, NDA acceptance gates identity unlock and messaging; both acceptances are recorded against the engagement.

   Business

   Submit the introduction; accept the NDA where the appointment is confidential.

   Operator

   Review, respond, and where applicable accept the NDA before identity is unlocked.

   NDA acceptance and identity-release mechanics are set out in full on the Trust page.

3. 03

   Conversation

   Once the introduction is accepted, a thread opens against the engagement record. Conversation continues until both parties are ready to formalise terms. Off-platform contact patterns are flagged at write time as part of ordinary platform administration.

   Business

   Discuss scope, timing and working assumptions through the engagement thread.

   Operator

   Respond through the thread; raise questions and clarifications on the record.

4. 04

   Proposal

   Either party issues a structured proposal: scope, fee model, milestones, expenses, notice, assumptions and acceptance deadline. Send, counter, accept and decline produce immutable proposal versions on the engagement record.

   Business

   Review, counter or accept; record any variation through the proposal mechanism.

   Operator

   Issue or respond to proposals through the structured form, not by side-channel.

5. 05

   Declared engagement

   On confirmation, the engagement is declared with its annualised value, start date, expected duration and engagement path. The declaration determines the engagement governance participation that applies to the engagement.

   Business

   Confirm the declared annualised value at the point of engagement formation.

   Operator

   Acknowledge the declared engagement; the record reflects both parties' position.

   Engagement governance participation is banded by declared annualised value. Bands and figures are set out on the Pricing page.

6. 06

   Operational continuity

   The engagement record is preserved as a continuous chronology — proposal versions, renewals, scope changes and end-of-engagement notes. Where introductions have been made through Operance, the protected-introduction window applies to subsequent appointments arising from the same connection.

   Business

   Record renewals and material variations against the existing engagement.

   Operator

   Disclose subsequent appointments arising from the same introduced relationship.

   The 12-month protected introduction window, group-entity treatment and disclosure obligations are set out on the Trust page.

Verification, confidentiality, the engagement record, protected introductions, operator disclosure and non-circumvention are described in full on the Trust page.