TECHStack by category
Tools chosenaround your systems.
The stack below is described by category, not by brand. The right tool depends on what you already run, what your data looks like and who will maintain it. No vendor partnership is claimed.
§ 01Architecture
Layers, with security
through all of them.
Data enters at the top, is checked, processed and stored, and leaves as reports or files. Access control, encryption and logging apply at every layer, not only at the edge.
§ 02Stack table
Each layer, what it does,
and the rule it follows.
| Layer | What it does | Typical options (by category) | Selection rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| L01Intake and transfer | Receives files and requests with a reference | Secure file upload, SFTP, monitored mailboxes, web forms, ticket queue | Encrypted channel; every item gets a reference |
| L02Validation and rules | Checks data before it moves on | Rule tables, scripted checks, reference-data lookups | Rules written down and versioned |
| L03Processing and automation | Runs the repeat steps | Scripting languages, workflow schedulers, robotic process automation where no API exists | API or file first; screen automation last |
| L04Data storage | Holds working data for the engagement | Relational databases, encrypted file stores, your own systems of record | Least data; retention period set per engagement |
| L05Reporting and MIS | Turns data into reports people read | Business-intelligence dashboards, spreadsheet models, scheduled PDF packs | Every figure reconciles to source |
| L06Document capture | Turns paper into searchable records | Production scanners, OCR engines, indexing tools | Human check on key fields |
| L07Integration | Moves data between systems | REST APIs, CSV, XLSX, XML and JSON files, bank file formats | Open formats; no manual re-keying |
| L08Security | Controls who sees what | Single sign-on and MFA, role-based access, encryption at rest and in transit, central logs | Named accounts; logs kept at least one year |
| L09Engineering practice | Keeps software changes safe | Version control, code review, separate test environments, automated tests | No change to live without review |
§ 03Principles
How tools
are chosen.
Your systems first
Work inside the software you already run where possible. New tools only fill gaps.
API or file before screen
Connect through APIs or files. Screen automation is a last resort, because it breaks when a screen changes.
Open formats
Data leaves in CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML or PDF/A, so it can be read without the tool that made it.
Least data
Only the fields a step needs. Identifiers masked where the step allows it.
Written rules
Validation rules and mappings kept as versioned documents, not only inside code.
Hand-over by default
Documentation written as the work is built, so another team could take it over.
§ 04Engineering practice
Changes go through
the same gates.
A new rule, a script change or a report fix is treated like any other request: written, tested, reviewed, then released with a note.
- Source code and rule files under version control
- Review by a second person before anything reaches live
- Separate test and live environments; test data masked
- Automated tests for rules and transformations
- Release notes and a rollback point for every change
- Access to live systems by named account only
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