The building is up
This document covers where the project stands today, a key discovery that changes our starting point, two paths forward, and the decisions needed to get moving. Written to be understood without a technical background.
Neraca's digital system was fully built by vendor Pentacode. The cloud server was also set up four years ago. What hasn't happened yet: confirming everything is still alive, still accessible, and ready to run again today.
Imagine a new building that was completed by the contractor four years ago. The walls are up, the roof is in place, the electrical is wired. But no one has checked whether the power meter is still running, where the keys ended up, or whether the water still flows. Our job is to confirm this building is genuinely ready to move into — today.
The full digital system (news portal, e-paper, advertising, accounting) was built by Pentacode. An AWS cloud server was provisioned in 2022. Physical on-site storage (Synology NAS) is already at the office.
Is the 2022 AWS server still running? What are the last 44 months of costs? The application code is still with the vendor — a formal handover is required before anything can proceed.
Audit the current state, deploy the application to the server, migrate old data to the new system, test it, then switch over officially (go-live). Estimated 8–12 weeks.
After reviewing documents Banu provided, a significant discovery emerged: in September 2022, a vendor called eCloudValley provisioned AWS infrastructure for Neraca. The setup report is complete and signed. This changes where we start.
One application server, one database server, login access (IAM), and automatic 7-day backups — all set up and signed off. The question today is: are they still running? What's the cost for 44 months? What data is still there?
This project involves 19 components across three categories. Each has a readiness level from 0% (not started) to 100% (live and verified). These are starting estimates — they rise as work is completed.
Every component progresses through the same path. The faster a component moves from Stuck to Ready, the closer we get to go-live.
All 19 components, grouped by category. Bar fill indicates current readiness percentage; color indicates which stage the component is in today.
Infrastructure is already halfway there — we're not starting from zero. The biggest gaps are the application code (still with Pentacode) and the old data inventory (not yet mapped). These two need to be resolved first before anything else can move.
The technologies Pentacode used (Laravel 9 and Vue 2) stopped receiving official security updates in late 2023. Left as-is, this creates security risk, potential data exposure, and the chance of unexpected outages. Two options exist.
Migrate the system to a new server without upgrading the underlying technology. Fast to execute, but the security gaps remain and long-term maintenance costs are higher.
Migrate and upgrade to the latest technology versions at the same time. Takes longer, but the result is a secure, stable system built to last five years without major rework.
"Option B. The system hasn't launched yet — now is exactly the right time to fix it properly."
Because the system was never live, no business is disrupted during the process. The extra five weeks now will prevent years of patching and firefighting later. Pentacode is still reachable and they know this code better than anyone else.
The plan runs across 9 phases: from pre-kickoff preparation through to knowledge handoff 30 days after go-live. Each phase has a clear goal and measurable exit criteria. The legacy system stays online throughout.
Each party has a clearly defined role with no overlap. Getting this agreed upfront prevents waiting and confusion in the middle of execution.
Holds the AWS account and owns the project. Makes strategic decisions on direction, timeline, and budget. Gives final approval for go-live.
Coordinates all parties, builds the work plan, monitors progress, and makes sure the system goes live on schedule.
Hands over the application code and assists with deployment. If Option B: performs the Laravel and Vue framework upgrade.
The vendor that provisioned AWS in 2022. Needs to be contacted to confirm: is the old contract still active, or is a new engagement required?
Conducts hands-on testing (editorial, sales, selected subscribers), provides formal sign-off for go-live, and becomes the primary users once the system is running. After handoff, this team owns day-to-day operations.
Before technical work can begin, six non-technical actions need to happen. None require system access. All six can be completed in the first one to two weeks and every one of them unlocks work downstream.
Log into AWS with Rayhan, check whether the two 2022 servers are still running, review costs accumulated over 44 months, and confirm what assets exist. This single session will inform most decisions that follow.
An NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) ensures the project team cannot share Neraca's system information with outside parties. Rayhan will prepare the draft before the kickoff meeting.
Banu creates a separate login for Rayhan inside AWS. Takes about 10 minutes. Banu remains the primary account owner. Rayhan cannot change anything without Banu's knowledge.
A formal written request to Pentacode asking them to hand over access to the application code repository. Without this, deployment cannot start.
Is re-engaging eCloudValley covered under the existing contract, or will it require a new fee? This affects the project budget directly.
This decision sets the full scope and timeline of the project. Rayhan has the supporting analysis ready. The decision needs to be documented in writing and signed off.
This pitch is supported by four working documents. They're interconnected — you can move between them to drill from strategy into detail or jump from a priority item straight to its execution tasks.
Full narrative document covering the situation, two core missions, team, work plan, and key risks. Everything in this pitch is expanded in detail here.
22 items mapped across 4 quadrants by urgency and impact. The decision-making tool: what gets done now, what gets planned, and what waits.
Every task across all 9 phases, checkable as completed. Progress saves automatically in the browser. Each task links back to its parent priority item.
A unified hub combining the X-Y matrix, full task list, and Component Readiness board (live progress on all 19 components) in a single connected view.
After this meeting, three things are needed from Banu before the project can start. None need to be decided in the room — but ideally all three are resolved before the end of next week.
The system was built, the vendor is reachable, and the cloud server was provisioned years ago. What's needed is structured coordination and clear decisions at the start. Everything can begin this week.
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