Glossary · 7 min read

Forward deployed glossary

Precise definitions of the words used around forward deployed work, with notes on where employers use them differently. Every term has its own link, so you can point to it directly.

By ForwarD²eployed editorial · Published Oct 5, 2026

How to use this glossary

The glossary defines terms the way they are most commonly used in software and services, and it flags where usage varies. It is a reference for people reading job descriptions, preparing for interviews, buying services or writing about the field.

To explore the ideas in context, read what a forward deployed engineer is, the interview guide or the comparison with consulting, software and managed services.

The terms

A

Acceptance criteria #

The specific, testable conditions a deployment must meet for the customer to accept it as done. Agreeing them before the work starts prevents arguments about what “working” meant.

C

Champion #

A person inside the customer's organization who wants a deployment to succeed and uses their standing to help it, for example by unblocking access, speaking for the work in meetings and encouraging colleagues to use it. A champion can sit at any level.

Change management #

The discipline of preparing and supporting people through a change in how they work. In a deployment it covers communication, training and adjusting roles and processes, not only installing the system.

D

Data integration #

Combining data from different sources into a consistent, usable form. It is often the largest share of the effort in a deployment, because source systems differ in formats, definitions and quality.

E

Embedded engineer #

An engineer who works as part of another team or organization for a period, taking part in its routines instead of visiting. Forward deployed engineers are often embedded with a customer, but the term also covers engineers embedded in internal teams.

F

Forward deployed #

Positioned at or near the point of need rather than at a home base. The phrase is military in origin; in business it describes people, and ways of working, that operate inside the customer's environment.

G

Go-live #

The moment a system starts being used for real work. It usually ends a pilot and begins production support, and it is normally agreed in advance with acceptance criteria and a plan for rolling back.

H

Handover #

The planned transfer of a finished deployment to the customer's own team, with documentation, training, access and named owners, so they can run and change it without the supplier.

I

Implementation engineer #

An engineer who configures and installs a product for a customer to a defined plan and scope. In general, the scope is narrower than a forward deployed engineer's, and the product is configured more than extended, though employers use the titles differently.

Also called: Implementation consultant

Integration #

Connecting two or more systems so they exchange data or trigger each other, usually through programming interfaces (APIs), files or messages.

L

Land and expand #

A commercial pattern in which a supplier starts with a small deployment in one team (the land) and widens it as it proves its value (the expand). Forward deployed work often follows it, because a successful first deployment makes the case for more.

M

Managed services #

The ongoing operation of a defined function or system by an external provider under an agreed service level, for a recurring fee. See the encyclopedia entry.

Minimum viable product #

The simplest version of a product that real users can use and learn from. In deployments it is the first working slice put in front of users to test assumptions before a wider rollout.

Also called: MVP

P

Pilot #

A limited, time-boxed deployment with real users, designed to test whether a solution works and is worth scaling. A good pilot states its success measure in advance and what happens next if it succeeds or fails.

R

Rollout #

The staged extension of a working deployment to more users, teams or sites. Planning covers sequencing, training, support and what to do if something fails.

S

Sales engineer #

A technical specialist who supports the sales process with demonstrations, technical answers and proofs of concept. Compared with a forward deployed engineer, the focus is on the period before the sale. See the encyclopedia entry.

Also called: Pre-sales engineer

Service-level agreement #

A commitment, usually in a contract, to a measurable level of service, such as availability or response time, with agreed consequences if it is missed. See the encyclopedia entry.

Also called: SLA

Solutions architect #

A technical specialist who designs how a product fits into a customer's wider systems, often advising before and during implementation. A solutions architect typically designs and advises, where a forward deployed engineer typically also builds and runs; usage overlaps. See the encyclopedia entry.

Solutions engineer #

A title that different employers use for different jobs: pre-sales technical specialists at some, post-sale engineers who configure a product at others. Read the job description rather than relying on the title.

Stakeholder #

Anyone who affects or is affected by a deployment: sponsors, users, IT, security, legal, finance and the teams whose work will change. Identifying them early prevents late vetoes.

T

Technical account manager #

A technical point of contact who looks after a customer's ongoing use of a product, bridging support and engineering. In market sizing, the same three letters usually mean total addressable market, so check the context.

Also called: TAM

Time and materials #

A pricing arrangement in which the buyer pays for hours worked and materials used, instead of for a fixed outcome. It is common in consulting and professional services. See the encyclopedia entry.

Time to value #

How long it takes after a purchase before the customer sees the benefit they bought it for. Much deployment work is about shortening it.

U

Use case #

A specific situation in which a person uses a system to reach a goal. It is the unit around which most deployments are planned and measured.

W

Walking skeleton #

A tiny end-to-end implementation that does almost nothing but runs through every layer of the system, used to prove the pieces connect before features are added. The term comes from agile software practice.

Workflow #

The sequence of steps, handoffs and decisions by which work gets done. Deployments change or automate workflows, so mapping the existing one is usually the first job.

Sources and further reading

Sources are linked so you can check them. Statements that vary by employer, or that accounts disagree about, are hedged in the text. Found a mistake? Email support@forwardeployed.work and we will correct the page and update its date.

Forward Deployed Engineer. Encyclopedia entry.
Dev versus Delta: Demystifying engineering roles. Engineering blog of the company that created the role, for the origin of “Delta”.
Forward-deployed Job Titles. Tom Hollands, a venture investor's essay, 27 January 2026, on how the title is used.
Solutions architect. Encyclopedia entry.
Sales engineering. Encyclopedia entry.
Systems integrator. Encyclopedia entry.
Statement of work. Encyclopedia entry.
Service-level agreement. Encyclopedia entry.
Time and materials. Encyclopedia entry.
Managed services. Encyclopedia entry.
Proof of concept. Encyclopedia entry.

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