FAQ

Frequently asked questions

This page answers typical questions about the idea, benefits, architecture, operation and target audience of the Agentic Software Factory.

Is there deeper technical background on the Software Factory?

Yes. There is a dedicated whitepaper as an architecture deep dive, describing the architectural foundations of agentic software development: reference architecture, agent orchestration, AI guardrails, shared knowledge stores and integration with the software development lifecycle. It complements this product website with the conceptual depth the Software Factory is built on. An overview is on the Whitepaper page; the PDF (76 pages) is available there for free and without registration.

What happens when I work offline?

Depends on the tier:

Which data is sent to the license server?

Enterprise Air-Gap: no data transfer at all, since no network contact takes place. Details on the transparency page.

What are the Community tier limits?

Does it work in an air-gapped network?

Yes, with an Enterprise Air-Gap license.

Which LLMs does the Softwarefabrik support?

The LLM choice is a customer decision and is configured in the client. For air-gapped operation, only on-prem LLMs are possible.

How does enterprise licensing work technically?

Can I switch between tiers?

What is the Agentic Software Factory?

The Agentic Software Factory is a local control plane for AI-assisted software development. It combines structured project intake, automatically generated markdown artifacts, run orchestration, Git and build transparency as well as traceable approvals in a single web application.

What is the main difference from using Claude Code directly in the shell?

With direct shell usage, project definition, guardrails, approvals, Git discipline and status monitoring largely have to be organised manually. The Software Factory makes exactly these aspects visible and reusable.

Who is the platform for?

Primarily for software architects, lead developers, technical project leads and teams who want to run AI-assisted development in a more controlled and reproducible way. It is not intended as a mass consumer product but as a productive working surface for technical stakeholders.

Which problems does the platform solve?

Why work with markdown artifacts?

Files such as PROJECT.md or INSTRUCTIONS.md are easy to version, human-readable and well suited to AI-assisted tools. They form the working contract between user, platform and agent.

Why does version 1 use Spring Boot and Thymeleaf instead of Angular?

Version 1 focuses on orchestration, the run model, Git/build integration and traceability. A server-side UI with Spring Boot and Thymeleaf reduces complexity and makes the product core solid faster.

Is the platform already a true multi-agent system?

Not yet fully. Version 1 prepares roles, teams and workflow structures for it but starts with a single executing adapter. The goal is a clean growth path, not maximum complexity on day one.

Which agent roles are foreseen?

Typical roles are Architect, Developer, Reviewer, QA, Security Reviewer, Documentation and Merge/Release. These roles can be stored as a domain model and later assembled into teams.

What does a typical workflow look like?

  1. capture project idea
  2. fill in project fields
  3. generate markdown artifacts
  4. define team and goal
  5. create and start a run
  6. review logs, Git and build
  7. if necessary, start a follow-up run or correction

Which technical components make up the platform?

What information is visible during a run?

Typically status, current phase, logs, commit history, working tree state, build results, approval decisions and the related artifacts. The goal is that the user does not experience the run as a black box.

Can the platform be used without Claude Code?

Yes, at least conceptually. The architecture cleanly encapsulates adapters. Early phases can therefore be run with a mock adapter or with an execution adapter that is swapped out later.

Is the platform suitable for government or regulated environments?

Yes, it is generally a good fit, since it emphasises traceability, structure, documentation, Git discipline and explicit approvals. The specific hardening and organisational embedding depend on the later deployment context.

What about security and privacy?

The platform is designed for data-minimal and traceable use. Key principles are: no secrets in code, no tokens or session IDs in logs, traceable approvals, controlled adapters and clear technical gates.

Can I manage multiple projects in parallel?

Yes. That is exactly what project definitions, status models, artifact versions and run lists are for. Projects and runs should remain traceable independently of each other.

How is reusability created?

Through standardised project fields, consistent markdown artifacts, stored agent roles, team templates and documented approval and build rules. Individual experience turns into a repeatable process.

How do I best get started?

Best with a small internal example project, a clear target picture and the mock adapter. Only once wizard, artifact generation, run model and logs work cleanly should the real Claude Code adapter be used in production.