Source Code Ownership and Transparent Code Delivery
Wondering how source code ownership works in practice? We handle it through clear delivery arrangements for the code built in your project and use a shared repository model agreed at the start. Handover includes the full codebase, its history, and documentation needed to maintain and continue development.
Source Code Ownership: Transparent Code Delivery from the Start
Repository structure, access, documentation and handover conditions are defined around the delivery model agreed for each project.
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Repository model is agreed before development even begins. It can be created within your organisation from day one.
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Depending on the agreed model, client access may include the full source code, administrator rights and complete commit history.
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The agreed handover includes technical and configuration documentation, deployment instructions, dependency details and release history.
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A documented, transferable codebase can support future work by another team, subject to any third-party licensing restrictions.
Source Code Ownership
and Client Control
Repository Control
Repository control covers where the code is hosted, how permissions are structured, and who holds administrative rights. Depending on the model, the repository may be created in the client’s organisation or managed during development and transferred later.
Source Code Access
Source code access is provided according to the individually agreed delivery model for the project. The model defines when access is granted, at what level, and whether it includes full repository visibility, including commit history and related development context.
Development Continuity
Development continuity is supported through structured repository history, technical documentation and dependency information.
Repository Access and Ownership Models
Repository in the Client Organisation
Created within your GitHub or Azure DevOps organisation at the start, this model makes source code ownership arrangements and repository access clear from day one. Your team receives the agreed access during development, and no separate repository transfer is needed at completion.
Repository Managed During Development
Created and managed in AutomationCore’s organisation while development is under way. Agreed repository access may be provided during the project, with transfer to your organisation at completion.
What Is Handed Over
Full Source Code
Configuration Documentation
Complete Repository History
Dependency Information
Technical Documentation
Release History
Deployment Instructions
A complete repository history preserves the record and context of code changes over time, whereas a file export provides only a snapshot of the code at a particular point.
Version Control, Pull Requests and Code Review
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Branch management separates planned work and keeps changes organised.
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Pull requests create a clear approval point before changes are merged.
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Code review adds technical scrutiny and helps identify issues early.
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Release management records which approved version is ready for use.
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CI/CD pipeline: where applicable, GitHub Actions can help make builds, checks and deployments consistent.
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Automated deployment reduces manual release steps and supports repeatability.
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Technical documentation explains the solution structure and operating requirements.
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Repository backups support recovery if the working repository is disrupted.
How the Code Delivery Process Works
1. Repository Setup and Access
Before development begins, we agree how source code ownership will be addressed through the repository model, platform and access levels. We select GitHub or Azure DevOps according to your infrastructure, security requirements and project needs.
2. Development with Version Control
Code is developed through agreed branch and commit practices. We create a traceable version history and a clear record of changes throughout the project.
3. Review and Release
Changes move through pull requests and code review before release. The agreed release process helps ensure only reviewed versions are prepared for deployment.
4. Handover and Documentation
At handover, the agreed repository, history, access rights and project documentation are made available according to the selected delivery model.
Continuity Beyond the Original Development Team
After project handover, another qualified development team can continue working on the solution much more easily when they have both the code and the context behind it.
This is why repository history is so important. It shows how the codebase has evolved, what changes were made, and why certain decisions were taken. Together with dependency information, technical documentation and deployment instructions, it gives a clearer picture of how to build, release and maintain the solution.
Power Automate
Power Apps
Power BI
Ready to Define Your Code Delivery Model?
Repository control is easier to establish before development begins than to reconstruct at handover. We can agree the repository model, access levels, documentation and delivery process at the outset, giving both teams a clear framework for the project and its future maintenance.
FAQ
Source code ownership depends on the individual project agreement and is not automatically included when development is outsourced. The delivery model defines who has access to the code, how the repository is managed, how handover is handled, and what is required to support future development.
Yes, according to the repository model and source code ownership arrangements agreed for the project. Access may be available from the outset when the repository is created in the client’s organisation, or it may be provided during development and formalised when the repository is handed over.
As part of the source code ownership arrangements agreed for the project, full source code access can be provided. The agreement defines the access level and timing.
If the repository was created in the client’s organisation, it remains there after completion. If AutomationCore managed it during development, the repository and agreed access rights are transferred according to the arrangements.
The agreed handover includes the full source code, complete repository history, technical documentation, deployment instructions, configuration documentation, dependency information and release history for future maintenance and release work. Any relevant third-party licensing conditions are also identified.
We use both GitHub and Azure DevOps.
Yes. Another qualified team can continue the codebase when the source code ownership arrangements include access to the repository history, dependency information, technical documentation and deployment instructions.
Version control records how code changes over time. Branches, commits, pull requests and reviews create a traceable history, while release records help teams identify deployed versions and, where necessary, return to an earlier known state.
Vendor lock-in is dependence on one supplier that makes change difficult or costly. Agreed repository control, source code access, documentation and a transferable codebase reduce that dependency and support continuity if another development team takes over.