Managing Scope of Work

How Setting Expectations can Make or Break your Business

RYAN STOUT @ASTUTE_RYANRYAN@ASTUTE.CO

ASTUTE COMMUNICATIONS

Web Design & Development

Search Engine Optimization

Content Marketing

Social Media Management

What We Do

Typical Client

1. Medium-sized business (Physician Group, Law Firm, Software/Start-Up, Construction Company, etc.)

2. Revenue $500K/year - $5M/year

Scope of Work

Scope of Work

“The division of work to be performed under a contract or subcontract in the completion of a project, typically broken out into specific tasks with deadlines.”

- www.businessdictionary.com

The average large IT project runs 45% over budget, 7% over time, and delivers 56% less value than expected. - Project Management Institute:

Pulse of the Profession 2015

Scope Creep

“Small changes in a plan or project that necessitate other changes which lead to still more changes… and so on.”

- www.businessdictionary.com

Scope Creep

“How does a project get to be a year late? One day at a time.”

- Frederick Brooks

Client Rules

Rule No. 1

Assume that most clients, whether malicious

or not, have no understanding of what it takes

to achieve your deliverables.

“You can just add that later, right?”

Client Rules Rule No. 2

Assume that most clients have a “something for free” mindset

“I forgot to say that I needed _____, but it shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

Tips for Managing Scope Creep

Tip No. 1

Start by discussing what is not included

Tip No. 1

Involve Client in defining scope of work

Involve the client in defining the scope of work

Tip No. 2

Put yourself in the client’s shoes

Tip No. 3

Set up minor and major milestones

to review progress

Tip No. 4

“Expectations are your client’s vision of a future state or action, usually unstated, but which is critical to your success.”

- David Alve

ryan@astute.co @astute_ryan