Information Resources
Scoping a Project
Part IV: Comfort
Beginning a new relationship may seem risky. Until a time-tested working relationship is established, the client (you) may fear that their production team is using their knowledge of the process and technology as leverage over them. Conversely, if the client is new at scope-writing, the production team may fear that client is being intentionally vague so that they can slip in previously-unaddressed (or “implied”) tasks, and leverage sign-off or payment over them.
That’s the single biggest purpose of this article—to resolve this long-standing anxiety by communicating how a well-written scope will affect every aspect of production: scheduling, achieving project goals, preventing and resolving disagreements, generating project satisfaction and growing the relationship between a client and a production team.
In a project where a scope is incomplete, vague, ambiguous or absent, neither party is ever right. But, as demonstrated by this article, in a project where a scope is thorough, detailed, specific and central to the production process, it will disqualify these anxieties, and allow us all to be effective, efficient, and successful. Through a mutual respect for this document, you will trust your development team, even if you don’t fully understand the technology. And through a structured and comprehensive checklist of tasks to be completed (yes, the scope) your production team will share the same level of comfort.
If only my father could guarantee the same comfort against the pests and weather conditions that plague his garden each year. Sorry, Dad. That’s not included in the scope document.
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