Managing client expectations
This is often the most complex part of any software implementation. This often easier to state than to manage when presented with the question. As luck would have it, the question comes up when you are least prepared to answer it correctly and it can lead to more work. More work that you are not prepared for and that can increase the risk. Managing client expectations from the project is a fundamental requirement for the success of the project. You cannot “yes” the client to success. It does not work! The key is to understand the source of these expectations. There is often a gap between getting the budget approved, going through the solicitation process, and getting the contract awarded. During this time, business requirements, which are never static, do increase due to changing business climate. Everything is well intentioned, but you need to ensure you can execute within the constraints you have. Therefore, once the contract is awarded and scope of work identified and agreed to, keeping everyone honest and aligned with it is an everyday task and we have found the following techniques useful.
Confirm Scope in Initial Meetings: The most important time to set expectations clearly is the initial phase of the project. Once you set the tone, you should be able to maintain it through the duration of the project. Use the start of the meeting to introduce the project and state the project charter clearly. It may also help to have the charter up if you are using a presentation format to capture and requirements.
Centralize Communication: It is difficult to manage expectations if project information is not accessible. It helps to have a project site where all communication on project is maintained. There are multiple cost-effective options for this. You can use SharePoint, Zoho or Asana for this purpose. Post discussion items and meeting minutes or questions here. This avoids the whole he said, she said situation and provides an avenue for everyone to review the project scope and items related to project on the project site. If the thing that the client wants is not on the site, it must not be discussed.
Be careful with responses: When a question comes up that can potentially fall outside the scope of the project, do not be in hurry to respond. It is perfectly okay to note it down, have a discussion and send a formal response in an email. For things that call the project scope into question, formal communication is often best.
Riposte: There are times when a client wants something but does not have the operational or financial feasibility to implement it. Feel free to bring it up. You can say, “Yes what you want is certainly possible if you implemented the following business process”.
Maintain an RTM: Catalog all requirements using a traceability matrix. It can be as simple as associating the applicable scope item with every requirement. If you are following an agile approach, associate the scope item with every story or backlog item. This ensures, you are not deviating from the scope.
Parking Lot: When an item cannot be linked to a scope item, create a parking lot where these items can be cataloged. These are things that come up during requirements gathering that the client has identified as a need. However, since these items cannot be linked to a scope item, park these for discussion at the steering committee meetings.
Steering Committee Meetings: It is important to have a monthly steering committee meeting with management and project sponsors. The day to day tasks and work items are discussed with the functional team but you also need decisions made on parking lot items and other open questions. This is the best way to bring good and bad news on the project to management and get key decisions made. Update project site with the decisions.
Manage Changes: All approved changes to the scope coming out of the steering committee meetings have a lifecycle. Just because there is approval on a change, you cannot begin implementing it. Changes to scope often require a modification to the funding and/or schedule and this is often a multi-step process. If you are using SharePoint or Zoho as the project site, you can create a flow definition to capture the review and approval process for changes. This will help you manage the dates involved to get the change approved.