Can you trust your implementation partner to manage scope?

When a technology project fails spectacularly, it’s probably fair to say that both parties earn some of the blame. However, many retailers ultimately rely on the implementation partner to not let the technology project get out of hand.

In this article for Retail Customer Experience, Tom Schoen discusses the importance of scope and especially how your partner should set expectations for forecasting and controlling it. Knowing the best practices around scope can help you watch and ensure your partner is keeping themselves – and you – accountable during the process.

A change in scope can take many forms: new requirements can come in, requirements can change, technical requirements or financials can be altered, and so on. Your partner should have the foresight to predict certain changes based on the nature of the project.

For example, if you can’t decide on a set of requirements or frequently change your mind about them, then your partner should recognize that there’s a good chance that functional requirements will change at some point during the project. They can determine how much time it takes to set a certain number of requirements or the number of changes a set of requirements has already gone through, and then forecast costs associated with those types of changes as the project progresses.

Read more at Retail Customer Experience.