Poorly written SOWs are like handshake deals with strangers.
Things might be ok. 😑
Or things might go spectacularly pear shaped t!ts up FUBAR’ed beyond belief 😱
Would you take a chance???
I’ve been on the delivery end, when sales have promised the moon on a stick 🌜but we can only deliver cheese on a shoe. 🧀🥿
When SOWs are vague, no one knows what they are getting, especially the poor consultant or business analyst who has to gather requirements.
I have seen discovery to create “roadmap, requirements and high level user stories” range from a 4 week engagement for a reasonably medium sized implementation to a 6 month one for a complex global transformation programme.
Without details, we don’t know what the clients expect, and everything is hunky dory until UAT, when all the smelly sticky yucky stuff will hit the fan.
💩💩💩
I can almost guarantee this.
Poorly written SOWs rarely end with a strong successful project implementation that didn’t leave a trail of carnage and body parts. 🤕
I’ve been asked about #ProjectManagement courses for consulting partners that covers writing SOWs and it is in MY roadmap for 2026 because I’ve got other courses on the to-do lane on my kanban board. 😬
Until then, please confer with someone who has deep experience in this, a commercial expert or legal, otherwise, it’s a crapshoot.
My heart goes out to all the consultants out there who are delivering against bad/vague/poorly written SOW. ❤️
Make sure you’ve got friends you can lean on and vent to, and look after your own mental health because there’s not much you can do except deliver the contract as best as you can. 😕
