What is the Scope of Work (SoW)?
In a scope of work document, you specify the work you will perform on the project. A step-by-step guide to finishing almost any project, whether it’s revamping a website or developing a new app. Scope of work and deliverables include deliverables, milestones, and reports. Take a closer look at each of these elements.
Deliverables
A deliverable is the reason you’re executing a project for your customer, stakeholder, or sponsor, whether it’s a product or a service. There must be a clear identification of each deliverable, whether it is a document, report, software, product, or build (or all of the above). Work breakdown frameworks can simplify this stage.
Timeline
From the beginning of a project to its end, a timeline represents a road. This section of the document describes the project’s major phases over its duration. Additionally, it should indicate when your deliverables are ready. Every project should start with a broad plan.
Milestones
A project can be lengthy and complex. For this reason, it’s organized on a calendar and divided into manageable parts called tasks. A milestone marks the completion of a project’s larger phases. In this way, you can keep track of the project’s progress and ensure it’s on schedule.
Reports
As the project progresses, you’ll generate reports and deliver them to your team, customer, stakeholder, or sponsor. A status report, a progress report, a variance report, and other reports are examples of reports. In addition to recording your project’s progress, they also allow you to communicate how the project is progressing. Depending on how you customize it, a lot of data can serve a variety of audiences. Describe how and when the stakeholders will receive updates on the project.
5 Must-Haves for Effective SoWs
Explicit Details
It won’t be completed if it isn’t on the SOW. Time, effort, and resource assumptions must be taken into account.
Visualizations
Instead of explaining what you mean, illustrate it. You can explain your objectives and requirements better by using images, illustrations, and examples.
Terminology Definitions
As per the golden rule of SOW, “Thou shalt not assume.” Be sure your SOW defines any business terms, phrases, or acronyms.
Time for Reviews
An SOW is a plan. An informed guess is all it takes to make a good plan. You should plan for project reviews, pivots, and unexpected changes in priorities in your schedule and deliverables.
Success Definitions
An agreement about what success looks like between the two parties is essential for a successful SoW. If you’re not sure what you want at the end, rewrite it.
Conclusion
The SoW keeps everyone accountable and on track, whether you’re building from scratch, redesigning, or doing illustration work. There may appear to be a lot of work ahead, but the more you can clarify, the smoother the rest of the process will be.
In addition, there are a few other tips that can help differentiate between a successful SOW and one that does not:
- Don’t overdo it: Pay attention to detail, but don’t overdo it. An SOW with 30 pages will undoubtedly require your contractor to spend time going over it line-by-line, which will slow down the process and cost them money. The more bizarre your exclusions, clauses, and exceptions, the longer it will take them to complete them, and the more disturbed they will be.
- The statement of work should be drafted early in the project: It’s never too early to get started. By starting early, you can develop the document as you learn about the project and your requirements.
- Involve Others: If you are unable to write certain sections, seek assistance from others. The requirements and infrastructure may need to be defined precisely by a technical writer if you’re unsure how to define them.
- Make It Clear What the Project Does Not Include: Requirements can sometimes be vague, so it’s important to know which paths to avoid and which ones to take. This concludes the discussion. When you hire an agency to help you build a new app or remodel your house, you’ll be able to create an in-depth and clear scope of work that keeps everyone on track.
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