Statements of Work (SoWs) are the backbone of any consultancy project. They outline the project’s scope, deliverables, timeline, and more, acting as a contractual agreement between the consultancy and its clients. Getting the SoW right is essential for the success of your consultancy, as it sets the stage for clear expectations, effective project management, and ultimately, satisfied clients.

In this blog post, we are joined by Paul Rossiter a SoW specialist. He is the CEO and Founder of Contora, a SaaS platform dedicated to helping consultancies to optimise their SoW processes.

The SoW Checklist: What to Look For

Before we get into our conversation with Paul, let’s explore some essential elements that should be on your SoW checklist. A well-structured SoW typically includes the following components:

  1. Scope of Work: Clearly define the project’s objectives, including what’s in scope and what’s out of scope. It’s crucial to set realistic and achievable goals.
  2. Deliverables: List the specific items or outcomes the consultancy will provide to the client. Be as detailed as possible to avoid misunderstandings.
  3. Timelines: Set clear milestones and deadlines for different project phases. This helps in project management and tracking progress.
  4. Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define who is responsible for what within the project. This includes the roles of both the consultancy’s team and the client’s team.
  5. Payment Terms: Specify the payment schedule, milestones, and any additional costs or expenses. Clarity on this front is crucial for financial planning.
  6. Change Management: Describe how changes to the scope or deliverables will be handled, including the process for obtaining client approval and revising the SoW.
  7. Acceptance Criteria: Explain the criteria that must be met for the client to accept the project as complete. This ensures both parties are on the same page regarding project success.
  8. Dispute Processes: Outline the procedures for resolving disputes between the consultancy and the client. Clearly defining these processes can prevent lengthy legal battles and ensure disputes are resolved efficiently and fairly.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s learn more from Paul about best practices and how a platform like Contora can streamline the SoW process.

Can you tell us about Contora, and how it helps consultancies with their Statements of Work?

Statements of Work have traditionally been created using Word based templates and, whilst their purpose is intended to mitigate risk and communicate requirements the time taken to draft, review and approve can sometimes be seen as a hindrance, especially when organisations don’t have sufficiently trained resources to make them effective.

Through process optimisation and AI we’ve simplified and transformed the entire process so that organisations can not only draft SoWs in minutes, they can use the platform to track progress during execution.

What are some common challenges consultancies face when creating SoWs, and how does Contora address these challenges?

Scalability is by far the greatest challenge.  Creating and managing a single SoW is relatively straight forward but when it comes to creating and managing 5, 10, or even 50, the back office support and management needed grows exponentially. Contora provides a single location to create, manage and approve all elements of the SoW lifecycle without the need to increase your back office support.

What are the most common mistakes or pitfalls you’ve seen in SoWs, and how can consultancies avoid them?

Individuals are great at documenting what they want, when they want it and how much they are prepared to pay/charge for the service but, when it comes to the things that place delivery at risk or documenting the assumptions or identifying the dependencies they invariably fail to go into sufficient detail – after all, it’s always the things you least expect to happen that will cause problems – at Contora we use AI to help identify and mitigate these risks.

Are there any emerging trends or best practices in the world of SoWs that you think consultancies should be aware of?

Consistency in formatting, content and layout – the human brain digests information more easily if the information it sees is in a familiar format – by creating SoWs with the same structure layout and formatting, Contora reduces the review cycles by up to 50% resulting in not only faster sign off time buts also happier clients

How can consultancies ensure that their SoWs are not only legally sound but also comprehensible to all stakeholders involved in the project?

By ensuring that all services, milestones and deliverables are clear and unambiguous everyone on the supply chain knows exactly what is expected and, during the drafting phase, any ambiguities can be raised and resolved from a single source of truth.  Contora manages the entire lifecycle making it easier for suppliers and clients to collaborate.

What advice do you have for consultancies looking to improve their SoW processes and enhance client satisfaction?

Clients like consistency and will gravitate toward suppliers who can respond to their requests in a timely and efficient manner – if you are taking more than an hour to generate a first draft SoW for your client to review then you are at risk of losing business to those that can.

Conclusion:

Creating effective Statements of Work is a vital skill for any consultancy. Having the right process to create and agree those statements will help to streamline the process, make delivery more efficient, reduce the risk of disputes, and ultimately, build stronger client relationships. By adhering to best practices and staying informed about industry trends, consultancies can ensure that their SoWs set the stage for successful projects from the start.

Need help with SoWs? Get in touch with Contora.

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