Defining deliverables sounds easy -- it isn’t always so. Deliverables can become a sticking point and problematic for a number of reasons. For example, a company wants to do most of the documentation in-house but lacks employees qualified / trained to produce it. One client gave flow chart training to every employee from supervisors on up at the beginning of the project to ensure they could not only map their systems and processes, but that they could also maintain them in the future.
Often there is ‘adjustment’ during the project as strengths and weaknesses are recognized / identified. Problems ranging from resource issues to time considerations can significantly change the actual needs and requirements. When expectations are not met, changes in the project plan are to be expected.
I was at a client facility were we had just gotten started a week earlier. We were going through the motions of finalizing a purchase order. Deliverables came up in that corporate required defined deliverables on every PO. We spent about a week discussing ‘deliverables’.
Even before you contact a consultant, you should be thinking about what you expect - including deliverables. And you should expect them to change somewhat as the project proceeds.
Deliverables
Dependent Upon The Client’s Needs and Expectations
Must Be Agreed To In Advance
May Change During Project
May Include:
Project Management
Systems Design
Systems Documentation
Training
Internal Auditing
