A clear scope establishes what is being delivered, which assumptions support the estimate, and who owns what. Saying “that is not in scope” is part of professional consulting, not a failure of customer service. It gives both sides a chance to decide how the additional work should be handled.
A migration is a useful example. Moving content, deciding what to delete, repairing old links, and redesigning permissions are different pieces of work. An agreement to migrate files does not automatically settle who will do all the cleanup around them. Spell out which work is included, what the client must provide, and what needs a separate decision.
Requirements will change, and a sensible engagement makes room for that conversation. Quietly absorbing another twenty hours without discussing the effect on cost or delivery is bad project management. Use change requests and update estimates so the client can make an informed decision before the work gets done.
This post is part of my 25 lessons from 25 years in consulting series, exploring what it takes to build a consulting firm that delivers for clients and supports the people doing the work.
From leadership and employee experience to sales and delivery, the series comes back to one idea: a consulting company should be its own best client.
Have a lesson of your own? Share what has worked, what hasn’t, or what you wish more consulting firms understood in the comments.