I thought this video was interesting. How many of us designers/developers have run into the situation where the client expects more than originally spec’d. The dreaded “mission creep”. With every project I complete I find myself adding more detail to the scope and to the terms and conditions of the next proposal. Like chess you have to think 10 steps ahead to make sure you avoid any pitfalls that may arise.
I think there’s also a need for client education when it comes to submitting a proposal and starting a project. The client has to be fully aware of how your design/development process works and what their role is in completing the project successfully. Cooperation between both parties and constant communication throughout the project will ensure (certainly not guaruntee) that the process will run smoothly.
There’s an article called Creating Added Value for the Customer is Bad Project Management which discusses why going outside the agreed upon project scope is bad for the overall deliverables. Trying to exceed the expectation of the client by going outside the project scope can sacrifice resources, money, quality or even happiness of team members who get to do more work. Exceeding the client’s expectations should always be doing through good customer service.
Being thorough with proposal detail and educating and involving the client on and throughout the process is key for the successful delivery and understanding of project value.