Effective Software Project Management

Customer Sign-Off on Requirements

You will encounter two sign-off situations.

Customer Willingly Signs Off

This is what you hope for, but be careful. The sign-off says that the customer believes that all requirements, functions, and features have been identified and documented. In other words, except for external events over which no one has control, no scope change requests will be made. This is important input to your decision to go forward with a linear strategy. Make sure you are comfortable that the customer really does attest to the fact that all requirements, functions, and feature have been defined and documented.

Customer Unwilling to Sign Off

First of all, the customer equates a sign-off as their approval for what has been documented. Many have the mistaken notion that no changes will be accepted. Obviously that is a myth. The choice of a Linear SDPM strategy assumes there will be no scope changes, and it is designed around that fact. The reality is that no matter how complete the requirements specification, the customer will still make scope change requests. In so doing they need to understand that accommodating the change request will result in scheduling problems. That is the first reason for not signing off. The second reason for not signing off is that they cannot attest to completeness of requirements, functions, and features. That is your signal to find another approach. Either an Iterative or Adaptive SDPM strategy would be preferable.

Case Study Dee reviewed ...