Statements of Work Done Right!
Statements of Work Training Course
Overview
In Statements of Work (SOWs) we spend a lot of money while many products and services are bought. Oftentimes SOWs fail, causing delays, financial loss and other damages. Some SOWs written by a customer can be so unclear that acceptance testing is almost impossible. SOWs that are written by a vendor are often riddled with fuzzy words that shift all the risk to the customer. Additionally, vendors will use SOWs to modify key terms of a Master Agreement that inevitably put the customer at an increased disadvantage. Even customers with the best templates and negotiated SOWs still get burned by skilled vendors adept at managing the engagement and in turn, bypassing any written protections.
Are your SOWs written by the Vendors?
Do Vendors use SCOPE creep and Change Orders to charge more and bust your budgets?
Do you need to get control of your SOWs?
Upcoming Events
Topics Include
This highly interactive SOW workshop uses classroom discussion and group exercises to develop and improve skills in the following areas:
- Best-practice elements of great SOWs
- Getting input from stakeholders for SOW requirements
- Preventing vendors from using SOWs to modify master agreements
- Revising vendor-written fuzzy wording that might shift risk to the customer
- Licensing principles that maximize protections and money savings for customers
- Drafting SOW acceptance tests so customers get what they pay for
- Countering practices used by vendors to defeat customer protections in SOWs
Attendees will also come away with sample templates and checklists providing a solid foundation for negotiating, drafting and managing SOWs.
Content
workshop outline
Workshop Length: 6 Hours
Barriers to Good SOWs
- Why some SOWs fail
- What makes a great SOW
Defining What’s in Scope and Out
- Why customer stakeholders are often unclear
- Achieving proper input and alignment from stakeholders
- How vendors use scope creep
- Principles to prevent scope creep
Scope vs. Terms and Conditions
- How vendors can use SOWs to modify master agreements
- Allocating content: SOWs vs. master agreements
- How they are connected
- How they are different
- What content goes where?
- What applies to both and why?
Drafting Technical Requirements
- What harm can a vendor-written SOW do?
- Art vs. science of drafting SOWs
- The role of templates
- The role of vendors in drafting SOWs
- Roles for customer stakeholders
Licensing and Maintenance in SOWs
- How vendors use licensing principles to control SOW outcomes
- Recognizing how SOWs with licenses differ from other SOWs
- What licensing principles in SOWs can save money
- How can licensing principles help maximize customer protections?
Acceptance Criteria, Milestones, and Deliverables for Technology Buys
- Acceptance clauses that don’t work
- Elements needed for acceptance
- How milestones can steal your leverage
- Using milestones to maximize customer success
SOW Management
- How vendors use licensing principles to control SOW outcomes
- Recognizing how SOWs with licenses differ from other SOWs
- What licensing principles in SOWs can save money
- How can licensing principles help maximize customer protections?
Keys to Successful SOWs
- 10 Do’s and Don’ts for great SOWs
