Reducing Risks of Disputes

How I do this in 2 ways for Tech Projects

Akhil Mishra
February 28, 2024

Software/Tech agencies often have to deal with customer disputes, and, unsurprisingly, most follow a similar pattern.

Software projects that end in a dispute typically have 3 major customer complaints:

1) The software is costing too much to implement.

2) The software is taking too long to implement.

3) The software doesn’t work as expected.

Because of this, conflicts are frequent in software projects, leading to blame games and speculation.

Project failures often result from a failure to understand and adhere to responsibilities by either party involved.

In any business or commercial arrangement, one should always hope for the best scenario BUT prepare for the worst.

Now keeping that in mind, I have 2 major points that I always address before any of my clients start their IT project:

This is the most basic point, but still, many tend to rush through this part of the project.

a) What the software should do

b) How it should look

c) What features and functionalities it should have

Everything should be detailed.

Don't start until you have agreed on the SOW.

And any work beyond the initial SOW should incur additional charges.

Changes in requirements are often made during development, which may extend beyond the initial SOW.

These changes would likely impact the initial cost and timelines.

Therefore, a change management process should be agreed upon for how changes will be handled.

This should only be done by considering the impact on previously established schedules and costs.

That's it.

These are the 2 main ways I personally like to help companies avoid conflicts and lawsuits.

So consider these points before your next project.

Side Note:

Although I took the example of IT companies here, the pointers can apply to anyone in the Service Sector.

Good luck!

P.S. Has a project ever ended badly for you?

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