Project Management

Please login or join to subscribe to this thread

Hello

linkedin twitter facebook   Scope Management  
avatar
Luci Hullebroeck Belgium, Belgium
Hello,

I'd like some advice on how to manage requests for corrections to functionalities that the customer considers to be logical or, in other cases, as comfort to improve processing, but which the supplier considers to be change requests.

For example, for a civil status software application, the customer submits the following requests:

Logical cases:
The system authorises marriages between biological parents and children
The system should allow the marriage of a deceased person to be entered, when the date of death is after the date of the marriage and before the date on which the marriage is entered. 

Comfort:
When an application is already being entered, the error message indicates that the person is already a citizen. Change the terminology to ‘person who has already applied for citizenship’.
Make the telephone number available in the person's details in the central query so that we can contact them to take the oath.
 
Sort By:
avatar
Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Luci -

This is the usual challenge of negotiating differences of requirements understanding and expectations between stakeholders.

A lot depends to what level of detail the requirements baseline has been developed, what the change control model is for the project (e.g. more or less flexible), the overall approach for the project (e.g. predictive with a "hard" scope baseline or adaptive with a desire to embrace change which is beneficial for the customer), the current and desired relationship with the customer (e.g. sometimes a change which would go through formal change control is accepted without additional cost to the customer in order to improve the relationship or get future business) and a number of other factors (e.g. has a small sub-budget been approved for reasonable changes?).

Kiron
avatar
Pavan Maddi
Community Champion
Buona Vista, Singapore

Thank you for sharing these examples.



Managing such requests can often be a balancing act, as perspectives on logical corrections versus change requests can vary between the customer and supplier. For logical issues, like the invalid marriage scenarios, these typically fall under system corrections to ensure data integrity and align with the intended business rules. Addressing these is critical to maintaining the credibility and accuracy of the application.

For comfort-related requests, such as terminology updates or adding user-friendly details, these are often viewed as enhancements rather than corrections. While they may seem minor, they can significantly improve the user experience and operational efficiency. However, they may still need to go through the formal change request process, as they weren’t part of the original scope.

To handle this effectively, it’s helpful to have a clear framework in place. Regularly engaging with the supplier to define and agree on the criteria for logical fixes versus enhancements is key. Establishing a shared understanding of priorities, backed by proper documentation and business rationale, can help manage expectations and ensure smooth collaboration.

avatar
Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
Community Champion
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Hi Luci Hullebroeck,
Managing requests for corrections to functionalities requires a structured approach. Categorize and prioritize requests. And follow a structured change request process, then conduct peer reviews,

I think maintaining clear communication is most important for such a situation with the customer in order to manage corrections effectively.

Best,
Golam
avatar
Keith Novak Tukwila, Wa, United States
I would generally consider changes to logical architecture as addressing problems similar to a bug fix as they are updates to make the application work as originally intended, and changes to functional architecture (comfort) as an increase in scope which may be subject to pricing and offerability.

As with everything though... It depends. The type of contracts between customer, supplier, and yourself as the performer may govern the way either change type is addressed. The nature of your relationship with the other parties may also be a factor such as if you are willing to write off some changes in order to develop long-term relationships or if your customer is notorious for trying to get free upgrades after signing a no-frills contract.

Please login or join to reply

Content ID:
ADVERTISEMENTS

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

- Albert Einstein

ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsors