Working practice
Discovery phase
A short paid piece of work to find out what the real project is.
Definition
An initial engagement, typically two to four weeks, spent understanding the problem, the constraints and the existing systems, ending in a scope, an estimate and a plan rather than in software. It is priced separately from the delivery that may follow.
Why it matters
It is the honest answer to a provider being asked to fix-price something nobody understands yet. The condition worth insisting on is that the output is yours and usable by another supplier, otherwise discovery becomes a paid mechanism for locking you into whoever ran it.
Related
Read next
Statement of work (SOW)
The document that defines what is being delivered.
Read the definition ›Change request
The formal route for altering an agreed scope.
Read the definition ›Pilot project
A small, real piece of work used to test a provider before committing.
Read the definition ›Fixed price vs time and materials
Two ways to price work, suited to different certainty.
Read the definition ›Next step
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