tedster - 9:12 pm on Jun 21, 2001 (gmt 0)

Tall Troll, I couldn't agree more. The scenario jeremy paints has also been the rule, not the exception, for my design company. So we developed a pre-contract worksheet for the client that gives them a heads up in essential areas.

It spells out key factors that we've found cause project delays, in a questionaire form. Simply by reading this questionaire, the client is stimulated to create the internal business processes that will feed the website project. By signing off on it, the client knows that major changes may cost major dollars. They've also received a quick tune-up in what website creation will actually require. The completed worksheet then becomes our basis for a final contract — and we developed the contract boilerplate with a lawyer.

Our goal is to get the client ready to drive their end of the process, rather than our company driving the whole thing. Everyone needs to agree as to who owns each piece of the pie. Otherwise our email and telephone time alone end up eating too much of our revenue.

Add in that hefty up front payment to get the adrenaline going (33% to 50%), and things get a whole lot smoother. And yet, even with all this, it's still nearly impossible to keep to a schedule!

The main issue is that creating the website may be our core competency, but for the client it is not. They're still involved their core business, and the website work often needs to be pushed back on their list of priorities. At least the questionaire helps them assess those priorities in a more realistic fashion.