On Sign-offs

Getting the sign-offs for the right things at right instances during the project cycle is extremely crucial for project success. Signoff is just another form of agreement between the project teams and the client – and in my opinion, managing a project after all is nothing but managing the agreements – with team members and also with clients.

By definition, sign-off means “agreeing in writing to the scope of the project or the acceptability of a deliverable”. The other key elements in the project life cycle that need sign-off apart from deliverables/documents could be key decisions, discussion outcomes, phone calls and implementation trade-offs.

My experience suggests that if certain decisions on functionality/project scope software feature implemented are discussed over phone, it helps to write a quick document/email mentioning the key decisions taken during the phone call and ask the client to confirm the understanding (which is a variant of getting a sign-off). The intention is to eliminate even a remote chance of misunderstanding because every minor misinterpretation in software projects leads to extra effort and cost. The sum total of these minor misinterpretations across the project cycle can be disastrous.

Same applies when the discussion of a feature happens over instant messengers. Finding details from long chats can be tedious when information is needed on fingertips. Writing a small document/email covering the major points discussed and decisions taken surely goes long way in ensuring that the project team is on the right track. Getting a confirmation/signoff on these seemingly trivial things can work wonders to shield your project against unanticipated changes later in the lifecycle.

Sign-off also ensures that your team works against a fixed and approved scope and that there are no variables in the whole process. Getting sign-off is extremely important to guard your project against the scope creep later in the lifecycle.

Signoffs are a great mechanism to be in sync with your customers, manage their expectations and ensure quality of deliveries.

How does sign-off work for you?