Project Scoping

Project Scoping is typically the planning phase of a bigger project. Very large projects cannot responsibly be given an immediate fixed price. They must be scoped first. The outcome of Project Scoping is the exact definition of what will be developed, including the price.

Project Scoping is normally recommended for larger software initiatives where the requirements, technical complexity, or business impact justify additional planning before development begins. Very large projects should always be scoped before a fixed price is given, regardless of how well the requirements are believed to be understood.

Typical projects include:

• New websites
• New webshops
• Business systems
• Client portals
• Mobile applications
• AI solutions
• Agentic AI solutions
• Major software upgrades
• Platform migrations
• Large integrations
• Digital transformation projects

Smaller projects can often proceed directly as a Fixed Price Project or Continuous Monthly Development without a separate scoping phase.

Project Scoping is a paid engagement, and like our development projects it is normally delivered at a fixed price.

The price of the scoping depends on the size of the project and is established by your Project Manager after the initial meetings, once we understand what you want to achieve.

The exception: when scoping cannot be fixed price

In exceptional cases, a scoping engagement is billed, fully or partly, as time and material instead. This happens when the complexity of the software to be developed is so high that the scoping effort itself cannot be predicted, or when the client wants us to participate in many meetings with other stakeholders about matters that go beyond the development of the software. In those situations it's impossible to predict how much time the scoping will take, and therefore impossible to give a responsible fixed price for it.

This is the exception, not the rule. Most scoping engagements are fixed price. Your Project Manager will always tell you which applies, and why, before any work begins.

Every project is different, but this project discovery phase usually begins by understanding your business, your software, and what you want to achieve.

Depending on the project, we may:

• Meet with key stakeholders
• Review your business requirements
• Review existing software
• Identify technical challenges
• Discuss different technical approaches
• Evaluate integrations
• Identify project risks
• Recommend the most appropriate solution

Our objective isn't simply to estimate the project but to ensure everyone has a shared understanding before development begins.

If the project involves an existing website, webshop, mobile application, or business system, we normally perform a technical review before preparing the final project scope.

Depending on the project, we may review:

• Source code
• Software architecture
• Security
• Performance
• Database structure
• Third-party modules
• Integrations
• Hosting environment
• Cloud infrastructure
• Technical debt

Understanding the current solution allows us to make better technical decisions and identify potential risks early.

We use our own AI-powered estimation tool, based on more than 28 years of project history, as part of preparing the price, so the fixed price you receive reflects real experience with projects like yours, not guesswork.

At the end of the Project Scoping phase, you'll have a clear understanding of the project before making a larger investment.

Depending on the project, deliverables may include:

• Functional requirements
• Project scope
• Technical recommendations
• Proposed architecture
• Integration strategy
• Project assumptions
• Dependencies
• Timeline
• Milestones
• The exact definition of what will be developed, including the price

Not every project requires every deliverable. The scope of the project scoping process depends on the complexity of the project. The last point, however, is the whole purpose of the exercise: you leave the scoping knowing precisely what you'll get and precisely what it will cost.

Once the project scope has been agreed, development can begin.

Nine times out of ten, the outcome of Project Scoping becomes a Fixed Price Project, allowing us to assign the appropriate developers, designers, testers, and specialists required to deliver the project efficiently.

Occasionally, the scoping instead reveals that the client already has a solid platform and simply needs ongoing improvements. In those cases, Continuous Monthly Development is the better next step.

After launch, many clients continue with Continuous Monthly Development to maintain, improve and expand their software over time.

Investing time in Project Scoping helps reduce risk for everyone involved.

Benefits include:

• Better project planning
• More accurate project scope
• Fewer misunderstandings
• Reduced project risk
• Better technical decisions
• Clear expectations
• Better communication
• More predictable delivery

A fixed price is a commitment. Committing to a price for a project nobody has defined yet is guessing, and guessing with your money. Project Scoping replaces the guess with knowledge, so that when the fixed price is given, it's a price both sides can trust.

Good planning rarely makes projects longer. It usually makes them faster.