Questions tagged [clients]
The clients tag is used for questions about how to work effectively with clients, how to solve problems with clients, how to select good clients. The tag is not limited to just these categories. As long as the question is about a real problem faced with a client, use this tag.
61
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How do you convince a client to use Agile Methods?
Here's the thing: In agile, client has very important role to fulfill - if they aren't involved, agile loses much of its value.
How do you convince clients to change the way they run projects, ...
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20
votes
10
answers
4k
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Clients do not respond. How to manage that?
I am currently a Project Manager at web development company working on always more than one project (rarely big project for more than 3 months and most often small project up to 1 month). As we open ...
- 630
18
votes
1
answer
809
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How to cope with a client expecting compensation for mistake your team made?
Our team made a mistake in software code and that caused the customer lose a lot of money. Now they ask us for that amount to give them back as compensation.
How to deal with that?
- 183
14
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4
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268
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Client has hard time focusing
I had a hard time trying to get the client to focus. X likes to talk a lot. Sometimes give too much information.
Sometimes X talks x-self into circles and i forget what the question is.
I try my ...
- 1,699
13
votes
4
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5k
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How to deal with a missed deadline and obtain a new target date?
I apologize if this sounds basic, but here's the scenario: We were supposed to complete a project in August and now that it's November, it's still in progress. After asking the client to provide us ...
- 497
12
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3
answers
849
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How to manage clients who want to meet up all the time?
I have a client/shareholder who is more of a face-to-face kind of client. They can't grasp how to use email and phone to communicate project amendments and feedback. Instead, they wish to meet up ...
- 221
12
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3
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297
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How do you explain to a client that migrating an existing application's database to different one (e.g. from MySQL to MSSQL) is not a trivial task?
My client believes that he just has to copy the data over into the new database using some kind of migration tool and change the app's database configuration file.
While I am sure there are some ...
- 305
10
votes
4
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2k
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How can I handle a client's client who is upset with bugs but refuses to use any kind of Project Management?
I am a programming/engineering freelancer working as a consultant for a mid-sized corporation. This mid-sized corporation has many clients, including a very large financial company (one of the top 10 ...
- 201
9
votes
4
answers
1k
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When can a project's wrong estimates be justified?
This question is not about project estimation techniques, initial processes, etc. Assume everything was done correctly.
Recently, we gave an estimation for an Android application with development ...
- 702
8
votes
5
answers
838
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Can metaphors in popular culture help with explaining agile or waterfall to clients?
After reading this blog post that suggests that the Death Star was an agile project I was wondering if using metaphors is a good way of describing methodologies in a slightly fun way.
'Movie x ...
- 1,403
7
votes
6
answers
244
views
No free people to work on time&material type of contract
A small company signed time&material type of contract with client A which basically guarantee that 3 people would work on project for the client. The cooperation lasts a few quarters already and ...
- 19.8k
6
votes
5
answers
356
views
Slow client answers
Let's say, I have a project with well fixed deadlines, and a pretty good specification. Every specification needs additional discussion, with taking in consideration the client's requirements (I mean, ...
- 639
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Delays in getting project sign off
I'm facing a challenging situation with one of my clients. We completed the project as planned in 4 months and now the next step is the project deployment at his site. The problem is his site is not ...
- 273
6
votes
5
answers
307
views
Is including "communication" aspects in formal agreements with clients critical to have?
We all know that in management, the communication with the client (product owner or sponsor) is one of the key factors. It's good when both sides understand the communication aspect. However, from ...
- 1,043
5
votes
3
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382
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How can I complete a project with unfixed requirements from the client?
How can I politely ask a customer to participate in the design of the deliverables before we begin work?
I have received a content update and brochure design job from client. Unfortunately it is so ...
- 305
5
votes
2
answers
950
views
How do you explain the value of a PM to a client?
I'm sure other PMs have run into this issue, which is explaining the benefit of a PM to a client. Here's a typical question I hear: "Why am I paying extra for someone who is not involved in the ...
- 481
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Dealing with Severe Client Delay
I am working on a website project for a large e-commerce site that is suffering from delay that can be mostly attributed to the client.
The client is requesting significant resource at our end (4 ...
- 229
5
votes
3
answers
813
views
How to make realistic long term time estimations when adopting Agile methodology?
I just started to manage the technical department of a small web design firm.
It's the first time I'm faced with such a job and I'm trying to figure out how to improve their project management ...
- 311
5
votes
1
answer
15k
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Who writes the test cases for your client when it's time for Client Acceptance Testing?
This question has recently come up at my organization. When it's time for the client to review and accept either a large ecommerce implementation or a smaller feature enhancement, will your QA team ...
- 319
5
votes
3
answers
267
views
How best to conduct a Sprint Review when the Sprint had work for multiple clients?
I work for a digital agency as an agile project manager. We have recently adopted Scrum.
We are looking at aligning all of our project work for multiple clients into all encompassing 2 week Sprints ...
- 53
5
votes
1
answer
226
views
Writing Better Milestone/Touchpoint Follow-Up Emails
I am a technical (software deployment) project manager. I regularly have clients request 15+ minute check-in calls, which I am happy to take. The calls are pre-scheduled and have no set agenda.
I ...
- 151
4
votes
7
answers
922
views
How to manage client feedback during wireframe phase
My team and I offer freelance web development services, often to non-technology personal.
We started to incorporate a wireframe phase in our web software development process (as opposed to ...
- 141
4
votes
2
answers
727
views
How do you convince a client that testing is a must?
It is quite hard to sell testing in these days. Clients are always looking for cost savings and it often happens that they are not aware of low quality in the output. How do you deal with that?
- 1,151
4
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6
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1k
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Who speaks with the client about the active project?
We are programming company. One guy is seeking jobs and talking to clients. Then when the job terms are negotiated, a project gets its own project manager and programmers.
Once a project is started, ...
- 399
4
votes
4
answers
295
views
Should I disclose technical constraints and details to the client?
Background
In our Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) we have a clause which states that the user should be able to make push notifications from the website to the mobile devices.
Should we ...
- 441
4
votes
1
answer
100
views
What decision should I take regarding a team of front-end developers which delivers unstable releases
I own a front-end development team who's task is to develop a single page web application based on Angular technology stack.
Product is currently in beta stage and never been public, only client ...
- 153
4
votes
4
answers
432
views
How to justify integration costs to a client?
We had developed a custom solution from scratch for our client. Recently the client asked for a quotation to integrate it with a third party software.
Unfortunately, we merely received a hastily ...
- 305
4
votes
1
answer
83
views
Managing large lists of acronyms and terms
Our current client sent us several hundred pages of documentation about the context and goals of his company. In these documents (there are multiple files) they use a lot of acronyms and very specific ...
- 141
3
votes
4
answers
653
views
How to finance non-programming activities when clients don't want to pay for these activities?
On one hand, software development involves a lot of non-programming activities like requirements gathering (including analysis), estimating, planning, testing, tracking work, change request management,...
- 31
3
votes
3
answers
16k
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How to ask for more time if project misses a milestone and will be delayed?
I've been searching for management role for a long time and finally got myself hired into a new start up company as Project Manager. I'm managing a project (Multi Level Marketing Apps) Team. I ...
- 113
3
votes
6
answers
339
views
How to deal with client's staff that says "this will be easy"
I am an external project manager. The internal staff at a clients business have started making comments to the effect that "this requirement will be easy to deliver". Such comments are damaging our ...
- 173
3
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What to do when someone says "that is not an acceptable solution"?
I've been running into this a lot lately between bosses and clients. I am told about a problem where there is only 1 solution. e.g.:
When asked to create a job posting and in describing what we do:
...
- 33
3
votes
1
answer
174
views
How to tell a client 'no'
For a client project, we have a client who is always looking for free add ons. The problem is that when I tell them 'no, we can do this but it will cost you' they go ultra emotional and kick up an ...
- 3,858
3
votes
1
answer
153
views
What method to use to inform customer about sub-contractor/freelance workers?
When customer requires list of technical staff that will be involved in the project;
What is the proper method to give the info of the sub-contractors/freelance workers that will be involved in ...
- 278
3
votes
2
answers
908
views
Questions to ask to the client before making any cms for them?
I need a comprehensive list of questions or at least basic idea of which questions to be asked to the client before customizing a cms for them?
I may use Wordpress, Drupal, Sharepoint or anything, I ...
3
votes
3
answers
162
views
How to decide to take a project when it's depending on a tool your team doesn't know?
It happened to me recently, I'm kinda newbie on PMing, so I ask this to an experienced community.
A potential client contacted me through the guy (intermediary) who offered the job to me. But to ...
- 623
2
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Client doesn't agree to put milestone in project scheduling
When our company has been sent project scheduling to client (which included some milestones like:Advanced Payment , Approval of Phase I, ...), Client rejected the project scheduling and said "...
- 21
2
votes
4
answers
614
views
project work with difficult client
My company takes in projects from a variety of clients in the region I am in. One of these clients is a firm that kind of competes with us on some things, but in other ways we cooperate. The ...
- 280
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to Measure The Price of The Project?
We are working on the project (IT), but we were puzzled to price project. Does anyone can explain, about what it takes as a consideration in determining the price of a project?
- 1,123
2
votes
4
answers
175
views
How to handle client's unrealistic testing results
I have an application form on a website to apply for something. It's been tested thoroughly and passes. However my client found that if you entered an emoji in one the fields that does an address ...
- 123
2
votes
6
answers
305
views
Should I include the developers in the official email communication with clients?
Currently I am a Project Manager of the following team:
3 Android Developers
2 Web Developers
2 iOS Developers
and we are currently between the project initiation and development stages since the ...
- 441
2
votes
2
answers
512
views
How to Handle a Funding Overrun on a Time and Materials (T&M) Contract
Here is the scenario: You are the PM of a new T&M contract that has a $800,000 budget at completion (BAC) and a price of $1,000,000 and a one-year period of performance (POP). Scope is fluid, ...
- 36.6k
2
votes
1
answer
199
views
Managing Internal projects as if the manager was a client. Does this method have a name?
As a manager in a company, I found that some people within my team performs better when they are trusted with a task and when I manage them and the tasks I give them, like if I was a client. I debrief ...
- 155
2
votes
3
answers
575
views
Get enough information from client to start project
I am trying to create a form that request for information from a prospective client, this form will have to work for all kinds of industry (business, construction, design, programming...).
In most ...
- 23
2
votes
2
answers
407
views
How to manage delays from external clients
There are many variables to measure when dealing with clients, but to me these are the most important variables that I dealt with:
Clients that are internal or external: If internal, it should depend ...
- 432
2
votes
1
answer
49
views
Improvement on awareness of ongoing/scheduled multiple projects for our client
I work for a project of my client. along with my project there are multiple projects are going on.
Issue: Currently my client doesn't have much awareness of multiple projects which are going on / ...
- 21
1
vote
3
answers
94
views
Does the client have the privilege to force the vendor on a Business Requirement Document (BRD) format?
Would like to ask:
Does the client project manager have the privilege to force the vendor who is selling a SaaS system to use some specific Business Requirement Document (BRD) format and force them to ...
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
Who pays for the development/maintenance of the components/framework?
We use components and frameworks for the development of our projects. We have third-party components/frameworks (both - closed and open source) and inherited elements on top of them. Sometimes our ...
- 191
1
vote
1
answer
1k
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What is the best way to include a "refund money" clause in a project agreement?
I want to write an agreement with a company who is developing software for me. I want to make sure that if the company fails to develop software as agreed they will refund money I paid to them up to ...
- 111
1
vote
2
answers
122
views
How to diplomatically deny client access to their server
My client has requested access to their server we have not delivered yet, due to the development of the project is still in progress. They do not have anyone on staff with technology experience. And ...
- 11