A Client Communication Checklist

Most failures in outsourced projects arise not from technical problems but from a lack of communication. For that reason, I keep a set of items I always confirm before a project even begins — who the target users are, how the must-have features should be prioritized, whether there are reference sites worth looking at, who within the organization makes the final decisions, and what the final schedule looks like. Above all, at this stage, I consider it most important to ask the client directly: what would it mean for this project to be considered a success?

Once the project is underway, I send a progress report once a week and share each screen as soon as it is ready, so that feedback can be gathered early. When a decision needs to be made, rather than posing an open-ended question, I prefer to prepare a few concrete options and ask about those instead, since this allows the client to reach a decision more quickly.

Giving options instead of open questions speeds up decisions.

As delivery approaches, I make sure acceptance criteria have already been agreed upon, and I hand over an itemized list covering accounts, documentation, and deployment information. I also let the client know in advance that a two-week period of free stabilization support follows the delivery.