Contract review
Statements of Work & Order Forms
The document your client actually reads
- Price
- from $299
- Turnaround
- 2 business days
- once we have what we need from you
Why the SOW deserves more attention than it gets
A Statement of Work, sometimes called an Order Form, is the document your client signs before work starts. It outlines what they are getting and how much they need to pay for it. It’s often the only contract document your client reads.
In practice, most SOWs are written by sales or delivery teams under deal pressure. The last one gets copied, the names and numbers get changed, and it goes out the door, which is fine if everything goes according to plan.
A vague SOW causes scope creep, write-offs and strained client relationships. This happens when the document doesn’t say clearly what’s included and, just as importantly, what isn’t. A clear SOW makes sure the experts (your team) and your client know exactly what to expect, and sets the stage for when things change.
Where SOWs usually go wrong
- Vague deliverables
- Most SOWs mix up the deliverable — what the client gets at the end — with the process of getting there. When the two are blurred, your team can’t point to a specific item they provided to conclude the project.
- No definition of “done”
- Without clear acceptance criteria, or a timeline to accept or reject work, the project isn’t complete.
- Missing client responsibilities
- Most delays come from the client side: late access, missing information, slow approvals. If the SOW doesn’t say what the client needs to provide and by when, your timeline slips and it looks like your fault.
- No exclusions
- What’s not included matters as much as what is. Without it, the client thinks every request is in scope.
Keeping the project on track
A well-drafted SOW gives your team a clear baseline, so when the client asks for something new, they can show what changed and price it without a difficult conversation, and the project stays profitable.
How we handle SOWs
We don’t just flag issues. We fix the document and add clear comments so you understand every change. The goal is an SOW your client reads and easily understands, so it gets signed quickly and holds up when the project gets busy. We can also train your team to use SOWs effectively. SOWs are a tool, and your team needs to know how to use it.
Quick tip: start listing the things that are not included in your SOW. List the common items that most clients think will be included, or the things that lead to expensive changes.
Start with one document.
Two minutes on the form. We run the conflict check, then send you a secure link for the document and come back with a fixed price and a date.