The Iron Triangle of scope, timeline, and budget is at the core of technical project success.
During discovery, the Untold team does all we can to uncover all the details around scope, timeline, and budget. We consult all possible stakeholders – executives, management, admins, etc. – to make sure that we have a clear Iron Triangle in which to work. Without clarity, our estimates and statements of work will lack the accuracy that their teams deserve, setting everybody up for hardship down the line.
Scope
Even with the most exacting requirements documentation, a concrete scope before project kickoff is often improbable. Simple, short-term projects are the likeliest to have a thoroughly defined scope before development starts, but web and mobile projects with any complexity most often benefit from a mutual understanding that scope can expand and contract based on unforeseen or newly wanted features, timeline adjustments, and available budget.
Agile Methodology at Untold helps scope evolve. Many organizations we've helped weren't ready for a fully Agile approach at kickoff. As true partners, the Untold team can still excel within more rigid environments while parts of Agile are adopted. We understand that our clients and partners have restrictions that make ideal Agile relationships difficult, so we promise flexibility and transparency at all times.
Timeline
Timelines are often more inflexible than scope due to our clients' deadlines. That said, steadfastly meeting expectations for launch is a point of pride for the Untold team.
Untold has built functional prototypes from scratch in a few days and built enterprise applications across native mobile and web platforms in multi-year partnerships. Longer-term engagements leverage Agile Methodology that lets timeline be a single part – not the only determinant – of the multifactorial Iron Triangle. Timeline to launch flexes alongside scope and budget within regular, all-inclusive conversations.
Budget
Budget is likely the easiest variable to pin down, though it's often the most difficult conversation.
Untold's most successful partnerships are based on purely Agile agreements between both sides. Fixed bid estimates are an unfortunate reality in today's business world and we have exceeded expectations in many cases. Fixed bid projects often constrict all involved while spending sizable parts of the budget managing the scope, so they're certainly not our preference.
That said, the Untold team welcomes budget conversations of all shapes and sizes.