Pre-Contract QA Scope Handoff (Handoff)

Pre-Contract QA Scope Handoff (Handoff)

1. 01

   Label the QA work by stage before pricing it: proof of concept, prototype, pilot, or MVP

   Each stage answers a different question, and quoting a pilot as if it were a proof of concept is how fixed-bid QA lines get eaten by unbounded retesting.

2. 02

   Write the defect taxonomy into the handoff document and get the client to sign it

   Separate cosmetic, functional, and revenue-blocking defects with a named example of each, so 'this looks off' arrives pre-classified instead of as a fresh discovery cycle.

3. 03

   Fix the regression boundary in writing: what gets retested on every deploy and what does not

   List the flows under automated watch (signup, transactional email, checkout) and the pages that are visual-review only. Anything outside the boundary is a change order.

4. 04

   Assign one named reviewer on the client side and one on the agency side

   Two names, two response windows in business hours. Feedback routed through a shared inbox with no owner is the single largest source of revision creep on retainers.

5. 05

   Instrument the revenue paths before launch, not after the first incident

   A browser-driven check that signs up with a throwaway account, waits for the welcome email, and confirms the paid area stays locked for unpaid users gives the client proof rather than assurance.

6. 06

   Set the automation budget as a percentage of the QA line and state the maintenance owner

   Heavy suites balloon. Cap the automated share, name who prunes it, and put the pruning cadence in the contract so the speed advantage survives month six.

7. 07

   Run the handoff call against the signed document and record the acceptance

   Walk the taxonomy, the boundary, and the reviewer names line by line. Store the recording with the statement of work so scope disputes have a reference point.