Fixed-Scope Pack
Lock the price. Hit the date. Zero surprises.
A Fixed-Scope Pack is a price-certified release contract—ideal when your Feature Clarity Index (FCI) is 8 – 10 and requirements are stable. We freeze scope, baselined by BPMN + BDD artefacts, then deliver on a milestone schedule your CFO can bank on.
1. When to Choose Fixed-Scope
| Indicator | Why This Model Fits |
|---|---|
| FCI ≥ 8 (clear, testable backlog) | Low volatility means price & date can be guaranteed. |
| Mission-critical deadline | Hard launch, regulatory date, or public demo where slippage isn’t an option. |
| Stakeholders need cost certainty | Single number + milestone chart calms finance & exec teams. |
| Quality gates must be objective | BDD tests form the acceptance criteria up-front. |
2. Scope-Lock Process
Baseline Artefacts
- Three-Layer BPMN L1–L3 diagrams
- Gherkin acceptance suite
- Traceable user-story backlog
Freeze Workshop (½ day)
- Confirm "Must / Should / Could / Won't" list
- Sign Definition-of-Done & tech constraints
Variability Buffer
- We absorb ≤ 5 % effort swing inside the price.
- Changes > 5 % follow a mini change-order path (see §5).
3. Commercial Anatomy
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee Structure | 30 % Kick-off · 40 % Mid-point · 30 % Acceptance |
| Payment Trigger | Deliverable acceptance, not calendar date |
| Schedule Format | Gantt + sprint board (2-week cadences) |
| Warranty | 30 days bug-fix SLA; can roll into DaaS Ops |
| IP Transfer | Repo ownership flips on final payment |
4. Delivery Cadence
| Week | Sprint Goal | Evidence Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | CI/CD, skeleton app, seed data | Preview URL, passing smoke tests |
| 3–4 | Core entities & CRUD flows | Demo, updated BPMN & BDD pass |
| 5–6 | Integrations + edge cases | API contract tests, load benchmark |
| 7–8 | Hardening & UAT fixes | Coverage ≥ 85 %, perf > target |
| 9 | Launch Readiness | Go-live checklist, rollback plan |
| 10 | Production Cutover | Post-launch support window |
Timeline flexes with scope size; pattern stays identical.
5. Change-Order Guard-Rails
| Scenario | Treatment |
|---|---|
| ≤ 5 % effort delta | Absorbed—no cost change. |
| > 5 % but ≤ 15 % | Mini change order, cost/time adjusted. |
| > 15 % | Steering Day vote: split into a new Fixed Pack or slide to Sprint Pod / DaaS. |
All deltas visible on the risk heat-map before they bite.
6. Switching Made Simple
| Trigger | Recommended Move |
|---|---|
| Volatility ↑ | Shift to Sprint Pod (T&M cap) for agility. |
| New roadmap emerges | Chain another Fixed Pack or step into Milestone Contract. |
| Continuous evolution needed | Convert to Full DaaS—same squad, retainer billing. |
Switching incurs zero penalties; we re-forecast and keep rolling artefacts intact.
7. Risk Management
- Red-Flag Register reviewed every sprint.
- Performance Budgets baked into DoD (e.g., ≤ 300 ms p99).
- Exit Criteria: All BDD tests green + NFR benchmarks met.
If we miss, we fix on our dime until criteria pass.
8. Mini Case
Telecom Self-Service Portal — FCI 9.1 backlog; Fixed-Scope Pack shipped in 11 weeks, hit 99.95 % uptime SLA on day one, and cost variance landed at -2.4 % vs. quote.
9. FAQs
Need the certainty of a fixed price with agile delivery discipline?
Book a 30-minute scope-freeze call; get a draft Fixed-Scope Pack quote within 48 h.