When this matters
A request arrives midway through delivery. The agency sees extra work, the internal sponsor sees a clarification, and the buyer expects it within the original price. A useful change record makes those interpretations explicit before anyone promises a new date or fee.
Evidence to bring
- The original requirement or acceptance criterion and the effective scope baseline.
- A dated request with requester, reason and links to affected work items.
- A classification: added requirement, clarification, defect correction or rework, with the supporting rationale.
- Estimated effort, rates, dependencies and schedule impact, plus the approval decision and its owner.
See which tools connect directly and which import by CSV on the Integrations page. Check integration availability.
How to work through it
- Write the before-and-after requirement. Explain whether the requested outcome changes the agreed baseline; a ticket created later is only a signal to investigate.
- Link the request to affected work and source records. In ScopeWorth, review available scope movement and commercial inputs alongside delivery evidence.
- Record a bounded estimate and its assumptions. Offer a decision: replace other scope, change the fee or timing, defer the request, or seek more evidence.
- Record approval in the agreed decision process and reference it in the review. Keep requested, approved, implemented and accepted states separate when updating the baseline.
An illustrative review
Example figures for illustration.
| Recorded evidence or stated assumption | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Illustrative baseline: export a monthly CSV. Later request: also schedule daily exports. | A candidate added requirement; confirm the original acceptance criteria. |
| The addition is estimated at 12–20 hours at an assumed $100/hour. | A $1,200–$2,000 planning range, not actual cost or permission to invoice. |
| The buyer approves replacing a lower-priority item; implementation has not started. | An approved trade-off, not completed delivery. Preserve the decision reference. |
The next decision
Agree the change, its commercial treatment and the next baseline with the responsible parties. Keep the approval record available when later reporting on delivery or explaining an invoice.
What the evidence cannot tell you
Scope movement does not prove that work is outside the contract. A defect fix may remain the supplier’s responsibility. Estimates are not recorded hours, and evidence that work occurred does not establish approval to bill.
AI analysis in ScopeWorth is optional and billed in credits. Evidence, cost attribution and reports work without it. Compare plans and limits.
Questions about this workflow
What belongs in a software change request?
Include the original baseline, requested change, reason, requester, affected work, estimated cost and schedule impact, assumptions, decision owner and approval status. Link the supporting records so another reviewer can reconstruct the decision.
What is the difference between scope change and scope creep?
A scope change alters the agreed work and may be explicitly approved. Scope creep describes expansion that accumulates without an agreed adjustment to commitments. Review the baseline and decisions before classifying a change.
Can ScopeWorth approve a change request for the client?
No. ScopeWorth supports the evidence and cost review. The responsible people must agree approval and commercial terms through their established process.
When should I use a scope-change review?
Use it when an agency request, internal priority change or supplier forecast needs to be reconciled with an earlier commitment. If you only need to assign tasks, the existing work tracker may be sufficient.