beam-ai-team/scope-of-work-creation

Scope of Work Creation

Generate professional proposals and statements of work for client projects with clear phasing, success gates, and deliverables.

Safety Contract

Before saving a SOW, proposal, pricing table, or legal/support terms, show the client/project, source requirements, destination path, commercial assumptions, and out-of-scope items. Require explicit user approval in the current turn before writing files or preparing external-send drafts. Do not send SOWs, update CRM, or create contract records from this skill.

Purpose

This skill automates the creation of comprehensive SOWs by:

• Structuring proposals with phased approach and success gates
• Defining clear deliverables, timelines, and cost breakdowns
• Establishing out-of-scope boundaries and client requirements
• Including security, support, and legal terms

Key Features:

• Phased approach with success gates (validate before advancing)
• Clear cost breakdowns and credit structures
• Deliverables mapped to each phase
• Out-of-scope items to prevent scope creep
• Professional formatting and structure

Time Estimate: 15-20 minutes per SOW

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Workflow

Step 1: Initialize TodoList

Create TodoWrite with all workflow steps:

- [ ] Gather project context and requirements
- [ ] Define phases and success gates
- [ ] Break down deliverables per phase
- [ ] Calculate costs and pricing structure
- [ ] Define out-of-scope items
- [ ] Add support, security, and legal terms
- [ ] Review and finalize SOW
- [ ] Close session to save progress

This creates transparency and allows progress tracking.

Mark tasks complete as you finish each step.

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Step 2: Gather Project Context

Inputs Required:

1. Client Information:

   • Client name
   • Industry and company size
   • Primary use case or problem
   • Technical environment

2. Project Scope:

   • Core objectives (what should be achieved?)
   • Success criteria (how to measure success?)
   • Timeline and urgency
   • Budget constraints or expectations

3. Technical Requirements:

   • Integrations needed
   • Security/compliance requirements
   • Infrastructure constraints
   • Data requirements

Deliverable: Context summary document

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 3: Define Phased Approach

Structure: Create 2-3 phases with clear success gates

Phase Template:

Phase [N]: [Phase Name] ([Success Gate/POC/Production-Ready])

Cost: $[AMOUNT]

Deliverables:
- [Core feature 1]
- [Core feature 2]
- [Infrastructure/setup item]
- [Integration point]
- [X hours of engineering]

Success Gate: [Criteria for advancing to next phase]

Success Gate Examples:

• "Client is not obligated to advance to Phase 2 unless Phase 1 meets quality standards"
• "POC must demonstrate [specific metric] before production deployment"
• "Client can exit after Phase 1 with working pilot"

Call Option Template (if applicable):

Call Option for Phase [N]:
The Customer shall have a unilateral option to commence Phase [N] at any time up to and including the last day of Phase [N-1]. The Call Option may only be exercised by written notice via email to [Company] at [EMAIL] from an authorized representative.

Upon valid exercise:
- Phase [N] becomes billable according to payment terms
- Project scope and timeline extended by [X] weeks

If not exercised, Phase [N] shall not commence and no fees shall be due.

Deliverable: Phased project structure with success gates

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 4: Define Deliverables and Pricing

For Each Phase:

1. List Specific Deliverables:

   • Technical deliverables (features, integrations, infrastructure)
   • Workspace/access setup
   • Documentation and training
   • Support and maintenance
   • Engineering hours included

2. Calculate Pricing:

   • Base cost per phase
   • Engineering hours breakdown
   • License credits (if applicable)
   • Total investment summary

Pricing Structure Template:

Phase 1: Core [Feature] Pilot
Cost: $[AMOUNT]
Deliverables:
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
- [X] hours of AI agent engineering

Phase 2: Production-Ready [Feature]
Cost: $[AMOUNT]
Deliverables:
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]

Credit: [X]% of Phase 2 cost applied to first-year platform license

Deliverable: Complete pricing breakdown with deliverables

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 5: Define Out-of-Scope Items

Purpose: Prevent scope creep and set clear boundaries

Categories to Address:

1. Additional Use Cases:

   • "Scope limited to [specific use case]; other [category] automation is excluded"
   • Example: "Additional recruiting use cases - Scope limited to interview scheduling workflows only"

2. Integrations:

   • "Only [System X] integration is included; integrations with other [category] are excluded"
   • Example: "Only Thrive integration included; other ATS/HRIS integrations excluded"

3. Advanced Features:

   • "[Feature category] - [Basic version] included; [advanced version] excluded"
   • Example: "Basic admin dashboard included; advanced analytics, custom reporting excluded"

4. Ongoing Support:

   • "Support limited to [phase/timeframe]; post-[phase] maintenance requires separate agreement"
   • Example: "Support limited to POC phase; post-POC maintenance requires separate agreement"

Deliverable: Clear out-of-scope section

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 6: Add Support, Security, and Requirements

Support Section:

Support:
[Company] will set up a joint communication channel (Slack/Teams) for direct customer support and fast issue resolution.

Client Requirements:
- Client provides API spec in compatible format
- Client supports API access/testing for integrations
- [Company] supports setup of future use cases during project phase

Security Section:

Security Requirements:
[Company] follows [SOC2/ISO 27001] standard for security and data privacy.

Measures include:
- Data Encryption: All sensitive data encrypted during transmission and storage
- Compliance: Agents comply with relevant data protection regulations
- Access Controls: Granular permissions restricting access to authorized personnel only

Main Benefits Section:

Main Benefits of [Solution]:
- Rapid deployment of operational MVP within [X] weeks
- Minimal technical team involvement for integration
- Scalability for future automation needs

Deliverable: Complete support, security, and benefits sections

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 7: Review and Finalize

Final Review Checklist:

• [ ] All phases clearly defined with success gates
• [ ] Deliverables specific and measurable
• [ ] Pricing transparent with breakdown
• [ ] Out-of-scope items comprehensive
• [ ] Support and security requirements included
• [ ] Legal terms (call option) if applicable
• [ ] Professional formatting and structure
• [ ] Client name and use case correctly referenced throughout

Present to user:

1. Show complete SOW structure
2. Ask: "Does this capture all requirements? Any changes?"
3. Refine based on feedback
4. Generate final formatted document

Deliverable: Final SOW ready for client

Mark this todo complete before proceeding.

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Step 8: Share to Team (Optional but Recommended)

After using this skill successfully, consider sharing it with the team via Notion.

To share: Say "export this skill to Notion" or use the export-skill-to-notion skill.

Skip this if: Skill is personal/experimental or contains sensitive info.

Mark this todo complete after deciding (share or skip).

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Final Step: Close Session

Once the workflow is complete, automatically trigger the close-session skill:

Auto-triggering close-session to save progress...

This is the final mandatory step. Do not skip - it ensures all progress is preserved.

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SOW Structure Template

### Proposal & Scope of Work
**Proposal**: [Solution description for CLIENT]

#### Context
This proposal introduces [solution type] for [CLIENT NAME] to [primary objective]

#### At A Glance
- Phased Approach with Success Gates - Validate at each step
- Core [Feature] Pilot (Phase 1) - Foundation with quality gate
- Production-Ready [Feature] (Phase 2) - Full production with license credit

[PHASES DETAILED ABOVE]

#### Out of Scope
[OUT-OF-SCOPE ITEMS]

#### Support
[SUPPORT DETAILS]

#### Security Requirements
[SECURITY DETAILS]

#### Main Benefits
[BENEFITS LIST]

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Notes

About Phased Approach:

• Success gates protect client investment
• Each phase delivers standalone value
• Clear exit points after each phase
• Credit structure incentivizes full engagement

About Pricing:

• Transparent cost breakdown builds trust
• Engineering hours show value
• License credits reduce friction
• Phasing spreads investment over time

About Out-of-Scope:

• Critical for preventing scope creep
• Sets realistic expectations early
• Creates opportunities for future upsells
• Protects project timeline and budget