The Negotiator
This day has brought the worst negotiation process I’ve ever had in my three years as an IT mercenary. While I’ve been performing hits since I was in second year college, my client today has brought scope negotiation difficulties to a new level.
Background Information
I agreed (using a signed contract) to render my services as a Systems Analyst and System Developer for a startup corporation. For a sum not exceeding five digits in the lower half of such possible compensation spectrum, my services would have included:
- analysis of current system
- design, development and implementation of a new system
So what happened today?
Reality hit my client and I square in the nuts, destroying our fairy-tale project fantasy. Analysis would involve decoding 683 PHP files spread over 49 folders, using inconsistent coding practices, lousy variable names and accessing a database without security measures. This, I might add, is more than enough work to fit the current compensation bill.
So, I renegotiated for a new price. To account for the exponential mind-work needed to accomplish the tasks for the project, their inability to produce the necessary information regarding the system (i.e. explanation for certain program sections and database details) and failure to provide me access to their running system (a required provision in the signed agreement, therefore a breach of contract).
To which they opposed…
That’s normal and expected. Nobody’s really thrilled to hear rising costs coming their way, right?
Violently with insults …
And the freshly-written termination of agreement is all I can do to keep everything civil.
