Reply to: Ffs - Hucking Hell - Early Termination!!

[threaded]

That's tough but it does happen and you need to spot it coming over the horizon. Don't forget to enforce the Parkisnons Law clause in your contract when ever this arises:

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

Yes, many I've worked with have taught themselves new skills, such as rewriting the whole system in another language, on another operating system.

Jesting aside, documentation is a godsend in this regard. You can never write too much documentation.

[singhr]

That's tough but it does happen and you need to spot it coming over the horizon. Don't forget to enforce the Parkisnons Law clause in your contract when ever this arises:

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

[BrilloPad]

boyz and girlz, new one on me.

landed a contract for 4 months over the summer and thought i was going to be right until December. anyhow landed on the project with new stuff to learn (silver light, sharepoint, large application) and worked solidly over the first 5 days to pick it all up - they were pleased with the progress over the period and then that's when the trouble began.

over the following weeks they started pushing for delivery. letting me know that the deadline was x ago, and that extra effort would be grateful...and that there was other deliverables to meet.

delivered the project, unit tested and all that - was pleased with the quality of the work, and then went for lunch came back and they said that because i had delivered early<?> there was nothing for me to do until the end of my contract, and that they were giving me my 1 week notice!!! cutting my 4 mths down to 1.5 mths!!!

damn and double damn! wished i saw it coming but in all honesty i think they got wind of the fact they could have had there deliverables early and under budget...learnt a hard lesson!!


just wondering if this was standard practise or anything?

Thats life as a contractor. You actually did very well : you should be proud.

Anymore work they will get you straight back in. You will get a glowing reference.

[threaded]

The most important thing here, is that you were able to step up a gear at the drop of a hat, then go into overdrive without any problem at all.

Sure, they may have stung you on this one, but you know that you are an ace, you fear nothing, no hurdle is too hurdly.
It's good to know that one is sh 1t-hot

Yes, that is spot on. Don't feel bad about the early termination, feel really good that you did a job they thought'd take 6 months in only 1.5. Yeah, you lost out on a bit of money, but any decent education costs, and you also get the great feedback of knowing how good you really are.

[EternalOptimist]

The most important thing here, is that you were able to step up a gear at the drop of a hat, then go into overdrive without any problem at all.

Sure, they may have stung you on this one, but you know that you are an ace, you fear nothing, no hurdle is too hurdly.
It's good to know that one is sh 1t-hot

[cojak]

Agree with the above but a fixed price for a deliverable ? that won't work in large companies and its a big risk to yourself to negotiate such a thing especially when you've just joined and don't know the system/code or procedures for working.

Yes it does. My Programme Manager in my current project is on fixed price to get the programme through.

And this is a big telecoms client.

In fact it's one of the few programmes I've been on that has actually delivered and will end (for me in 3 weeks time).

More clients should do it - they'd actually get something for their money instead of a never-ending black hole...

[cojak]

If they say yes:

- say "Then please write a recommendation for my LinkedIn profile";
- give out business cards to EVERYONE;
- make it known you would be really, really happy to work there again but it will be at your usual rate, 1.5 times what they paid for this period;
- make it known you are available for ad-hoc work between now and your next contract starting;
- make it known you had to learn the technology at the start and did so, therefore, if they have any other requirements requiring skills they think you do not have, you will pick them up really quickly, just like last time.

This is an opportunity to turn this client into one of those special clients that gives you little bits of work forever.

Oh yes!

WHS with knobs on!

(I feel an archiving moment coming on - even I can pick up a tip or two from good ole' CUK - ta BI and Threaded!)

[cojak]

Yeah goes with the territory I am afraid. Use it to your advantage though, is a good thing to put on CV (project finished way before schedule) and story to tell at interview.

<Ferret in pint half full mode>

WHS

[eliquant]

Agree with the above but a fixed price for a deliverable ? that won't work in large companies and its a big risk to yourself to negotiate such a thing especially when you've just joined and don't know the system/code or procedures for working.

[threaded]

delivered the project, unit tested and all that - was pleased with the quality of the work, and then went for lunch came back and they said that because i had delivered early<?> there was nothing for me to do until the end of my contract, and that they were giving me my 1 week notice!!! cutting my 4 mths down to 1.5 mths!!!

My experience:

If you're confident you can do this every time, take the work on as fixed price. Like what I do. Many companies love the idea of fixed price, and you generally get paid a great deal more, but you have to be careful they don't move the goal posts, so get a really good specification and stick to it. Usually I take their specification, and write my own from it, and get the customer to sign off on that. If they won't firm up the specification, say 'sorry the specification is just not good enough, this'll have to be time and materials', take your best guess and double it. If they're still arsey about it, then the work was never going to be profitable, so move on. Don't go scrabbling for a few pennies. Yes, cash-flow is king, but if a company is failing, let their shareholders bail them out, not by use of your unpaid invoices! If the customer tries to slip more work in, which most do, then that's a variation, and requires a specification, and requires paying for. You'll probably end up having a few arguments with the more unprofessional clients, but that's business.

It is common by the time a company calls in contractors, that they're hopelessly late and this is always due to a fantasy project plan. Accept the project plan is a fantasy, and try and explain what is wrong with it to the customer. Make sure you get the conversation in writing. If they keep saying they're late and won't show you the plan, then just ignore what they say about milestones, as it'll be bulltulip, they're just yanking your chain. Again if they won't show you the plan, or make it extremely difficult, then they have serious management problems, and unless that is your job to fix, don't worry about it, as it is not your problem.

If a senior manager comes up to your table at lunch and starts interviewing you about the state of the project, this is a serious sign your managers have been hiding the truth from their bosses. How to deal with those situations are a whole nother story. Me, I just give them the truth, but you really need to be totally on the ball with that tactic, as even the teeniest mistake will be jumped on; your friendly managers will turn into a pack of circling wolves.

Don't do extra hours for no pay. Especially don't work your weekends for nothing. Companies that have you work for nothing, always mess you about in other ways, most distressing for newbies is the last invoice and/or early termination. So, as an anti-pattern, I say take that on board as business risk, and then such problems are no longer a worry.

[swamp]

or what?

Dunno.

[scooterscot]

<Ferret in pint half full mode>

I think you'll find the glass is as twice as big as it needs to be...

[DS23]

no doubt they will hire you again and recommend you to all and sundry.

chin up and next time slow down a bit: ask more questions and propose more options.

[BrowneIssue]

Caps & punctuation would make it easier on us, please.

landed a contract with new stuff to learn (silver light, sharepoint, large application) and worked solidly over the first 5 days to pick it all up

Paid to train!

they were pleased with the progress over the period

Keep them that way. Don't upset them and spoil it.

there was nothing for me to do until the end of my contract, and that they were giving me my 1 week notice!!! cutting my 4 mths down to 1.5 mths!!!

Right.

Confront them with this.

"Are you really pleased that I did what you thought would take 4 months in 6 weeks?"

If they say no, kick them in the bollocks.

If they say yes:

- say "Then please write a recommendation for my LinkedIn profile";
- give out business cards to EVERYONE;
- make it known you would be really, really happy to work there again but it will be at your usual rate, 1.5 times what they paid for this period;
- make it known you are available for ad-hoc work between now and your next contract starting;
- make it known you had to learn the technology at the start and did so, therefore, if they have any other requirements requiring skills they think you do not have, you will pick them up really quickly, just like last time.

This is an opportunity to turn this client into one of those special clients that gives you little bits of work forever.

[ferret]

Yeah goes with the territory I am afraid. Use it to your advantage though, is a good thing to put on CV (project finished way before schedule) and story to tell at interview.

<Ferret in pint half full mode>