What Client Delivery means in daily project work
A project may be finished internally while the client is still waiting for a shared file. Client Delivery therefore considers more than completed tasks: it follows the path from the agreed outcome to a usable handover. This includes the brief, responsibilities, work status, feedback, service context and transition to billing.
Here, the term is a working model for agencies and consultancies, not an additional project method. You can keep using a Kanban board or phase plan. The added question is: what must be available at each handover so the next person can continue without asking for clarification?
Five handovers, five concrete outcomes
| Handover | Responsibility | Verifiable outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Brief → project | Project lead | Goal, scope, budget range and a responsible client contact |
| Project → team | Project management and delivery | Work packages with outcomes and dependencies |
| Team → client | Account owner | A specific version with a decision question and deadline |
| Feedback → implementation | Project lead | Decision, scope of change and responsibility |
| Services → billing | Project management and finance | Reviewed service basis and a separately reviewed draft |
Example: a relaunch stalled by the wrong question
Studio Nord designs a homepage for the fictional Mustermann GmbH. The task initially says “Homepage finished”. For the design team this means the layout is ready; for the client it means text, images and mobile view are ready to use. They report different states while using the same word.
The team replaces the broad task with a handover: “Layout version 03 for a decision on content order”. The client receives that version, a clear question and a feedback deadline. Technical implementation and image sourcing remain separate tasks. It becomes clear whether work or a decision is missing.
If an additional page section is then requested, the project lead documents the change before it becomes a new billing item. This makes discussions about extra work specific: which decision caused which additional work?
A reliable handover needs four details
Outcome
Name what is being handed over: a version, document, decision or reviewed service. “Update” does not yet describe a usable outcome.
Recipient
Assign a responsible person or role. A message to a large mailing list does not establish clear responsibility.
Next action
Say whether someone should review, decide, add information or simply take note. Making a file visible does not replace a decision question.
Completion criterion
Agree beforehand how successful handover is recognised and how a follow-up question changes its status.
How to observe the process
Start with three observations: handovers without a responsible recipient, tasks without a described outcome and services without a project link. These lists help close concrete gaps. They are not proven OOKI success metrics.
A shared dataset can ease handovers but does not decide who has authority to interpret client feedback. When several client departments are involved, agree on a route for resolving conflicting feedback.
Frequently asked questions
Is Client Delivery the same as project management?
They overlap. Project management organises the work; the delivery perspective described here also makes handovers to the client and billing explicit. This is a practical distinction, not a universal standard definition.
Where should a small team start?
Choose a recurring handover that currently causes many questions. Define the outcome, recipient, next action and completion criterion, then test it on one project before extending it to other handovers.
From the guide to the sample project.
Try the steps in the OOKI demo: tasks, client view, time entries and invoice draft with fictional data. No login required.
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