Scope and Deliverables
Describe work for each phase precisely, list deliverables, acceptance criteria, and any excluded items to reduce later disputes.
Organizing work into phases improves predictability, ties payments to measurable outcomes, and limits exposure to scope creep while preserving formal acceptance checkpoints.
This agreement is used by organizations that need staged delivery and clear acceptance gates.
Parties often collaborate on an initial draft then finalize terms before work begins to avoid downstream disputes.
Describe work for each phase precisely, list deliverables, acceptance criteria, and any excluded items to reduce later disputes.
Set fixed milestone dates, delivery windows, and time buffers; tie payment triggers to milestone completion and formal acceptance.
Specify amounts, invoicing cadence, retainers, late fees, and remedies for nonpayment; include taxation responsibilities and currency.
Define a written change request process with review timelines, cost and schedule impact analysis, and approval authorities.
Include test criteria, review periods, defect classification, remediation windows, and final acceptance sign-off process.
State ownership, license grants, third-party components, and confidentiality obligations for both parties, including post-termination access.
| Upload Template | Use a final PDF or DOCX as the base document for field placement. |
|---|---|
| Add Fields | Place signature, date, initial, and text fields for each party and phase. |
| Set Routing | Choose sequential or parallel signing order and assign roles to recipients. |
| Authentication | Select signer verification: email, SMS code, or stronger methods where required. |
| Retention | Enable audit trail and choose storage location (cloud or on-premise). |
Choose a signing platform that supports secure audit trails, common file types, and enterprise integrations.
Ensure the chosen platform provides AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit, and captures IP/timestamp audit data for enforceability and recordkeeping.
Date work may begin and clock for milestone timelines.
Dates when invoices are due after milestone acceptance.
Number of days for client review and rejection after delivery.
Maximum days to acknowledge and estimate change requests.
Target date for last deliverable and final acceptance testing.
Establish governance, communications, and detailed schedules with assigned owners.
Deliver the work items defined for the phase and provide progress reports.
Client executes acceptance tests and logs defects for remediation.
Complete remediation, obtain formal acceptance, and close phase documentation.
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day trial, no card | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |
A mid-size SaaS vendor used phase-based contracts to pilot a core module
A construction subcontractor split work into three phases with defined inspections