Northline Scoping Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services.

What exactly is a scoping sprint?

It is a fixed-fee, two-week engagement that ends with a written scope of work, a phased delivery backlog and a costed estimate range you can take to any vendor. We run discovery workshops with your stakeholders, map the current process, and write down what is in scope, what is explicitly out, and what the open risks are. You own the document outright.

How is this different from hiring a management consultancy?

We do not write strategy decks, run org redesigns or sit on retainers. Our only deliverable is a buildable scope: requirements, acceptance criteria, integration list, assumptions and an estimate range with a confidence band. If a project does not need building, we tell you that in week one and refund half the fee.

What does a scoping sprint cost?

The standard two-week sprint is AED 28,000 for a single system or process. A multi-system sprint covering three or more integrations is AED 45,000 and runs three weeks. A one-day Scope Clinic, which is a single workshop plus a five-page summary, is AED 6,500 and is credited against a full sprint if you book within thirty days.

Who from my side needs to be involved?

We need one decision-maker who can settle scope arguments, plus two to four people who actually do the work being changed. Total time commitment is roughly eight hours each across the two weeks, mostly in three workshops. We handle all writing, mapping and follow-up between sessions.

Do you also build what you scope?

No, and that is deliberate. We stay vendor-neutral so the estimate is not a sales pitch, and we take no commission from the firms you shortlist. If you want, we will run the tender for you as a separate engagement at AED 12,000, which includes writing the RFP and scoring the responses.

How accurate is the estimate range?

We quote a range with a stated confidence band rather than a single number, typically plus or minus 25 percent at the end of a sprint. Every line item lists the assumptions it rests on, so when an assumption breaks you can see exactly which part of the number moves. We do not issue estimates for scopes we have not workshopped.

How quickly can you start?

The first discovery call is usually available within three working days and takes 45 minutes. Sprint slots are typically two to three weeks out because we run a maximum of three concurrently. Urgent starts inside a week carry a 20 percent expedite fee when a consultant is free.

What if my project scope changes halfway through?

That happens on most sprints and it is the point. Scope changes discovered during the two weeks are absorbed at no extra cost, because finding them is the deliverable. Adding a whole new system or business unit after kickoff is a change order, quoted at AED 9,000 per additional workstream.

Do you sign NDAs and work on-site?

Yes to both. We sign your NDA before the discovery call and can work under your standard supplier terms. Workshops run on-site anywhere in Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi at no extra charge; anything outside the UAE is quoted with travel. Remote sprints over video are the same fee.