Dear SaaS Vendor PM - A Letter from the Client PM

Dear SaaS Vendor PM,

I hope all is well.

Now that we’re getting into full project mode, I’d like to take a moment of your time to expand a little beyond the black and white deliverables dealing with governance, RAIDs, communication plans, …

Of course, I am assuming that this isn’t the first time we’re meeting; my assumption is we’ve had plenty of time to get to know each other while working on your company’s response to the client’s RFI / RFP, planned demos and the final selection process. If this is our first time getting to know each other, I would suggest that be a lesson learned for your organization; your skills and credentials are as critical to the success of this project as are mine.

One of the first things I’d like for us to work together on, is the development of the project PMP (The Other PMP.) This will help us dig deeper into the above noted deliverables, as well as provide you the opportunity to fully understand the key aspects of the client’s charter that is driving the effort.

This leads to my second ask, please keep in mind that the deliverables that I am requesting are either those that are part of the client’s required processes or are others that I’ve suggested and are incorporating them with the sponsor’s buy-in. I will add one caveat here, if these activities impact the scope or timelines, please let me know and we can work together to provide a shared solution.

Please always remember that I’m not here to tell you how to do your job, nor what tools and processes you use for your responsibilities. However, I am here as a representative of the client, and it is my responsibility to ensure that all of their processes are followed, and all needed activities have been completed to the full expectations of the organization’s stakeholders. Some of these activities may not be part of the tasks you need to complete, but they are critical in obtaining the full definition of done. Let’s work together to structure this effort, using the best mix of the client’s processes and yours while building our shared plans.

Additionally, at post execution please be an active partner in any follow-up closeout activities and lessons learned sessions.

One final note, this is my client as well as yours and I know we both share the same goal of successfully completing this effort with the highest level of satisfaction obtainable. If there are issues or any concerns, please let me know; the only ones we can’t resolve are those that aren’t communicated.

I’m sure you’re well aware of all these things I’ve noted, but as PM’s we both know it’s always better to write it down.

Looking forward to our further conversations and the partnership we’ll be building during the project.

Best

Mike

PS: To all others, want help on-boarding your SaaS vendor team? Let’s connect