> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://irisdocs.prescientlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Consulting Operations

> Run engagements with the basic discipline clients expect from a professional services firm.

Operational professionalism is part of the product you sell. A technically strong consultant can still lose trust through poor scope control, weak communication or unreliable administration.

## The minimum operating system

For every engagement maintain:

* agreed scope and deliverables;
* project plan and milestones;
* stakeholder and responsibility map;
* action log;
* decision log;
* risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies;
* weekly status update;
* change-control process;
* commercial and invoice tracker.

## Client communication cadence

For a short diagnostic, a sensible pattern is often:

* kickoff;
* brief weekly update;
* validation session;
* final readout.

More complex projects may need workstream check-ins, steering meetings and formal governance.

## Scope discipline

When a client asks for additional work, decide whether it is:

* clarification inside scope;
* a trade against existing scope;
* a change that needs more time or fee;
* a separate future engagement.

Do not absorb repeated additions silently.

## Make responsibilities explicit

Many delays are caused by client dependencies rather than consultant delivery. Confirm who owns data access, security approval, stakeholder attendance, review and final decisions.

## What to do next

Read **Engagement Management** and **Finance & Admin**, then adapt the templates to your normal project type.