A recommendation is sometimes difficult because it asks a client to revisit a decision they have already made. There may be money committed, a team invested in the plan, or a deadline that leaves little room to change it.
That is a reason to explain the concern carefully and early.
Show what led to the recommendation
Start with the evidence. Which requirement is not being met? What happened in the test? What work or cost is missing from the plan?
Be specific enough that the client can question the conclusion. If a finding depends on an estimate, show the assumption. If there are gaps in the evidence, explain how they affect the recommendation.
A concern about an implementation should identify the decisions or conditions that need attention. Broad judgments about a team or vendor rarely help the person deciding what to do next.
One review found that the data needed roughly six months of preparation before it could support the proposed AI use case. That changed the recommendation and the schedule. The useful conversation was about what data work was needed and what the team could do in the meantime.
Explain the options
A recommendation to pause a project needs more than a list of problems. The client needs to understand what can be fixed, what a narrower scope would accomplish, and what happens if they continue with the original plan.
The options may include further testing, a different implementation approach, additional data work, or stopping the project. Each has consequences for cost, timing, and the people involved.
We discuss those trade-offs with the client. They have context and responsibilities that a technical review alone cannot capture.
Keep the decision and the next engagement separate
A review should produce something the client can use, whether they implement the recommendations with us, with another team, or not at all. Any implementation or ongoing support is a separate decision with an agreed scope.
That is how we approach the work at Joust: explain what we found, what we recommend, and what would change our view.
If you are weighing a technical decision, talk it through with Ron.
Ron Davis
Founder
Three decades building enterprise platforms. Started Joust to close the gap between strategy decks and the work they're supposed to change.