Process: Client Communication

Owner: Delivery Manager (Dana) Type: Manual Frequency: Per delivery — ongoing from intake handoff through post-delivery

Purpose

Defines how and when clients are kept informed during a delivery. Ensures consistent, professional communication that builds trust, manages expectations, and surfaces issues early. No client should ever have to ask "what's happening with my order?" — they should already know.

Communication cadence

Delivery stage	Update frequency	Channel
Planning	Once (kickoff confirmation)	Email-style written update
Production	Weekly (or per agreed cadence)	Email-style written update
QA	At submission and at certification	Email-style written update
Deployment	At start and at completion	Email-style written update
Handover	Once (handover package)	Formal handover document
Post-delivery	Once (review summary, if shared)	Email-style written update

Default cadence: Weekly during active production. Adjust based on client preference or delivery timeline (e.g., daily for rush deliveries, biweekly for long-running projects).

Escalation triggers

The following situations require immediate client communication (outside the normal cadence):

Trigger	Action
Timeline slip > 2 business days	Inform client of new expected date and reason
Scope change required	Get client approval before proceeding
QA failure requiring rework	Inform client of delay and remediation plan
Deployment blocker	Inform client with revised timeline
Resource conflict affecting delivery	Inform client proactively

Rule: Bad news travels fast. Never delay communicating a problem — clients lose trust when they discover issues late.

Communication templates

Template 1: Kickoff confirmation

Subject: [Client Name] — Delivery kickoff: [Digital Talent Name]

Hi [Client Name],

We've received your requirements and are ready to begin building your digital
employee. Here's what to expect:

**Scope:** [Brief description of what we're building]
**Expected delivery date:** [Date]
**Update cadence:** [Weekly / other]

**Key milestones:**
- Production: [Start date] - [End date]
- Quality assurance: [Date range]
- Deployment and handover: [Date]

If you have any questions or need to adjust the scope, please let us know
before production begins.

Best regards,
Dana — Delivery Manager, Talent Factory

Template 2: Weekly status update

Subject: [Client Name] — Status update: [Digital Talent Name] ([Date])

Hi [Client Name],

Here's your weekly update:

**Current stage:** [Production / QA / Deployment]
**Status:** [On track / At risk / Delayed]
**Progress since last update:** [Brief summary]
**Next milestone:** [Milestone] — expected [Date]

[If at risk or delayed:]
**Issue:** [Brief description]
**Impact:** [Timeline impact]
**Remediation:** [What we're doing about it]

[If on track:]
No blockers. We're on schedule for [next milestone].

Best regards,
Dana — Delivery Manager, Talent Factory

Template 3: Escalation / delay notification

Subject: [Client Name] — Timeline update: [Digital Talent Name]

Hi [Client Name],

I want to keep you informed of a change to our delivery timeline.

**Issue:** [Clear, honest description of what happened]
**Impact:** Delivery date has shifted from [Original date] to [New date].
**Why:** [Root cause, without blame or jargon]
**What we're doing:** [Remediation steps]

I apologize for the inconvenience. We are prioritizing this to minimize
any further delay.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.

Best regards,
Dana — Delivery Manager, Talent Factory

Template 4: Handover notification

Subject: [Client Name] — Your digital talent is ready: [Digital Talent Name]

Hi [Client Name],

Great news — your digital talent has been built, tested, and deployed.

**What was delivered:** [Scope summary]
**How to access:** [Access instructions or link to setup guide]
**Configuration notes:** [Any client-specific customization details]
**Support:** [Contact information or next steps for support]

Please confirm that you've received and reviewed the delivery. We'd also
appreciate any initial feedback.

Within the next few days, we'll follow up with a brief post-delivery review
to capture your experience and identify any improvements.

Thank you for choosing Talent Factory.

Best regards,
Dana — Delivery Manager, Talent Factory

Tone guidelines

• Professional but warm. We're a small company delivering custom work — not a faceless corporation.
• Honest. If something is late, say so. Don't hide behind vague language.
• Proactive. The client should learn about problems from us, not discover them.
• Concise. Clients are busy. Get to the point, then provide detail for those who want it.
• No jargon. Avoid internal terms (production line, QA gate, certification). Use client-friendly language (building, testing, quality check).

Quality gate

Client communication is well-executed when:

• Every delivery has a kickoff communication sent
• Status updates are sent at the agreed cadence with zero missed updates
• All escalation triggers result in immediate client notification
• Communications follow the tone guidelines
• Client acknowledges handover communication