A small client request still needs an impact check

“Could it also handle invoices?” may sound like another input. It can change extraction rules, error handling, document access, testing and maintenance. The number of words in the request does not measure its impact.

First compare the request with the accepted scope. Is the input already covered? Is the expected output already defined? Does the request change volume, timing, data access or the supported exception path? Mark the result as included, excluded or requiring clarification, and cite the relevant scope section.

For a change, list the added activities and their effort. Include testing, documentation and handover as well as the build. Make the rate and any direct cost explicit. State what is uncertain instead of hiding it in a confident total.

The next action should be clear: answer the open question, approve the changed scope, or continue with the existing scope. A change request is not a way to make every conversation expensive. It keeps the client and agency aligned about what they are choosing before work proceeds.