Service Delivery Policy

01. Purpose and scope

This policy explains how VC INFO SOLUTIONS SERVICES LIMITED approaches the delivery of IT consultancy and planning services. It should be read alongside the applicable proposal, service agreement and our Terms & Conditions.

The specific services, agreed outputs, fees and timescales for an engagement will be confirmed with the client before the relevant work begins. This policy describes our general approach; it does not create a separate commitment to provide work that has not been agreed.

02. Services covered

Our consultancy work may include, where agreed, IT requirements discussions, systems analysis, technology planning, software or infrastructure recommendations, digital workflow reviews and planning for potential systems improvements or upgrades.

Consultancy outputs are intended to help clients assess options and plan decisions. Unless expressly included in a separate written agreement, the service does not automatically include:

• Software design or development, coding or custom application production.
• Installation, configuration, deployment or migration of live systems or data.
• Purchase or supply of hardware, software licences or third-party products.
• Continuous monitoring, helpdesk support, routine maintenance or managed IT services.
• Cybersecurity testing, formal compliance certification or specialist technical audits.
• Implementation by third-party suppliers or management of their work beyond the agreed consultancy scope.

Where a client needs work beyond consultancy or planning, we will clarify whether it is within our capabilities and whether a separate agreement is appropriate. We will not treat an enquiry or general recommendation as confirmation that implementation or ongoing support has been purchased.

03. Starting an engagement

An enquiry is an initial request for information. Submitting a form, sending an email or attending an initial discussion does not by itself confirm that we have accepted a project, agreed a delivery date or entered into a paid engagement.

Before starting substantive consultancy work, we will seek to clarify, as applicable:

• The business question, requirements or issue to be considered.
• The agreed scope, exclusions and expected consultancy outputs.
• The information and access the client needs to provide.
• The applicable fee or pricing basis, payment arrangements and any agreed expenses.
• The intended timetable, review arrangements and any relevant dependencies.

Work begins when the relevant proposal or agreement has been accepted and any agreed starting conditions have been met. If further information is needed before the scope can be assessed, we will explain this where reasonably practicable.

04. Delivery timescales

Delivery dates are agreed on a project-by-project basis. We will consider the scope and complexity of the consultancy task, the availability of relevant information, the number of issues to be reviewed and any agreed client or third-party dependencies.

A timetable is based on the information and assumptions available when it is agreed. Delays may arise if requirements change, information is incomplete, access is unavailable or a response from the client or a third party is needed. We will not present an estimate as a guaranteed completion date unless a specific commitment has been expressly agreed.

If no delivery date has been agreed, we will discuss the expected timing before confirming the relevant work. We do not promise same-day service, emergency response or continuous availability through this policy.

05. Consultancy outputs

The form of the output depends on the agreed scope. It may include a written assessment, requirements summary, options comparison, recommendations, planning notes, a discussion summary or another document specifically agreed for the engagement.

The proposal or service agreement should identify the outputs to be provided and, where relevant, their format and level of detail. A meeting or verbal discussion is not a commitment to produce a separate written report unless that report has been included in the agreed scope.

Recommendations are prepared using the information reasonably available to us during the engagement. If information is incomplete or an assumption materially affects the advice, we may identify that limitation in the output or ask the client to clarify the relevant point.

06. Review and feedback

Where an output is submitted for client review, we will explain what is being provided and, where appropriate, identify any specific questions or points requiring confirmation.

Any review period will be stated in the proposal, agreement or accompanying delivery communication. If no review period has been specified, the client should send feedback within a reasonable period and contact us if more time is needed.

To help us assess feedback, clients should:

• Identify the relevant report, recommendation or section.
• Explain the point that needs clarification or correction.
• Distinguish an error against the agreed scope from a new requirement or preferred change.
• Provide any additional information reasonably needed to review the point.

We will review feedback against the agreed scope and respond within a reasonable period, taking account of the nature and complexity of the issue. If a delivered output does not materially match the agreed description, we will discuss an appropriate correction or other remedy, subject to the agreement and applicable law.

Revisions specifically included in the agreement will be handled on that basis. Additional rounds of review, new analysis or changes to previously approved requirements may fall outside the original scope and may incur additional fees, but only after the proposed work and applicable charges have been explained and agreed.

A client’s silence or failure to provide feedback does not remove any applicable statutory rights. If feedback is overdue, we may contact the client to confirm whether the engagement should remain on hold or whether the agreed next steps need to be revised.

07. Additional work and fees

Fees are based on the scope and pricing basis agreed for the engagement. Work outside that scope is not automatically included in the original fee. Examples may include:

• Additional systems, departments, workflows or requirements not originally assessed.
• Further meetings, research or analysis beyond the agreed allowance.
• Substantial revisions following a change in the client’s requirements or assumptions.
• New documents, reports or deliverables not included in the original agreement.
• Additional work arising from previously undisclosed requirements or materially changed project circumstances.

Before undertaking chargeable additional work, we will explain the proposed scope and the applicable fee, rate or reasonable estimate, together with any relevant effect on the timetable. We will obtain the client’s agreement before proceeding.

If the additional fee cannot reasonably be determined in advance, we will explain the proposed charging basis and how the cost will be calculated, and agree an appropriate limit or approval point where practicable before work proceeds. We will not treat a request for clarification or a report of an error within the agreed scope as automatic authorisation for extra charges.

If the client does not approve the proposed additional work, we will continue on the existing agreed scope where reasonably possible, or discuss the available alternatives. We may explain that the original deliverable cannot address the new requirement without a change to scope.

Any applicable taxes, expenses and payment dates will be handled in accordance with the proposal or agreement. We will not introduce an undisclosed fee through this policy. Nothing in this section limits rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

08. Client responsibilities

Clients help the engagement progress by providing accurate and relevant information, identifying appropriate contacts, responding to reasonable questions and reviewing outputs within any agreed period.

The client remains responsible for decisions made using consultancy advice, including whether to adopt a recommendation, select a supplier, approve a purchase or authorise changes to its systems. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, we do not take over the client’s internal IT operations or decision-making responsibilities.

Clients should ensure that any information, system access or material they provide may lawfully be shared for the agreed purpose. Access credentials should be provided only through an appropriate agreed method; clients should not send passwords or sensitive access details through an ordinary enquiry form.

09. Changes and delays

If requirements, assumptions, priorities or the intended outcome change, we will consider the effect on the scope, outputs, fees and timetable. Where a change affects the agreed engagement, we will explain the proposed adjustment and seek agreement before treating it as additional work.

If progress depends on information, approval, access or action from the client, we may need to pause the affected work until the dependency is resolved. Where practicable, we will explain what is outstanding and any likely effect on the delivery plan.

If a third-party provider, software supplier or other external party is involved, their availability and response times may affect progress. We will not represent a third party’s timetable as being under our direct control.

10. Completion and concerns

An engagement will normally be treated as ready for completion when the consultancy outputs expressly agreed for that engagement have been provided or the agreed work has otherwise concluded under the applicable agreement. Any handover meeting, follow-up session or further review must be included in the scope or separately agreed.

If you believe an output does not match the agreed scope, please contact us with the relevant details so that we can review the matter. We will consider the issue and discuss an appropriate next step in line with the agreement and applicable law.

For the process for raising a formal complaint, please see our Complaints Policy. Cancellation, termination and any applicable refund arrangements are addressed in our Service Cancellation Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Completion of consultancy work does not, by itself, create an ongoing maintenance, monitoring, support or implementation obligation unless that obligation has been separately agreed.

11. Contact us

If you have a question about an agreed engagement, a delivery timetable, consultancy output or feedback, please contact us using the details below. Please do not include passwords or unnecessary sensitive information in your message.