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Arrangements

Generally fall into one of three categories:

Defined Projects

In cases where the scope of the program, as well as the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, Melbourne will provide a quote for the entire project. In the event of mission creep, due to either discoveries or a change in parameters, the price will be renegotiated.

Open-ended Projects

These kinds of projects are best handled on an hourly basis. To prevent surprises concerning the final price, close communication is required, usually in the form of interim reports.

Ongoing Support

There are times when shortfalls in staffing call for ongoing support. The best way of handling this is by placing Melbourne on retainer. In such a case, a block of time is committed to the customer each week or month, for a specific duration. The advantage of this arrangement is that several different designers, engineers or test technicians have access to Melbourne's resources on a priority basis and without having to go through the bother of obtaining a quote, submitting a request for a purchase order, processing the purchase order and processing an invoice every time that assistance is required. This encourages open communications and exemplifies the principle of investing time in order to avoid problems rather than wasting time in order to solve problems.