Consultancy costs are often seen as a bit of a bottomless pit – hard to predict and difficult to control. Our approach to design fees and business terms is different.
All costs are agreed before the work begins at our office near Oxford – so you know exactly how much the product design work will cost and what will be delivered. You will never receive an unexpected invoice from Crucible.
Detailed specification = clear costs
We are happy to spend a significant amount of our time finding out exactly what you need so that we can prepare an accurate estimate of the time needed, and hence the cost of the work. This approach is based on our detailed Project Specification document, which helps identify all the issues that we need to consider when developing your new product. This approach benefits both of us – you get the reassurance that all your project requirements will be met (and that costs won’t increase), whilst we can be confidant that our time will be paid for.
What if things change?…
Small changes can be accommodated without any additional fees, and our detailed Project Specification process usually reduces the chances of unexpected requirements. If a significant change is made to the design brief, however, we may need to discuss the cost of the revised work. As with all our costs, these will be discussed before any charges are incurred, and the revised plan agreed.
….or there are problems?
Our project management approach is based on a close working relationship with you and your colleagues, and the key to this is frequent meetings at which progress and development issues are discussed in detail. This is one of the main ways in which problems can be dealt with early and easily. Another key factor is the use of development prototypes to identify issues early and deal with them before investment costs are incurred.
If we make an error, we will always correct the design data at our cost. All we ask of you is that we hold regular meetings and reviews to manage the project effectively.
Terms and Conditions
Like our costs, our Terms and Conditions are clear and free of all forms of jargon. We have designed them to make our commercial relationship with you as simple and straightforward as possible, and they underline the collaborative approach that we bring to all our work.