SGMStudios

Client guide & handoff standard

Know what happens before, during, and after the work.

This guide explains the normal SGM Studios project process in everyday language. Your signed scope may adjust it for a specific project.

SGM Studios · Client Guide · Effective August 23, 2026

01 · Before the project starts

A written scope comes first.

A conversation, website visit, estimate, or payment-link preview does not start a project. SGM begins after both sides accept a written scope and any required deposit is received.

01

Fit check

You describe the business problem, desired result, timing, current setup, and who can make decisions.

02

Written scope

SGM lists what is included, what is excluded, the deliverables, timing, access, price, taxes, payment schedule, cancellation terms, and handoff.

03

Start confirmation

After the agreement, deposit, and required starting information are complete, SGM confirms the actual start date or time in writing.

For the Shopify Revenue Leak Audit

The target is 72 hours after all agreed access and starting data are complete—not 72 hours after the first email or deposit alone.

02 · Access & security

Share only what the work needs.

SGM uses “minimum access,” meaning the lowest permission level that still allows the agreed task to be completed.

  • Use staff or collaborator accounts instead of sharing a personal password.
  • Choose read-only access or an approved export when editing permission is not needed.
  • Do not send passwords, payment-card details, or security codes by ordinary email.
  • Remove customer names and direct identifiers from exports unless the scope truly requires them.
  • Tell SGM before sharing regulated, sensitive, or unexpected information.
  • Remove or reduce access promptly after handoff.
Typical audit inputs

Public store URL, relevant theme context, read-only analytics or approved exports, available real-customer speed data, recent release notes, and one person who can answer store questions.

03 · Communication

One owner, one decision trail.

The written scope names the client contact who can approve work. Important approvals, changes, risks, and delivery decisions are confirmed in writing even when discussed on a call.

  • Use the agreed project channel for normal questions.
  • Group feedback into one clear review instead of sending conflicting notes from several people.
  • Flag a genuine production emergency clearly; do not label ordinary revisions as urgent.
  • SGM records decisions, not private side conversations, in the project log.

04 · Changes to scope

New work gets a new decision.

A change request is any request that adds a deliverable, changes an approved direction, introduces a new platform, requires new data, or moves the delivery date.

  1. Describe the requested change and why it matters.
  2. SGM explains the effect on price, timing, risk, and other work.
  3. Both sides approve the change in writing before it is added.
  4. If the change is not approved, the original scope remains in effect.

05 · Review, QA & approval

Approval means the named decision-maker accepts the stated version.

SGM identifies what is ready to review, what is still open, and what the client should test. Silence is not treated as approval unless the signed scope explicitly says otherwise.

  • Review the exact link, file, or version named by SGM.
  • Test the agreed devices, accounts, and customer paths.
  • Check content, prices, tax wording, links, legal text, and brand details that belong to the client.
  • Return one combined list of changes by the agreed date.
  • SGM fixes confirmed defects in scope; new preferences or additions follow the change process.

06 · Handoff

A complete delivery should be usable without guessing.

The exact handoff depends on the project. The list below is the default check before an engagement closes.

  • Final deliverables and source files identified.
  • Production and backup locations confirmed.
  • Account ownership, roles, and credentials transferred through an approved secure method.
  • Domain, hosting, theme, repository, analytics, and app ownership recorded where applicable.
  • Open subscriptions and third-party costs listed.
  • Setup, deployment, rollback, and maintenance instructions delivered.
  • Known limitations, open issues, and deferred work documented.
  • Test results and acceptance status recorded.
  • Training or walkthrough completed if included.
  • Support window and response boundaries stated.
  • SGM access reduced or removed.
  • Client data returned, retained, or deleted according to the project record.
Client acceptance

The final handoff record should name the delivered version, any accepted limitations, remaining responsibilities, and the date the project is considered complete.

07 · After handoff

Support is defined, not assumed.

The signed scope states whether a defect-support window, maintenance plan, training period, or ongoing partnership is included.

  • A defect means the delivered work does not match an agreed requirement.
  • A new feature, new preference, platform change, third-party failure, or content update is new work unless the scope says otherwise.
  • Keep backups before making later changes.
  • Report an issue with the version, steps to reproduce it, expected behaviour, actual behaviour, and business impact.

08 · Plain-language glossary

Words you may see in a project.

Baseline
The starting measurement used to compare later results.
Change request
A written decision to add or alter work after the scope is accepted.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s measures for how quickly a page loads, responds, and stops moving.
CRO
Conversion rate optimization: improving how many visits become purchases or another agreed action.
Evidence label
A note showing whether something was observed, measured, is only a possible explanation, or still needs data.
Handoff
The organized transfer of files, access, instructions, ownership details, open issues, and acceptance status.
Minimum access
The lowest permission level that still allows the agreed work to be completed.
Production
The live website, store, system, or file that real customers use.
QA
Quality assurance: checking that the work matches the agreed requirements and behaves as expected.
Scope
The written list of deliverables, exclusions, responsibilities, timing, price, and acceptance rules.
Staging
A private or non-live version used for review before publishing.
Third-party service
A platform, app, hosting company, payment provider, or other vendor that SGM and the client do not control.