A new integration appears on day nine. What do you promise?
Fieldgate promised a reviewed invoice pilot on day ten. On day nine, the sponsor asks for an extra ERP connector.
The question
You lead delivery. Tomorrow’s review must show a real result, and the new request has not changed team capacity.
- EngineerOne day remains. The connector needs three days to build and two days of acceptance testing.
- SponsorThe board expects a result tomorrow. Can you just add it?
- ControllerThe current file-import pilot can answer the original accuracy and time question.
“Give the sponsor a scope, date and acceptance plan. State what cannot finish by tomorrow.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Expose the trade
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Promise both and work overnight
Tempting, but it misses something. Five days of stated work cannot fit the one day left in the commitment.
Offer a scope/date trade with the estimate
The strong move. The schedule cannot absorb the stated work.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Five days of connector work cannot fit one remaining day. I would show the build and test estimate and ask whether the sponsor wants tomorrow’s original pilot or a later integrated release.”
Why it works: The schedule cannot absorb the stated work.
Step 2: Preserve the outcome
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Pretend the connector is live
Tempting, but it misses something. A mocked connector would misrepresent what the customer can actually use.
Demonstrate the real file-import scope
The strong move. A useful bounded result is credible when its limits are visible.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Keep the reviewed file-import pilot tomorrow because the controller says it can test the agreed question. Label the connector absent; do not simulate it while presenting the demo as integrated.”
Why it works: A useful bounded result is credible when its limits are visible.
Step 3: Plan the extension
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Skip acceptance testing to save time
Tempting, but it misses something. The connector is not ready for handover until it passes the customer’s acceptance sample.
Schedule build and acceptance as one owned milestone
The strong move. Untested integration is not finished delivery.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Make the ERP connector a separate milestone with the controller’s acceptance sample, permission owner and failure handling. Check the estimate with the connector owner before committing the date.”
Why it works: Untested integration is not finished delivery.
Step 4: Confirm the decision
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Leave the trade implicit
Tempting, but it misses something. An implicit trade can become an expanded promise in the board presentation.
Confirm the chosen scope and limit
The strong move. Clear follow-through prevents a different promise reaching the board.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Write a short decision: tomorrow’s scope, deferred connector, owner, estimate and next review. If the sponsor requires live ERP tomorrow, I would say this plan cannot meet that requirement.”
Why it works: Clear follow-through prevents a different promise reaching the board.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Protect tomorrow’s valid pilot and price the added scope in time.
- Because
- The new work exceeds the remaining capacity.
- What would change it
- A ready, permitted connector with completed acceptance evidence would change the estimate.
Common traps
- Promising two incompatible release scopes for one date.
- Removing acceptance work from the estimate.
Check your answer
- Did you compare five days of added work with one day left?
- Did you preserve the valid file-import pilot?
- Did you include acceptance work in the connector milestone?
- Did you confirm scope, owner and next decision in writing?
Last reviewed Nov 10, 2026