Separate agreement required
A professional engagement begins only when authorized parties execute a written agreement or statement of work. It should address scope, deliverables, timeline, fees, taxes, expenses, dependencies, customer data, confidentiality, intellectual property, acceptable use, validators, acceptance, change control, security, privacy, incident response, publicity, liability, termination, and governing law.
Possible outcomes
Proof-producing work may recommend proceed, proceed with conditions, pilot only, narrow, repair, reject, quarantine, or stop. Payment for professional effort does not purchase a favorable conclusion or guarantee business results.
Customer responsibilities
The customer must provide lawful authority, accurate information, timely access, decision owners, reviewers, approvals, and safe environments. Customer-sensitive data must use an approved private channel and appropriate agreement—not the public static tool.