Change order script · Third-party change
A third-party API changes mid-project
The shipping provider deprecated the API version you built against. Nobody did anything wrong, and someone still has to pay for the rework. Here is how to raise it.
TWINJAM alert10:42 AM
Vendor notice: Carrier rates API v2 will be retired on [date]. v3 changes authentication and rate response format.
Possible scope change, visible to your team only
Cites SOW section 7.3, Third-party services. Estimated 22 hours. Change order draft ready for PM review.
The situation
Vendor changes are nobody's fault, which makes them awkward to bill. The agency built against the version documented at signature. The vendor has now announced a retirement date that falls before or soon after launch. The work to move to the new version is real: authentication changes, response mapping and retesting. A well-written SOW says vendor API changes after signature are a change.
Why this script works
The script delivers the news early and proactively, which builds trust. It presents the vendor change as a shared external event, cites the clause, and shows that the agency has already done the thinking.
- Scenario
- Third-party change
- Clause to cite
- SOW section 7.3, Third-party services
- Typical effort
- 22 hours
- Typical change order
- $3,630 at $165/hr
- Reply within
- Same business day
The script
Three versions: the quick reply, the email and the nudge.
Start in the channel where the request arrived, then follow with the email and change order. Copy any version and replace the bracketed placeholders.
Youdraft, reply in thread
Hi [Name], heads up on something outside both our control: [Vendor] is retiring the rates API version we integrated (v2) on [date]. Moving to v3 means updating authentication and the rate mapping, plus retesting checkout. Our SOW (section 7.3) treats vendor API changes after signature as a change, so I'll send a short change order with the hours. Wanted you to hear it from us early so there are no surprises.
Replace every [bracketed] placeholder before sending. Your PM approves every message, TWINJAM never contacts clients on its own.
What not to say
Small wording changes decide whether the client hears help or a bill.
| Avoid | Say instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “This isn't our fault.” | “This is outside both our control.” | Shared framing keeps you on the same side. |
| “We'll eat the cost this time.” | “Section 7.3 covers this, here is the estimate.” | Absorbing it sets a precedent for every vendor change. |
| “Your vendor broke the integration.” | “The vendor is retiring the version we built on.” | Neutral, factual and easy to forward. |
SOW clause to cite
SOW section 7.3, Third-party services
Agency will integrate third-party APIs as documented at the signature date. Work caused by vendor API changes, deprecations or pricing changes after signature is handled under the Change Control clause.
No clause like this in your SOW? Use one of the SOW templates for your next engagement, and have your counsel review final contract language.
CO-NGO-SHOP-07
A third-party API changes mid-project
| Line item | Hours | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| OAuth authentication migration to API v3Senior engineer | 6 | $990 |
| Rate response remapping and error handlingEngineer | 8 | $1,320 |
| Checkout regression across shipping zonesQA engineer | 6 | $990 |
| Vendor coordination and deploymentProject manager | 2 | $330 |
| Total | 22 | $3,630 |
Priced at a $165 blended hourly rate. Cites SOW section 7.3, Third-party services.
Step by step
From the client’s message to a signed change order.
The script is one step. The process around it is what keeps scope conversations short and friendly.
- 1
Check the request against your signed SOW. For this scenario the clause to cite is usually SOW section 7.3, Third-party services.
- 2
Reply the same day in the channel where the request arrived, using the Slack version. Agree with the goal before you mention scope.
- 3
Estimate the work as line items with hours. This scenario typically lands around 22 hours.
- 4
Send the email version with the change order attached and two or three options, including a lighter or free path where one exists.
- 5
Set a decision date tied to the schedule. If there is no reply in three business days, send the follow-up.
- 6
Record the approval or the decision to defer, so the SOW baseline stays accurate for the next request.
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Agency Change Order Scriptbook
12 polite Slack and email templates to ask for more budget without friction.
The scriptbook collects the twelve conversations agency PMs dread most, from the fourth design round to the after-launch feature, with the SOW clause to cite and a change order form for each.
Spot the request before the work starts.
TWINJAM flags out-of-scope requests in Slack, Teams and Jira, cites the SOW clause and drafts a change order like this one for your PM to approve.