Had a conversation with a client today where the ‘migration’ scope kept growing. New design, new information architecture, new content strategy, new integrations. At some point this stops being a migration and starts being a greenfield rebuild with some content import.
How do you draw the line and set client expectations?
I use a simple framework: if more than 50% of the scope is new work (new design, new features, new content), it is a rebuild. Price it as a rebuild. The migration is a workstream within the project, not the project itself.
Clients try to frame rebuilds as migrations because migration sounds simpler and cheaper. Be explicit about the distinction early in the sales process.