Procurement and RFQs

SOW (Scope of Work)

A document or section defining the work, deliverables, responsibilities, limitations and expected outcomes of a job. In maritime procurement, the concept helps buyers and providers define, price, compare and authorize operational requirements.

What a scope of work settles

A scope of work sets the boundary of what is being bought.
Exclusions carry as much weight as inclusions. What is not stated is generally not owed.
It is the reference every later question is measured against: pricing, variation, acceptance and dispute.
In port call work it often sits inside another document rather than standing alone.

Scope of Work is commonly abbreviated to SOW.

A document or section defining the work, deliverables, responsibilities, limitations and expected outcomes of a job.

In maritime procurement, the concept helps buyers and providers define, price, compare and authorize operational requirements. The exact meaning may vary with the contract, jurisdiction, port practice or workflow in which it is used.

What a scope of work has to answer

Question

What the scope states

What work

The services or deliverables being bought, in enough detail to be priced.

To what extent

Quantities, frequency, duration, and any limits on volume or time.

By whom

Which party is responsible for each part, including anything the buyer must provide.

What is excluded

Work deliberately not covered, so it cannot be assumed either way.

When

The timing the work is tied to, usually the vessel’s window in port.

What counts as done

The condition or evidence that marks the work complete

Scope compared with specification

Scope of work

Specification

Says what work will be done.

Says how it must be done, and to what standard.

Sets the boundary: what is included and what is not.

Sets the quality bar within that boundary.

Changing it changes what is owed.

Changing it can change the price without changing what is owed.

Disputes turn on whether something was owed at all.

Disputes turn on whether what was delivered was good enough.

Scope in PortzApp

Where the scope lives

In PortzApp the scope is carried by the services on a request and the line items on the quotation that answers it. Accepting the quote carries those same lines into the job, so the agreed scope and the account describing it remain one record.

See how PortzApp works

FAQ

The most common questions we get about SOW.

What does Scope of Work mean?

A document or section defining the work, deliverables, responsibilities, limitations and expected outcomes of a job.

What is SOW short for?

SOW is short for Scope of Work.

What happens if work falls outside the scope?

It is not owed under the agreed price. It has to be added by variation, by a revised quotation, or by a new request.