Descope

To formally remove a deliverable or requirement from a project's agreed scope, typically to control cost or timeline, with a corresponding adjustment to price or schedule.

Example

Mid-project, a client's budget is cut. Rather than deliver everything at a discount, the agency descopes the analytics dashboard from the SOW, reducing both the price and the remaining deliverables list accordingly.

Why it matters for agencies

Descoping is the mirror image of a change order — instead of adding paid work, it removes agreed work with a matching price reduction. Handling it formally, the same way an addition would be handled, prevents "we'll just do less" from becoming an undocumented, disputed reduction in what the client believes they're owed.