Across the stalled automation opportunities since 2024, the same pattern appears in the correspondence: the client's expected go-live date was shorter than the standard delivery plan, and this surfaced late, after the commercial proposal.
Novatek (2025) is the clearest case. The lessons-learned document from November 2025 proposes asking for the target go-live date in the first discovery call and offering a phased scope where the timeline is tight.
Pricing objections also appear in the notes, but in each case a timeline concern was raised first.
Sources
Preview · Shared drive
Recommendation: ask for the client's target go-live date in the first discovery call; where the timeline is tight, propose a phased scope before pricing.
Preview · CRM
Filter: segment = automation, stage = closed-lost. Loss reasons recorded: timeline, budget, no decision.
Preview · Outlook
“…our board expects the new line to be live within eight weeks. Twelve is difficult for us to commit to at this point.”
Preview · Teams
Attendees: Novatek operations lead, AN, MK. Client raised go-live expectations; MK to check whether a phased scope could shorten the critical path.