Why we time-box every engagement to twelve weeks

Every CM Beyer engagement, regardless of division, has a defined end date. Most of them — somewhere around eighty percent — run for twelve weeks from kickoff to close. The exceptions are mostly shorter; very few engagements are longer than twelve weeks by design. This piece is about why we built the business that way and what we give up by doing it.

Where the twelve-week number comes from

Twelve weeks isn’t arbitrary, but nor is it sacred. It’s a number that emerged from looking at engagements we’d run in previous careers and asking when the diminishing returns kicked in. The pattern was reasonably consistent across strategy work, advertising campaigns, and operational consulting: significant value is produced in the first six to eight weeks; meaningful additional value through twelve weeks; and after that the curve flattens out unless the engagement is genuinely a new piece of work.

So twelve weeks is the point at which most engagements either reach their natural endpoint, or need to be re-scoped as a new piece of work rather than continued as the same one.

What time-boxing actually means

Three things in practice. First, the start date and end date are both written into the engagement contract. There’s no rolling-forward clause, no auto-renewal, no “continued as required”. Second, the deliverables are defined upfront and locked in. Changes are possible but require a written variation. Third, at the end date the engagement closes — even if there’s more work to do — unless we and the client mutually agree to a separate follow-on engagement.

Retainer arrangements work slightly differently. We do offer retainers, but they’re structured as a series of defined three-month engagements rather than an indefinite monthly fee. Each three-month period is reviewed, re-scoped, and re-contracted. Clients can step out at the end of any period without penalty.

Why we run it this way

Four reasons, roughly in order of importance.

First, it forces clarity about what the engagement is actually for. If a piece of work has a hard end date, both sides have to be specific about what success looks like by then. Open-ended consulting arrangements tend to drift into “ongoing support” — which is sometimes legitimate and often a way of avoiding hard decisions.

Second, it protects client budgets. Without a defined end date, consultancy fees can quietly compound. A monthly retainer that made sense in month one continues into month eighteen because nobody had a reason to stop it. A defined end date forces an active decision at the natural review point.

Third, it keeps us honest. If we have to demonstrate value in twelve weeks, we have to focus on the work that actually creates value rather than the work that keeps us busy. We can’t coast.

Fourth, it keeps engagements interesting. Long, indefinite engagements often end up with senior consultants doing tasks that should have been handed off long ago. A hard end date is a forcing function for either completion or transition.

What we give up

This model costs us money. Several things specifically.

Lifetime value per client is lower than it would be if we ran open-ended retainers. Revenue is less predictable from quarter to quarter. We have to spend more time on engagement scoping and contracting than we would otherwise. And we sometimes lose work to firms that offer the “ongoing partnership” framing some clients want.

We’ve chosen to wear those costs because we think the work we produce is better as a result. We’d rather have a smaller, more focused practice than a larger one with engagements that have lost their shape.

Edge cases

A few things worth saying.

If an engagement genuinely needs more than twelve weeks — a complex transformation programme, a large rebrand, a multi-phase strategy — we scope it that way from the start, with phase gates at twelve-week intervals. The principle is preserved even if the calendar isn’t.

If a client wants ongoing access without a defined project, we offer a light-touch advisory retainer at a flat monthly fee. These typically last three to six months and are explicitly capped.

If an engagement is running over because of scope changes we agreed to, we extend formally rather than informally. There’s always a written variation. We don’t drift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we extend an engagement at the end of twelve weeks?

Yes, by signing a new engagement contract. We don’t auto-extend. The conversation about “what next?” happens explicitly.

What if we want a long-term partnership?

We offer those, structured as a sequence of defined three-month engagements. You get continuity; we get a regular review point.

Do you offer trials or shorter engagements?

Yes. Shorter pieces of work — a two-week discovery sprint, a four-week diagnostic — are available. See our year ahead note for what’s coming on the productised side.

How do you handle scope changes mid-engagement?

Through written variations. Significant changes get a new statement of work appended to the contract; smaller ones are confirmed by email. Either way, we make it visible rather than absorbing it silently.