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Acceptance & Handover Protocol

Updated

This protocol defines how BN Digital deliverables are reviewed, accepted, and handed over to the client. It applies to all service types (Design, Development, API Integration, and AI Services) and must be read alongside the relevant service-specific package and the Quality, Retention, Security & Compliance document.

1. Purpose

This protocol exists to:

  • Establish a clear, documented record of when BN Digital's obligations for a given deliverable are fulfilled
  • Protect both parties from disputes arising from ambiguous or retroactive claims

2. Definitions

Deliverable

Any discrete output produced by BN Digital under an engagement, including but not limited to design files, prototypes, code modules, repositories, configured integrations, or AI pipelines.

Acceptance

The client's formal or implied confirmation that a deliverable meets the agreed requirements and that BN Digital's obligations for that deliverable are fulfilled.

Handover

The transfer of a deliverable, including all associated files, credentials, and documentation, from BN Digital to the client.

Review Period

The period during which the client is expected to assess a deliverable and raise documented objections. The standard Review Period is five (5) business days from delivery notification, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

3. Delivery notification

When a deliverable is ready for review, BN Digital will notify the client in writing (email or project management tool) specifying:

  • What has been delivered and where it can be accessed
  • The start date of the Review Period
  • The specific criteria or scope items the deliverable addresses

4. Review period

The client has five (5) business days from delivery notification to review the deliverable and submit a written objection.

During this period, the client should assess whether the deliverable:

  • Addresses the agreed requirements or scope items
  • Contains material defects that prevent its intended use
  • Deviates from agreed specifications in a material and documented way

Feedback must be specific, documented, and submitted in writing before the end of the Review Period.

General dissatisfaction, aesthetic preferences, or requests for changes beyond the agreed scope are not valid grounds for rejection and are subject to the Scope Change & Change Request Policy.

5. Acceptance triggers

Acceptance of a deliverable is deemed to occur upon whichever of the following happens first:

  • The client provides written approval of the deliverable
  • The Review Period expires without a written, documented objection from the client
  • The client deploys, publishes, or uses the deliverable in a production or commercial context
  • The client provides the deliverable to a third party

Once a deliverable is accepted, it is considered final. BN Digital has no obligation to make further changes to an accepted deliverable without a new Change Request.

6. Handling objections

If the client raises a written objection within the Review Period, BN Digital will:

  • Acknowledge receipt of the objection within two (2) business days
  • Assess whether the objection relates to a genuine failure to meet agreed requirements, or constitutes a new or changed requirement
  • If the objection is valid: remediate the issue and resubmit the deliverable for a new Review Period
  • If the objection constitutes a scope change: process it under the Scope Change & Change Request Policy

BN Digital is not obligated to accept objections submitted after the Review Period has elapsed.

7. Partial acceptance

Where a deliverable comprises multiple components, the client may accept individual components independently.

Acceptance of any component is final for that component, regardless of the status of others.

8. Handover process

Handover is the physical or digital transfer of deliverables and is distinct from acceptance. A deliverable may be handed over before, during, or after the Review Period depending on its nature.

8.1 Design files

  • Client-hosted accounts (Figma, etc.): Handover occurs continuously with each committed edit. No separate handover action is required.
  • BN Digital-hosted accounts: The client requests a handover session, during which files are exported and transferred. Alternatively, BN Digital's delivery manager initiates transfer within three (3) business days of project inactivity.

8.2 Code and repositories

  • Codebase is delivered via repository access, archive export, or an agreed transfer method at project conclusion.
  • BN Digital will provide access credentials or transfer ownership of relevant version control repositories as applicable.
  • Any BN Digital-controlled hosting or environments related to the project are decommissioned in line with the retention periods in the Quality, Retention, Security & Compliance document.

8.3 Integrations and configurations

  • Credentials, API keys, and configuration settings are transferred to the client's control.
  • BN Digital's access to client systems and third-party accounts is revoked by the client post-handover. BN Digital is not responsible for access that the client fails to revoke.

8.4 AI systems

  • Delivered as code, configuration files, pipeline definitions, and/or documentation of model integrations.
  • The client assumes full operational responsibility for AI systems upon handover, including ongoing monitoring, validation, and compliance.

9. Post-handover responsibilities

Following acceptance and handover, the client assumes full ownership and operational responsibility for all deliverables. BN Digital's obligations under the engagement cease. Specifically:

  • BN Digital is not responsible for maintaining, updating, or debugging accepted deliverables
  • BN Digital is not responsible for changes in third-party platforms, APIs, or tools that affect the deliverable post-handover
  • BN Digital is not responsible for issues introduced by the client's own modifications to the deliverable
  • Any post-handover support, maintenance, or remediation is outside the default scope and requires a new engagement or retainer agreement

10. Data and asset retention post-handover

BN Digital retains copies of project assets for limited periods following handover, as specified in the Quality, Retention, Security & Compliance document.

Clients are responsible for ensuring they have retrieved and backed up all necessary materials before these retention periods expire.

BN Digital is not liable for the loss of assets that the client failed to retrieve within the applicable retention period.

11. Disputes arising after acceptance

Where a client raises a claim relating to a deliverable that has been accepted under this protocol, BN Digital will refer to the acceptance record (written approval or expiry of the Review Period) as evidence that its obligations for that deliverable were fulfilled.

Post-acceptance claims based on issues that were reasonably discoverable during the Review Period will not be entertained as warranty claims and will be treated as new scope.