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I work as a software developer for a consulting company in Australia. In the past, we provided support services to a particular client for a specific piece of software. This support contract ended nearly a year ago, and that customer's software is now supported by another vendor.

However, at the time the contract ended, we had another non-BAU related work order in place to redevelop the software to update a specific function. We spent some hours at the initial phase to develop a statement of work, and provide some initial analysis, solutioning, etc. However, due to major delays on the customer side, the actual development could not be started or completed by the time our over-arching contract ended, so it didn't proceed any further.

Today however, I've just received an email from the client, asking us to begin preparations to finally deliver this redevelopment project, almost a year after we finished up our contract (presumably because they managed to resolve their other problems). Normally I would have no issues with this, but the software in question is now being supported by another vendor, who are possibly making their own alterations, etc. I have no idea if the application even resembles the same application as it was at the time the work order was initially drafted up.

My question is - how should I go about discussing my concerns with my own management team, or am I fussing about nothing and I just go along with it? I'm particularly worried about who is on the hook for post-implementation support/issues after deployment, since we won't have a BAU contract. How will issue be triaged, and who can be blamed (for example) if other parts of the application are failing, etc.

Update: I've been advised by management that this work will proceed as initially planned a year ago...

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how should I go about discussing my concerns with my own management team

Forward the email to your management with a short note explaining that you think the contract is finished.

am I fussing about nothing and I just go along with it?

No, there obviously is an issue, whether it's contractual or communication, or the client has just sent the email to the wrong person. Either way you need clarification before doing anything.

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    Thanks, you are correct, I'll have to negotiate with management. Their last directive on the matter is that we will still be going ahead with the redevelopment, as uncomfortable as that makes me feel.
    – DRVR
    Commented Jan 24 at 7:19
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    @DRVR, have you articulated your concerns and presented the scenarios which you think may be problematic? There's often serious project overheads when multiple organisations are involved and nobody is in technical control. Your own management may be happy to see a post-implementation disaster occur for the client, to prove why they should get the support contract back, but you don't want to end up struggling to deliver and riding the whirlwind yourselves.
    – Steve
    Commented Jan 24 at 7:56
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    Absolutely. This is a new work order. It's Management's job to negotiate whether the company is interested, whether it's practical, what the bounds are, and what the price is. All you can say is "I've passed the request up the chain."
    – keshlam
    Commented Jan 24 at 13:38

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