After the handover, can my team update it themselves?

The answer is yes. However, "yes" here is not automatic, but rather the result of a decision that must be finalized at the beginning of the project: how much self-management you actually need, and whether the foundation and deliverables meet that level. If these two aspects are not clearly discussed beforehand, many teams receiving the website later find that every time they change a line of text, they have to call the agency.

You can update up to where

There are two layers of work that need to be clearly distinguished.

The first layer is daily content operations: changing images, editing text, posting articles, updating product information, adjusting prices, and adding new pages according to existing templates. This part can be fully managed by the internal team without needing coding skills, as long as the CMS is designed correctly and the operators have been properly trained.

The second layer involves technical and structural changes: altering page layouts, adding new features, optimizing loading speeds, addressing security issues, and integrating external tools. This part still requires expertise. And this is the normal boundary, not a sign of poor handover.

Four factors determining self-management

• Platform selection: Is the CMS user-friendly for non-experts? A platform designed for developers but forced upon the marketing team is the source of most operational issues.
• Deliverable documents: Are there PDFs and video guides that align with the actual workflow of the team, or just generic platform documents?
• Trained individual: Is there at least one person on the team who actually engages during the handover, or do they just receive the file and figure it out later?
• Editing rights scope: Is the CMS limited to the correct areas so that operators do not accidentally alter the layout structure?

Common errors after delivery

• Receiving a website without a CMS or a CMS not configured for end users, resulting in needing to outsource every time content needs to be changed.
• An overly broad CMS can lead operators to mistakenly adjust one area, breaking the layout or causing slow page load times without knowing the source of the issue.
• There are guidelines, but no one has been truly trained; the PDF file has been left unopened for six months.
• Do not clarify the boundaries between self-execution and when to call back the unit, leading to either complete dependence or self-handling that causes further issues.

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

Sinh Vũ considers operational guidelines as a fixed deliverable, not an optional add-on. Each project comes with a PDF and video guide tailored to the client's workflow, aimed at enabling the team to update independently without relying on a specific person. Even if the initial contact has left the company, new team members can learn from that documentation without needing to reach out to Sinh Vũ.

Sinh Vũ also advises on a level of self-management that is just right for the actual capabilities of each team: not opening the CMS too broadly for teams that are not familiar, and not closing it too tightly so that teams become overly dependent. Sinh Vũ clearly states from the beginning the boundary between what the team can do independently and what requires professional assistance, so you can plan your personnel and operational budget realistically, without surprises.

A good handover includes operational guidelines, allowing the team to update independently without relying on one person.

Sinh Vũ, P1 deliverables

If you are in the process of selecting a web development agency, here’s a question to ask directly: does the deliverable include operational guidelines, and what specific tasks will your team be able to handle after receiving the website? The answer will reveal a lot about how that agency operates.