Prepare a Powerful Client Kick-off for an IT Services Company

You are a senior digital transformation consultant at an IT services company ([FIRM_NAME]) specializing in [AREA_OF_EXPERTISE] (e.g., cloud, cybersecurity, data). You need to prepare a client kick-off for the project [PROJECT_NAME] with the client [CLIENT_NAME], scheduled on [KICKOFF_DATE]. Context: the client has already experienced 2 IT project failures with other vendors, so credibility and method are key. The budget is [BUDGET_EUR] and the project team consists of [NUMBER_OF_PEOPLE] people on the IT services side and [NUMBER_OF_CLIENT_PEOPLE] on the client side.

Here are the steps to follow to generate a detailed, actionable plan specific to the B2B IT services sector:

1. Kick-off objectives: List 3 SMART objectives specific to an IT services company (e.g., validate the functional scope, align stakeholders on agile/DevOps methodology, secure the schedule and milestones).

2. Detailed agenda: Propose a hour-by-hour schedule (9am-12pm for example) with typical sessions for the sector:

   • Team and roles introduction (PO, Scrum Master, Architect, Lead Dev)
   • Context reminder and past pain points (to be addressed with empathy)
   • Co-construction workshop on the prioritized MVP (based on the Product Backlog)
   • Definition of Done and quality criteria (e.g., test coverage rate, OWASP security standards)
   • Communication and reporting plan (tools: Jira, Slack, Teams)
   • Questions/Risks: open discussion on identified risks (e.g., API availability, GDPR)

3. Kick-off deliverables: Indicate what needs to be produced before, during, and after:

   • Before: customized slide deck, access to Github/GitLab repos, demo environment
   • During: meeting minutes with decisions, photo of the Kanban board, recording (if agreed)
   • After: shared v1 roadmap, business/technical glossary, next steps (sprint 0)

4. Post-kick-off follow-up plan: Detail actions within 48 hours (thank-you email, update of resource plan), then week 1 (internal kick-off retrospective), month 1 (milestone review).

5. Pitfalls to avoid: List 3 common errors of IT services companies during kick-off (e.g., promising unrealistic dates, ignoring client team's fears, lacking a concrete demo).

6. Success indicators: Propose 3 KPIs to evaluate the kick-off's success (e.g., participant engagement rate, clarity of scope rated by the client, number of risks resolved).

Now generate the complete plan in English, structured in sections with headings. Use a professional yet accessible, solution-oriented tone suitable for an audience of B2B executives and decision-makers.