Flexible Monthly Services
Flexible monthly services are useful when priorities will evolve and the work cannot be reduced to one fixed project. The Order identifies the service areas, billing model, rate or recurring fee, monthly limit, authorized contacts, and any response or availability commitments.
Two Monthly Models
| Model | How billing works | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based monthly capacity | Pay for actual approved time used, up to the monthly ceiling | The ceiling limits usage but does not reserve the full capacity on demand |
| Reserved monthly capacity | Pay a fixed recurring fee for capacity held for the engagement | Panther & Cub uses commercially reasonable efforts to make the reserved capacity available under the agreed schedule |
Under either model, unused capacity expires at the end of the billing period and does not roll over. The Order should clearly identify which model applies.
A usage-based arrangement provides flexibility when monthly demand changes. Reserved capacity is appropriate when the customer needs Panther & Cub to hold a defined amount of availability and accepts paying for that reservation even when it is not fully used.
What Counts as Time
Billable time can include work reasonably required to perform or administer the engagement, such as:
- meetings, workshops, and presentations;
- research, analysis, planning, and documentation;
- design, development, configuration, production, testing, and quality assurance;
- account, campaign, system, and project management;
- customer communication and approved third-party coordination;
- troubleshooting, investigation, reporting, deployment, and handoff; and
- administration directly related to customer work.
Time summaries are provided with invoices or through the agreed project system. Any billing increment or special time-record requirement is stated in the Order.
How Work Is Prioritised
The customer designates contacts who may request work, set priorities, approve additional time, and accept deliverables. Requests should be maintained in the agreed project system or communication channel.
When requests exceed the available monthly capacity, Panther & Cub will normally:
- identify the capacity constraint;
- confirm the highest-priority outcome;
- defer lower-priority work or propose additional capacity; and
- document any effect on fees, scope, or timing.
A recurring engagement does not create unlimited scope. Work requiring materially different expertise, risk, systems, data, deadlines, or third-party commitments may require a separate project or Order.
Additional Time
Panther & Cub is not required to exceed the monthly ceiling. Additional time requires written approval from an authorized customer contact and is billed at the rate stated in the Order. Approval can use the agreed business email or project-management system unless the Order requires another process.
Temporary additional capacity applies only to the approved billing period unless the written change says otherwise.
Scheduling and Customer Readiness
Unless the Order includes particular coverage hours, deadlines, or service levels, Panther & Cub controls the timing, location, sequencing, staffing, and methods used to perform the services.
Customer delays—including missing access, information, content, approvals, or decisions—can reduce what is completed during the month. They do not extend expiring capacity. Rush, after-hours, weekend, or holiday work is subject to availability and separate approval.
Starting a Monthly Engagement
Before accepting the Order, confirm:
- the service categories and important exclusions;
- usage-based or reserved capacity;
- rate, recurring fee, monthly ceiling, and billing timing;
- whether unused capacity expires;
- authorized request and approval contacts;
- project system, priority process, and reporting cadence;
- additional-time approval and rate;
- initial term, renewal, and cancellation notice; and
- applicable service terms and data-processing requirements.
The Recurring Services Terms contain the contractual rules. The Order controls the engagement-specific commercial terms.