What is scope creep in information systems projects?

‘Too many chefs spoil the broth’ and that is indeed the case with ongoing projects. If the clients assign multiple people to run points on the project, they’ll each have a different vision and that would ultimately create major confusion. Similarly, giving major decision powers to multiple members of the project team can also lead to issues. Giving a certain level of autonomy to the team members is good for the project but as a manager, it’s your job to set the limits.

While these issues are quite hard to avoid, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you are in control and the effects of scope creep remain at a minimum.

Why project scope creep is bad?

Project scope creep is usually disastrous for a project but there are instances when diverging from the original plan becomes acceptable. Since many projects run over the course of several years, there can be changes in the market dynamics or in the customers’ requirements which causes the project scope to expand.

Few issues that are caused by scope creep are,

• Lack of communication
• Lack of experience in project scope
• Poor goal setting

Can scope creep be a good thing?

It is important to know that you cannot completely eliminate scope creep from your projects. Customers’ demands might change in the middle of the project. So you should always be prepared for some changes which act as an advantage.

The following are some of the advantages of scope creep in an organization:

Improves customer retention

Accommodating change requests means your team is going above and beyond for a customer. This improves your reputation in the market and not only generates new customers but also ensures that the previous customers return to you for future projects.

Ensures market compatibility

When your features are frequently getting updated, your final product will be able to meet the requirements of the market easily. But changes must be according to the given project constraints and changes must be reflected in the updated deadlines and budget.

Increases revenue

If your company charges clients on a per-hour basis or your rates are according to the deliverables demanded. Change requests can mean an increase in the revenues of your company.

Optimizes the team’s processes

The increase in the project’s objective can also mean a learning opportunity for your team. For the next time, you can optimize your internal processes in order to reduce scope creep in the future.

Why proactively address scope creep?

Being proactive in addressing scope creep is crucial because

• it can lead to significant cost overruns,
• it can cause a breakdown in team communication,
• it can lead to inefficient time management in the team,
• it can cause quick burnout within the team, and,
• It can lead to a lack of clarity over final deliverables.

As is evident, scope creep can exact a severe toll in terms of both productivity and wellbeing within a project team. This makes it critical to address the causes of scope creep well before a project is executed.

Scope creep vs scope change vs scope gap

Scope creep is an unofficial, gradual scope change. Due dates and budgets are not appropriately changed, which can lead to dissatisfaction or even project failure.

Scope change is when both the client and the project manager officially decide to change the scope of the project, add a project feature or expand a functionality, for example. It is controlled and involves adjustments to budgets, timelines, and resources.

Scope gap happens when the project team’s understanding of the scope and the client’s expectations do not match. It’s a common problem in non-agile projects because the scope is often considered fixed. Agile projects expect the scope to change and since the development is iterative, scope gaps can’t exist beyond a single iteration.

How to avoid and manage scope creep

You can’t avoid scope creep completely and in some cases, a small deviation from the original plan is necessary for the success of the project. You can handle scope creep in the project where the goal of the project manager should be to manage scope creep in such a way that ensures the success of the project and leaves the clients satisfied with your service.

Because if you keep saying no to every single request by the clients, I guarantee that they will not return. The 5 tips that can avoid and mitigate scope creep in project management are:

1. Be proactive

In order to stay ahead, you must be vigilant from the first day. During the project plan, be sure to involve all the stakeholders to make sure that everything is clear.

Similarly, it’s also better to ask the clients to come up with a project charter and a list of features in order in order to better understand their vision.

2. Prioritize your tasks

It is very important to come up with a list of critical tasks that must be completed in order to finish the project. A priority list is so important that many modern project management methodologies require it.

By prioritizing tasks, you can also keep your team in check and prevent them from wasting time by focusing on unimportant tasks.

3. Put a price on it

Another way of reducing the number of change requests is to charge for additional features. This will not only increase your revenue but also discourage unnecessary change requests.

Similarly, a zero-sum game can also be a smart option. If a feature is being added to the project charter, be sure to get something out. This will keep the time and resources you’ll need to spend on a particular project constant.

4. Take help from technology

Modern projects cannot be completed successfully without help from technology. And no, I don’t mean spreadsheets because they’ll make your job harder. There are project management tools that can significantly enhance the performance of your team.

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