A Scenario of Scope Creep

Fwd: Project Failures, PERIL Database, Risk Management (Photo credit: Nguyen Vu Hung (vuhung))

As we may realize, scope creep is unavoidable in just about any project. This story may become a memorable one; I shall leave that up to the reader. Let us first squire a definition of the term. Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer. (2008) defines scope creep as “the tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the project’s output as the project progresses.”

For instance I can recall is how, as I was protesting a cab driver’s decision to drive a roundabout path to where I intended to go.

Incidentally, drivers who invest in Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, which “read” the road and “decide” the better or best path, given current traffic conditions. The hope would be that, while relying upon such an instrument, drivers avoid heavy traffic, enabling their clients to reach their destinations in time.

I return to the story here. I was in outrage when the driver thought I would be pleased to arrive quickly when he took Interstate-15 South to a destination when my destination was already close-by. In my mind the driver obviously had clue that a Tom-Tom GPS can display more than one possible path to the given address; choose wisely. That would mean I pay a reasonable fare amount, based on the cab company’s terms.

The way I dealt with the issue is to allow the driver to go around on the less effective path, and I he then listened to me as I directed him to my destination.  It did incur an unjust amount to remit. Oh, and of course, the GPS should not be without the ability to list traffic directions. The way to avoid this would be to know how to use the instrument expertly, and make the customer smile with confidence. I then reported the driver to the management.

Doll (2013) tells how to avoid scope creep in seven steps:

1. Be sure to understand the project vision thoroughly. Meet with the project drivers and deliver an overview of the project as a whole for their review and comments.
2. Know your priorities and the priorities of the project drivers. Make an ordered list for your review throughout the project duration. Items should include budget, deadline, feature delivery, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. Use this list to justify your scheduling decisions once the project has commenced.
3. Define the deliverables and have them approved by the project drivers. Deliverables should be general descriptions of functionality to complete during the project.
4. Break the approved deliverables into actual work requirements. The requirements should be as detailed as necessary and can be completed using a simple spreadsheet. The larger your project, the more detail you should include. If your project spans more than a month or two, remember to include time for software upgrades during development and always include time for ample documentation.
5. Break the project down into major and minor milestones and complete a generous project schedule to be approved by the project drivers. Coming in under budget and ahead of schedule leaves room for additional enhancements. Get approval of this in writing beforehand.
6. Once a schedule has been created, assign resources and determine your critical path using a PERT Chart or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Your critical path will change over the course of your project, so it is important to evaluate it before development begins. Determine which deliverables.
7. Expect that there will be scope creep. Use Change-Order forms early, and educate the project drivers [and team] on your processes. A Change Order form will allow for producing a cost-benefit analysis before scheduling changes requested by the project drivers.

From what I learned about project management, so far, one wants to monitor the progress constantly. Speak informally to each contributor towards the completion of the project to know where they are in the project and so they can tell of any problems they experience; and watch the tracking and budget. The manager needs to prioritize a list of management tasks (High-Med-Low). Track people, time, and resources. Produce needed reports, and monitor the project. Look for discrepancies or conflicts; report them. Focus on these: the timeline, the budget, and the client satisfaction (Managing projects, 2010).

References

Doll, S. (2013). Seven steps for avoiding scope creep. CBS Interactive, Retrieved from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/

Monitoring Projects [Video webcast]. (2010). [With Harold Stolovich]. Laureate Education. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_
tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3398237_1%26url%3D

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

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