How can you avoid scope creep in product development?

Start with the objectives of your work, how it supports your organization's goals, and what you visualize as your vision for the platform you're developing - which consumers will use your product or service, where will it be located/shelved, how will consumers experience the product (from how they order it, use it, benefits achieved, disposal of packaging, etc. The full lifecycle.). The objective here is to highlight your vision for the platform and show how it will strengthen and grow your overall business. From here, you'll need agile processes and openness to adjust and pivot as necessary to create a successful launch for the enterprise.

Craft a succinct and compelling product vision statement that encapsulates the overarching goals, objectives, and intended outcomes of your product. Ensure that the vision statement is clear, inspiring, and aligns with the needs and aspirations of your target audience. This statement should serve as a guiding beacon for the entire development process, helping stakeholders understand the purpose and direction of the product.

En mi opinión, antes de desarrollar un producto, es importante tener una visión clara y compartida de lo que se pretende lograr, definir bien a quienes va dirigido y entender los problemas que se resolverán para ellos. Es igualmente relevante establecer un alcance para el producto, el cual engloba las características y funciones que se planean entregar en un tiempo y presupuesto dados. Esta definición precisa de visión y alcance del producto, permite alinear al equipo, comunicarse de manera efectiva con los interesados y priorizar las tareas. Todo ello, en última instancia, es fundamental para el éxito del producto. Es más que solo un deseo, es una herramienta de gestión y planeación vital.

Define your scope up front, and get unanimous agreement on it. Going forward, relentlessly move superfluous or new features to a post-1.0 release. If a stakeholder really pushes for something outside of scope, request a suggestion for what other item within the defined scope should be removed in place of it (and bear in mind a rough estimation of hours needed for completion).

To avoid scope creep in product development, establish a clear product vision and scope from the outset. Define specific goals, features, and deliverables, and regularly communicate and prioritize them with stakeholders to maintain focus throughout the development process.

Create channels for ongoing communication and feedback exchange with customers and users, such as surveys, interviews, user testing sessions, or feedback forms embedded within your product. Regularly solicit input from these stakeholders at different stages of the development lifecycle to capture evolving needs and preferences. Incorporate their feedback into decision-making processes to adapt and refine the product accordingly, thereby mitigating the risk of scope creep due to shifting requirements.

Creo firmemente que antes de comenzar a desarrollar cualquier producto, se necesita tener una visión clara y compartida del propósito que perseguimos, identificar a nuestros clientes objetivo y los problemas que estamos resolviendo para ellos. Además, es vital definir el alcance del producto, es decir, qué caraterísticas y funcionalidades vamos a ofrecer dentro de un tiempo y presupuesto determinado. Un alcance y visión del producto bien definidos pueden ayudar a alinear a mi equipo, comunicarme con los stakeholders y a priorizar el trabajo. Considero que una de las principales causas del desvío del alcance es la constante variación en las necesidades y expectativas del cliente o usuario.

A critical element in bringing more agility and long term success into innovation departments I've led is to incorporate iterative feedback loops with consumers & customers much earlier in the innovation process. This allowed continuous feedback along the way, and the ability to make adjustments early in the process, prior to spending significant investments in consumer research, validation testing &/or packaging development & design. Also critical is to use the input of your sales team, as they have a pulse on your customers & channels, and help shape not only the product you're developing, but the crucial execution of the launch. Good products launched with flawless execution always outperform great products that have mediocre execution.

80% of your customers will use only 20% of your features. To know what your customers really want, ask this question: - Tell me about the last time you used our product. What were you looking to do? What other tools did you need to use to finish the task? And what else did you have to accomplish that day? The latter part of this question will give you insights into features that make sense for your client. The important part is to ask this question to at least 20 people so you can see a pattern. Too many companies build features that they think customers want, but they end up spinning cycles on features that simply create clutter in their products or will only be used by a very tiny group of customers.

I strongly believe that one should involve customers and users early in the process. Solicit feedback, prioritize features based on their needs, and iterate based on their input. By keeping them engaged, you ensure the product aligns with their requirements and minimizes unnecessary additions.

Establish a structured change management process that outlines how changes to requirements are initiated, assessed, approved, and implemented. Define roles and responsibilities for stakeholders involved in the change control process, including product owners, project managers, and development teams.

Hay dos razones principales para el "scope creep". La primera es el cambio en las necesidades y expectativas del cliente. Para evitar esto, debes involucrar a tus clientes a lo largo del proceso de desarrollo, desde la ideación hasta el lanzamiento. Al obtener su feedback, puedes garantizar que tu producto cumpla con sus necesidades y genere valor, evitando el derroche de tiempo y recursos en características innecesarias. La segunda razón son los requisitos poco claros, incompletos o inconsistentes. Para evitar esto, puedes usar herramientas como historias de usuario, criterios de aceptación y maquetas para definir y documentar tus requisitos de una manera clara.

Any changes to the product's ingredients, attributes or packaging must be approved by the project leader, with consideration being made for the impact on the initiative's objectives. Oftentimes, tradeoffs are required as challenges arise where the desired consumer response or benefit can't be achieved due to process limitations, supply chain challenges, margin dilution, etc. Gaining alignment to the adjusted direction is critical. This can be achieved by making sure you have regular senior management check-ins and key stage gate approval meetings with clear decision criteria and management sign-offs.

Meticulously manage requirements and changes. Establish a robust system for documenting, reviewing, and approving alterations. Maintain clear communication channels among stakeholders to assess the impact of changes and ensure they align with the project's objectives and constraints.

Es esencial tener una visión clara y compartida de lo que se quiere lograr con un producto antes de empezar su desarrollo. Esto incluye reconocer a nuestros clientes objetivo y los problemas que estamos resolviendo para ellos, así como definir el alcance de nuestro producto basado en las características y funciones que planeamos entregar en un tiempo y presupuesto determinados. Uno de los principales causantes de la expansión del alcance de un proyecto es el cambio constante en las necesidades y expectativas del cliente o usuario. Para evitar esto, es necesario involucrarlos en todo el proceso de desarrollo del producto, desde la idealización hasta el lanzamiento

As mentioned, I've brought a "lean startup" or agile approach to my innovation efforts, at companies large & small. Fast beats slow, as companies that move with agility in today's ever-changing environment will win. No longer is it that Big beats Small or vice versa. I've brought product development earlier into the process to gain consumer & customer response to early MVPs rather than waiting to pass traditional research benchmarks. It allows you to improve the product multiple times (& lower costs), launch more successful products, kill products earlier in the process (& with less investment!), and as a result, have more initiatives in the pipeline. I've seen a 3x increase in active projects with the same pre-agile approach budgets!

Always adopt an agile approach. Break the project into manageable iterations, prioritize tasks based on value, and regularly review and adapt plans. Embrace flexibility and collaboration to accommodate changes while maintaining focus on delivering customer value within established timeframes.

This is true. As a leader, it's imperative to make the tough decisions, say no when saying yes will compromise key tenets of what you're creating. Bring alternative solutions to the table, with associated trade-offs, as well as a recommendation for the best path forward. Sometimes, the best path is to kill a project and bring another into the pipeline. If you have agile processes and a strong team, you can often accelerate development and meet your overall launch timing.

Presenting trade-offs is very effective in discussions around scope creep. For new feature requests or changes, present what you will need to give up and who (such as which depts, customers) or what (such release dates, customer commitments, strategic or revenue needs) will be affected . Its really useful to have numbers - in lost or increased revenue, costs, date slippages ready in these discussions.

Try to set clear expectations and boundaries. Define project goals, deliverables, and timelines upfront, and communicate them effectively to all stakeholders. Establish a change management process to evaluate and approve any deviations from the agreed-upon scope. Consistently reinforce these boundaries to maintain project focus and alignment with objectives.

Para evitar el desborde del alcance, es importante incorporar a nuestros usuarios en todas las etapas del proceso, obteniendo de ellos comentarios y validaciones para asegurar que nuestro producto satisface sus necesidades. También debemos gestionar de manera efectiva nuestros requisitos y cambios, usando herramientas como historias de usuarios, criterios de aceptación, y prototipos. Una metodología ágil nos permite adaptarnos a las necesidades cambiantes del cliente, entregando peque?os y valiosos fragmentos de nuestro producto de manera incremental. Finalmente, debemos establecer expectativas claras con nuestros interesados, comunicando de manera frecuente y transparente nuestra visión, alcance y entregables del producto.

Clearly distinguish MUST HAVE and GOOD to HAVE feature list. Get this categorization signed off by the product owner. Now, prioritize the list of MUST HAVE features and create a plan for execution. During planning, it should be best case plan! It should not be loaded with buffers and backups! That's something to be part of detailed task list!!! If not required, it shouldn't be part of it.

Considero primordial la interacción con los clientes y usuarios desde el inicio, permitiendo mantener el producto alineado con sus necesidades. Así mismo, la administración efectiva de los requerimientos y cambios, evita ambigüedades e imprevistos. Adicionalmente, creo que la metodología ágil puede ser una gran aliada para evitar desviaciones en el alcance, ya que permite una adaptación flexible a cambios inesperados. Finalmente, la comunicación continua con los interesados en el producto y la capacidad de establecer límites y decir "no" a peticiones que puedan comprometer la calidad o valor de este, son fundamentales para evitar el 'Scope Creep' en el desarrollo de productos.

In addition to other points stated already, I will add that fostering a culture of open communication and transparency is equally important. Maintain transparent communication with all stakeholders throughout the development process. Keep everyone informed about project progress, potential challenges, and any proposed scope changes. Champion open communication and active feedback from team members and stakeholders. This allows for early identification of potential issues and facilitates proactive adjustments to mitigate scope creep.

Think thoroughly and carefully about the product features prior to the freeze date. After the freeze date, do not change any of the product features no matter how tempted!

Take a look at these alternative methods for addressing scope creep in product development. - Adopt trade-off decisions. Any new requests must be weighed against dropping or deferring something else of equal effort. - Conduct scope trimming exercises. Critically evaluate features list and aggressively cut non-essentials. - Institute scope-free "grace" periods. No changes allowed during critical development windows like before launches.