The Hidden Cost of Scope Creep to Your Project and How to Avoid It

Whether you’re the project manager of a large organization or a small business, there’s no denying that dealing with a project that’s gone past its completion requirements can be both stressful and costly.?

Dealing with projects that can’t be completed on time or within budget often leads to what is commonly referred to as scope creep. Keep reading to find out what it is, how you can avoid it and what you can do about it if it’s already made its way into your current project.?

What is Scope Creep?

Simply put, scope creep refers to the scenario when a project doesn’t go according to plan. Essentially, the project’s requirements increase after the project has already entered the beginning phase. This happens when there’s a disagreement or failure to meet any of the following requirements:

• Unforeseen circumstances hamper the parties from sticking to the project timeline or budget
• Final deliveries can’t be met due to a shortage of resources, particularly in supply chain shortage instances
• Too many different departments/teams working on the same project
• Additional orders are added to the original order, causing the timeline of completion to shift?

A Real-World Example of Scope Creep

To fully understand what scope creep is, let’s look at a very famous real-world example.

The Boston Big Dig highway construction was delayed by 9 years causing the project to go more than $12 billion over budget. Analysts chalk this huge scope creep down to too many people making decisions and no combined consensus from all the shareholders. Too many sub-contractors, no central project manager and little involvement from stakeholders were clearly to blame here.?

Common Causes of Scope Creep

According to a recent report by PMI (Project Management Institute), there are several basic reasons why scope creep can happen on a project.?

• Too many technicians/contractors on one project: The project is subcontracted to various teams—this causes a delay when one team needs to wait for the other to finalize specific work before they can continue with the part of the project
• Lack of clear contractual requirements: Exact requirements were either not discussed in detail or a written contract wasn’t drawn up which can create an opportunity for a client to try and get more work done for the original quote
• Unsupervised contact: Unmanaged contact between the client and the actual team doing the work—this is problematic because the team member may feel under pressure to “please” the client
• Inaccurate prioritization: Lack of effective task prioritization due to poor planning by the parties involved
• Unforeseen shortages in the various supply chains: No matter how diligent a team may be to getting a project finalized on schedule, efforts may be hampered by a shortage of any of the required components needed to complete the job.?

Expert Tips to Avoid Scope Creep

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid your project encountering scope creep. That said, it’s important to note that it’s a process that requires careful and diligent effort and monitoring.?

For starters, all the current projects your organization is involved in should have a scope creep management plan to ensure that the process is not only known by everyone but agreed to as well.?

1. Correct project delegation: Wherever possible, assign an entire project to one project manager to control and monitor. Don’t fall into the “too many cooks spoil the broth” trap.
2. Right project manager: Have the right project manager in place who will not only keep the project on course but will be able to spot any potential scope creep before it’s too late.?
3. Clear project definitions: Clearly define project requirements & discuss each team member’s role in the project with clear and reasonable deadlines. Make sure this is in the form of a written contract.
4. Regular assessments: Hold regular (daily, weekly, bi-weekly) meetings or progress sessions to assess the progress of each team member—this will ensure that the project stays on track.
5. Put plans in place: Create a scope creep process plan so that your project manager knows what to do when it appears as though there may be potential delays. This goes hand-in-hand with a change management plan that will help the team identify any potential shortcomings and how best to deal with them.

Recommended Ways to Fix Scope Creep

Any number of reasons and external factors can cause a project to develop scope creep. While prevention is key, there are some instances where it may not be easy to avoid. In instances where your project has experienced some scope creep, there are ways you can get your project back on track.?

• Implement your scope change plan: This plan should help you readjust your project requirements and expected completion days. Some tools that may be needed as part of the scope change plan include additional fees, outsourcing certain positions to gain market expertise as well as creating additional fees for the project.?
• Avoid people pleasing: It’s important to understand the difference between “going the extra mile” and actually going over budget and delaying the deadline. Rather train employees to see the signs of scope creep so that you can act accordingly. Don’t allow junior team members to entertain additional project requirements that haven’t been cleared with the project manager.?
• Regroup: The project manager needs to keep a close eye on every aspect of the project. When it looks as though the deadline or budget parameters may be compromised, it’s definitely time to regroup. Discuss the reasons for the delay and potential solutions and parameter adjustments to get back on track.?

Final Thoughts

No one wants their project derailed by potential scope creep. While in some cases it may be inevitable, it’s also true that effectively managing it and dealing with it timeously can actually improve the anticipated outcome. Be sure to create relevant scope change plans that involve regrouping and re-assessment of the original plan.?