Value - Day 19 0f 365 STOPPING SCOPE CREEP

Thank you to Erjola Tona for the fantastic post embedded here and permission to springboard off it as well as the engagement that will drive the discussion in this article forward. Evans M. L. also asked to be tagged on this post.

Erjola sparked the conversation with her post and image of the swing in the tree and the iterations it goes through. Erjola keyed in on a line in my comment "Forgetting the real reason we make the change". She called it "Scope creep". Erjola then asked for concrete examples of how to stop scope creep from happening. Let's dig in shall we?

In the original image from the embedded post our client already has a swing. Simple rope. First problem is in the second picture. "What they wanted". Ask yourself "Would you swing on it? If so how? why?" Often times a customer has an "ask" that on the surface fits a perceived need. Likely like this second image it will not work practically. So we call in a vendor... Our third image. Not going to bash vendors. Their hearts are usually in the right places. Realistically a cloth chair outside.... we get it right?

On to the fourth image. "We have to have "X". X is usually some item we feel that we simply absolutely cannot live without. In fact if X is not there we will be out of business tomorrow is often how things are portrayed. X also means CUSTOMIZATIONS. Customizations are the first triggers of scope creep and of losing sight of "Forgetting the real reason we (are) make(ing) the change" (additions for clarity). THe project was initially to make information more accessible or some workflow easier. Now suddenly its we must have X at any and all cost. The initial cost is "scope creep" the long term cost is not meeting the goals of the project in the first place. How so? Well imagine to initiate customization X a certain field must remain as a certain data type, but this data type was to be changed and is incompatible with the downline systems. Now what? We often say or think we know data.

Quick real world example of what we are "talking" about right now. In bulk electric world you have voltages. We had 7200 Delta, and 7.2/12.47 WYE. A WYE circuit at single phase will only have 7.2 in its voltage field as we tracked it. A single phase Delta will be 7200 in its voltage field. An improperly formatted field in a computer could see these as the same. While both are "technically" correct they are communicating vastly different things to those downline using the information or in this example misinformation. Misinformation like this can get people harmed if not killed. Often times the project team did not know why 7200 could not be rendered as 7.2. Scope creep. "Forgetting the real reason we make the change". Insisting on some customization

Which brings us to the fifth image. We are now post project and things are just not working as expected. What to do? Call in a consultant to "fix" it. Why? "Forgetting the real reason we make the change".

Now look at the final picture. What they really NEEDED. So lets break this down and get concrete on how to keep it on track

What do you need dear customer? A swing that can house multiple individuals!

why? Because we have more people and need more that one person to be able to be on the swing at a time. (hint: this is the answer to: "the real reason we make the change")

So what does your current swing look like? (shows us the rope)...

Then says "Then new one has to have two ropes". Why? "Safety" and "When I was a kid all my swings had two". and many other excuses like this. this is the beginning of "Forgetting the real reason we make the change" It is here where we revisit. We want two people on the swing right? YES. so if we can do that with your one rope then? Stopping scope creep requires someone with a laser focus on "The real reason we make the change". The moment that reason is in danger of being deviated from. forgotten, or cast aside... they take action......

NO NO NO..... "NO Forgetting the real reason we make the change".. Sometimes you have to show them.... how about THIS ??