A project is not all about delivering the product. It requires the involvement of many aspects. Different employees from different departments work under one motive and their hard work and the planning for many different managers result in a project that fulfills the requirements of the employee.
However, in this time there can be many challenges that can be faced by any member working on the project and the worst of the problems is Scope Creep. Many people ask what is scope creep in project management? Here we will discuss all the aspects related to this term. We will also elaborate on some solutions for feeling with this and their benefits.
What is the meaning of scope creep in project management?
Many people ask what is scope creep in project management? The answer to this is simple. When the team is working on a certain project and an issue occurs because of the lack of better management. This is called the scope creep in project management. This can be faced in several forms. Some of them are listed below.
- Bad management of the project.
- Unclear instructions from the client.
- Unclear instructions from the management to the employees.
- Employees not meeting their deadlines.
In any case, there can be one of the reasons causing scope creep in the project whereas in the worst case all of the reasons can be impacting the project together. This will not be a very bad situation for the team working on the project, it will also be bad for the client as they will not get what they asked for.
What are the causes of scope creep in project management and how will each have its influence on the project?
For any problem that anyone can face, the best solution is to know the main reason for the problem.
This means that by looking for the root of the problem, you can easily deal with any of the problems and you can also abide by that problem in the future. Here we will discuss some causes of the scope creep in project management.
Mismanagement while planning the project.
Any of the projects in this world starts with a proper plan. It does not matter if the project is a computer software or a physical project. The first step in the process of the project is efficient planning. For this many individuals work on the requirements of the client. After studying the requirements, rough work is conducted where the product is designed.
This rough design of the project includes all the things that will be included in the project, all the features and functions that your final project will perform. A huge problem that can cause scope creep in project management will be that the plan of the project is not as per requirements.
This is because if the plan is not well managed, then the instructions to each department and employees will not be as per the requirements of the client. This is one of the huge causes of scope creep in project management.
Influence of this problem on the project.
In the best case, the management will know about the blunder after some progress on the project. In the worst case, they will come to know after the project is completed. In both cases, the project will never meet its quality requirements or its deadline.
Misunderstanding of the requirements of the project.
If the team that meets the clients is unable to understand the client or the client is unable to explain all the requirements, this can be confusing. If this confusion is not resolved before starting the work on the project, this will cause scope creep in project management. This is because the client will most probably not like the project in its final form.
Influence of this problem on the project.
The client will ask a lot of revisions on the final project. This is because some of the features might not be meeting their requirements.
The client now wants more features in the final product.
If you are a client or an employee thinking about what is scope creep in project management? You might be in a situation where the requirements of the client have changed after the work on the project was started.
As the process on any project starts with a plan, this plan is made by the managers. After making the plan, the tasks are divided and assigned to the respective departments and employees. This is a streamlined process but when the client asks for addition in features of the project. This can cause the problem of scope creep in project management.
Influence of this problem on the project.
As the client is asking for more features, they might increase the deadlines for the final project. This can cause the following problems.
- Your timetable will be disturbed.
- Your employees might have to work more than required to meet other deadlines.
- This will disturb the budget of both the developer and the client.
Miscommunication and Disagreements between project stakeholders.
Another cause of scope creep in project management is the miscommunication and disagreement between stakeholders of the project. While the project is in the development process, the stakeholders of the project are the owner or owners of the project and all members of your team.
Miscommunication or disagreement between any of these can cause scope creep in project management.
Influence of this problem on the project.
This can delay the deadlines of the project and it can also exclude some already added features in the project that means a lot of precious time has been wasted.
How to reduce the chances of scope creep in project management.
An employee, a client, or a team leader, all of them can look for what is scope creep in project management. And the best situation is when all of them are looking to reduce the chances of it. Here we will discuss how can the team working on a specific project reduce the chances of scope creep in project management.
Understanding the requirements of the client.
As you take the responsibility of a project, the first thing that you need to do is to know what you are being hired to do. This is the most important thing as if you get mistaken in this part of the project development, the whole project will turn out to be a wastage of time and failure. Some efficient ways of doing this are listed below.
- Several meetings with the client before accepting the project.
- Asking the client for visual and written requirements instead of oral explanations.
- Getting your thoughts of the project approved by the client.
- Meeting of your teams and team leaders with the client regarding the project.
Regular checkup of the performance difference between plan and work.
After the requirements are noted and the plan of the whole project is made, and the process of the project development has started. One very important thing is to keep check of the progress. This can be done on a different basis. Some of them are.
- Different landmarks in a project.
- Daily progress-based checking.
- Weekly progress-based checking.
- Monthly progress-based checking.
If you keep check of the progress of your teams and employees on a project, the chances that the project will get off-track are very less. This can save you from scope creep in project management.
Efficiently using your resources.
If the client asks to add another feature you must use your resources for better time management. For example, in software, many features have almost the same backend. In this case, you can simply copy the source code of another project or component. This will save a lot of time and effort.
Looking for the cause of the problem.
Looking for the cause of the problem will help you in solving the problem. It will also keep you safe from dealing with scope creep in project management for the projects in the future.
Benefits of efficiently dealing with the problems that can cause scope creep in a project.
In case you are up for the solutions to what is scope creep in project management, you would also like to know the benefits of dealing with the problems causing scope creep in project management. Here we will discuss some of the benefits of dealing with the problems that cause scope creep in project management.
There will be no flaws in the final product.
As you follow the guidelines and all the requirements in the project from the client will be fulfilled, there will be no flaws in the final product.
You will significantly meet your deadlines.
With proper planning, checking, and management you and your team will never miss any deadline because of scope creep.
The client will leave with a good impression.
As you will meet all the deadlines and the project will also be according to the requirements of clients, every client will have a great impression about you and your team.
Conclusion.
Here we answered all of the questions related to what is scope creep in project management? We also discussed some benefits of dealing with the reasons that cause scope creep in project management. By sharing the causes, their solutions, and the benefits of the solutions, you can significantly increase the efficiency of your team.
