Managing Scope Creep

 Project Description: The project was to develop a mobile application for a bookshop company. The project's initial scope was to create a basic app allowing customers to browse products, make purchases, and receive notifications about promotions. However, as the project progressed, several instances of scope creep occurred.

Scope Creep Issues:

  1. Feature Requests: During the development phase, stakeholders from the marketing department requested additional features such as social media integration, a loyalty program, and personalized recommendations.
  2. UI/UX Changes: Design preferences evolved, leading to multiple revisions of the user interface and user experience, causing delays and additional work for the development team.
  3. Platform Expansion: Originally planned for iOS and Android, there were requests to include compatibility for other platforms like Windows Mobile and tablets.
  4. Integration with Existing Systems: Midway through the project, it was decided to integrate the app with the company's existing inventory management system, which was outside the initial scope.

Dealing with Scope Creep:

  1. Documentation and Change Control: In alignment with recommendations from Vince Budrovich, all scope changes were documented and analyzed for their impact on the project timeline, budget, and resources. Change control procedures were implemented to evaluate the necessity and feasibility of each request.
  2. Stakeholder Communication: Regular meetings were held with stakeholders to prioritize features and address concerns. Clear communication regarding the impact of scope changes on project constraints was emphasized to the marketing team (Waden University, LLC, n.d)
  3. Resource Allocation: Additional resources were allocated to manage the increased workload resulting from scope changes, but efforts were made to balance this with project deadlines and budget constraints.

Reflection and Better Management: Looking back on the experience, here are some steps that could have been taken to manage scope creep in an effective way:

  1. Comprehensive Initial Planning: As emphasized by Dr. Stolovitch (Walden University, LLC, n.d), conducting a thorough analysis during the project planning phase to identify and define the project scope in detail could have helped mitigate future scope creep.
  2. Setting Clear Boundaries: Establishing clear boundaries and communicating the project's scope to all stakeholders from the outset could have minimized the likelihood of scope creep.
  3. Regular Scope Reviews: Having a weekly status report that captures regular reviews of the project scope shared with stakeholders to assess the necessity of proposed changes and their impact on project constraints could have helped maintain focus (Walden University, LLC, n.d)
  4. Scope Management Plan: Developing a formal scope management plan outlining procedures for handling scope changes, including a formal approval process, could have provided a structured approach to managing scope creep (Walden University, LLC, n.d).

Overall, proactive planning, effective communication, and rigorous change control procedures are essential for managing scope creep and ensuring the successful delivery of a project within defined constraints.

Top of Form

References.

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: You can’t win them all [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Monitoring projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Creating a project schedule [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com

Comments

  1. Tsimon05February 18, 2024 at 8:45 PM

    A great example to use for scope creep. And i love how you mentioned that a change control plan was utilized to determine how much of a scope creep to the project timeline for the new enhancements. However, an executive decision should have been made to move forward with the initial plan and to include the new enhancement on a new change order or change request. As stated in this investigation, the scope should be locked down and communication to all stakeholders how this can affect the timeline, including the customer, developers, managers, and any relevant individuals (Komal, Bakhtawar, et al, 2020).

    Komal, B., Janjua, U. I., Anwar, F., Madni, T. M., Cheema, M. F., Malik, M. N., & Shahid, A. R. (2020). The impact of scope creep on project success: An empirical investigation. IEEE Access, 8, 125755-125775.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MatthewFebruary 18, 2024 at 9:05 PM

    A very thorough analysis! Great job! Your description, analysis of what was done, and what could have been done better are all in line with the principles we learned this week.

    You mention that comprehensive planning is an important aspect of scope creep. I agree it is definitely an ideal. Of course hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20. Yet thorough research into what is needed for a project before deciding on the projects scope is important. I also like how you emphasized regular scope reviews. While this is something that was presented in this week's material, it isn't something I paid as much attention to and I am glad you brought it up. That is something that should be considered when giving feedback to stakeholders who are contributing to the project.

    One last thing: I am curious what role you played in this project?

    Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Monitoring projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment