How to prevent your project from scope creep
Scope creep: - Is increasing the scope without rebasing the cost or/and schedule.
Any project is exposed to an extent to scope creep if we did not give high attention to control it, and here are 7 tips you have to apply from day one in your project to prevent / control scope creep:-
1- Define Scope: - make sure that you have defined scope before project starts and not after because based on that scope definition you will baseline you cost and schedule and apply your required skills analysis then request for team members.
2- Log Change: - you can’t say no to changes on projects but it must go through defined process which will ensure documenting, evaluating the impact (Cost / Schedule) and approving it through your Change Control Board (CCB).
3- Rebaseline: - after approving to include the change you have to rebaseline because most of the time this change will increase cost or schedule and make sure that you will communicate the new baseline to all stakeholders to get the buy-in from all of them and set the expectations as well.
4- Adjust: - after setting new baseline you will have to adjust the plan either by crashing resources or Fast Tracking, keeping in mind the risk increased by the last method.
5- Monitor: you have to monitor the change effect, “Everything is going ok?” You have to get that answer from getting more in touch with you team members and try to get the truth and do not get satisfied by one or two answers from one or two team members “Everything is ok boss”, the fact may be not, so try to get the truth without falling also in the micro management trap and try to balance.
6- CCB: if it came to the point of having many approved changes so ask CCB to set the priorities so you can plan according to the customer satisfaction and priorities.
7- Avoid: strictly avoid acceptance of corridor talking or discussion results in a new change, every single change must go through the process and can’t be approved by handshaking.
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