MANAGING SCOPE CREEP IN IT
PROJECTS
Presented By: GROUP 3
Anusha, Himanshu, Ramakrishnan,
Siva, Sonia, Venkat and Vidya
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Agenda for the presentation
What is Scope Creep?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
What happens after Scope Creep?
How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Summary
Questions?
2

WHAT IS SCOPE CREEP?
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What is Scope Creep?
DEFINE PROJECT SCOPE DEFINE SCOPE CREEP
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Agenda for the presentation
What is Scope Creep?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
What happens after Scope Creep?
How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Summary
Questions?
6

WHY DOES SCOPE CREEP OCCUR ?
Ziv’s Law: Specifications will never be fully understood
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Why does Scope Creep occur ?
REASONS
 Poor Project Management Requirements
 Lack of Change Control
 Underestimating the Complexity of the Project
 Gold plating.
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Types of Scope Creep
 Internal scope creep-
project team decides to do more work
than agreed.
 External scope creep-
caused by sponsors or other stakeholders
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Agenda for the presentation
What is Scope Creep?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
What happens after Scope Creep?
How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Summary
Questions?
10

Langdon’s Lemma: software evolves more rapidly as it approaches chaotic regions
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SCOPE CREEP?
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What Happens after scope creep ?
- Missing deadlines
- Increased maintenance costs
- Deferred benefits and lowered return on investment
- Additional expected loss (ex. project cancellation)
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Standish Group Report
-A minor Scope creep can easily
result in a project from being
successful to challenged.
Year Success
-As reported in 2009,44 % of 1994 16 %
the projects were termed 2009 32 %
as challenged.
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Agenda for the presentation
What is Scope Creep?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
What happens after Scope Creep?
How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Summary
Questions?
14

Humphrey’s Law: the user will never know what they want until
after the system is in production.
HOW CAN WE REMOVE OR REDUCE SCOPE CREEP?
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Scope Change Control Process
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Scope Change Control Process
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How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Scope Change Management Plan
 Define scope change
 Submit and review scope change process
 Documentation for the change process
 Track change requests and their resolutions
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Scope Change Control Process
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Sample Change Request Form
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How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Everyday measures to avoid Scope Creep
• Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) – A good WBS, if well written and
reviewed, can determine just about every element of a project including
items from initiation to testing to completion to delivery to market, as well
as the project tasks that need to be completed.
• Milestones – Create milestones within the project that can be reviewed when
complete and compare the outcomes to your WBS. Don’t proceed if
milestones aren’t clear or effective.
• Critical Path – Use a critical path method to find acceptable levels of project
goals and milestones as well as those that are not acceptable or above or
below the critical line of the chart.
• Scheduling – Stick with a good scheduling plan and review it often to address
concerns.
• Status Meetings – A project manager must schedule regular status meetings.
• Communication – Use an effective communication plan that is accessible to
everyone.
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How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
How can we “LOVE” Scope Creep
Document this in your contract
• Have the client sign a contract
• Neither too much nor too less details
• Specify your limits for the project scope
• Changes beyond the limit might cost extra
Hourly Rate
• Hourly Project +Scope Creep= more Billable hours
• Do both per project and hourly depending upon the
project
Have them sign a completion document
• Sign a “Completion Document”
• All further work will be charged at hourly rate
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How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent
that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
- Charles Darwin
Managing Scope Creep - the Agile Way
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Managing Scope Creep - the Agile Way
Scrum Sprint Life Cycle
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Managing Scope Creep - the Agile Way
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Agenda for the presentation
What is Scope Creep?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
What happens after Scope Creep?
How can we remove or reduce the Scope Creep?
Summary
Questions?
26

SUMMARY
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Summary
• What?
What is Scope Creep?
What are the after effects?
• Why?
Why does Scope Creep occur?
• How?
How can we manage Scope Creep?
 Proper Change Management.
 Everyday measures to avoid Scope Creep.
 LOVE Scope Creep and make money.
 Going Agile.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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References
GOOGLE
WIKIPEDIA
http://www.intellisoft.com.sg/Managing-Scope-Creep.html
http://glossary.tenrox.com/Scope-Creep.htm
http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/1750/how-can-having-an-
sme-on-your-project-alleviate-scope-creep
http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_scope_creep_mgmt.php
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/stop-scope-creep-running-away-with-your-
project.html
http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/6840_f03_papers/gurlen/
http://www.stonecrossingsolutions.com/blogs/lessons-learned/scope-creep
http://www.freelancermagazine.com/scope-creep/
http://www.collegiateproject.com/articles/Managing%20Scope%20Creep.pdf
http://www.epmbook.com/scope.htm
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