Scope (project management)
Encyclopedia
In project management
, the term scope has two distinct uses: Project Scope and Product Scope.
Project Scope
"The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions."
Product Scope
"The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result."
Notice that Project Scope is more work-oriented, (the hows,) while Product Scope is more oriented toward functional requirements. (the whats.)
If requirements are not completely defined and described and if there is no effective change control
in a project, scope or requirement creep
may ensue.
Scope creep management is important for effective project management. Projects are expected to meet strict deadlines with resource restraints, and an unvetted and unapproved change in the scope can affect the success of the project. Scope creep sometimes causes cost overrun
.
Scope creep
is a term which refers to the incremental expansion of the scope of a project, which may include and introduce more requirements that may not have been a part of the initial planning of the project
, while nevertheless failing to adjust schedule and budget. There are two distinct ways to separate scope creep management. The first is business scope creep, and the second is called features (also technology) scope creep. The type of scope creep management is always dependent upon on the people who create the changes.
Business scope creep management occurs when decisions that are made with reference to a project are designed to solve or meet the requirements and needs of the business. Business scope creep
changes may be a result of poor requirements definition early in development, or the failure to include the users of the project
until the later stage of the systems development life cycle
.
Scope management plan is one of the major Scope communication documents. The Project Scope Management Plan documents how the project scope will be defined, managed, controlled, verified and communicated to the project team and stakeholders/customers. It also includes all work required to complete the project. The documents are used to control what is in and out of the scope of the project by the use of a Change Management system. Items deemed out of scope go directly through the change control process and are not automatically added to the project work items. The Project Scope Management plan is included in as one of the sections in the overall Project Management plan. It can be very detailed and formal or loosely framed and informal depending on the communication needs of the project.
Features (Technology) scope creep occurs when the scope creep
is introduced by technologists adding features not originally contemplated. Customer-pleasing scope creep occurs when the desire to please the customer through additional product features adds more work to the current project rather than to a new project proposal. Gold-plating scope creep occurs when technologists augment the original requirements because of a bias toward "technical perfectionism" or because the initial requirements were insufficiently clear or detailed.
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
, the term scope has two distinct uses: Project Scope and Product Scope.
Project Scope
"The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions."
Product Scope
"The features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result."
Notice that Project Scope is more work-oriented, (the hows,) while Product Scope is more oriented toward functional requirements. (the whats.)
If requirements are not completely defined and described and if there is no effective change control
Change Control
Change control within Quality management systems and Information Technology systems is a formal process used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner...
in a project, scope or requirement creep
Scope creep
Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled...
may ensue.
Scope creep management is important for effective project management. Projects are expected to meet strict deadlines with resource restraints, and an unvetted and unapproved change in the scope can affect the success of the project. Scope creep sometimes causes cost overrun
Cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, is an unexpected cost incurred in excess of a budgeted amount due to an under-estimation of the actual cost during budgeting...
.
Scope creep
Scope creep
Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled...
is a term which refers to the incremental expansion of the scope of a project, which may include and introduce more requirements that may not have been a part of the initial planning of the project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
, while nevertheless failing to adjust schedule and budget. There are two distinct ways to separate scope creep management. The first is business scope creep, and the second is called features (also technology) scope creep. The type of scope creep management is always dependent upon on the people who create the changes.
Business scope creep management occurs when decisions that are made with reference to a project are designed to solve or meet the requirements and needs of the business. Business scope creep
Scope creep
Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled...
changes may be a result of poor requirements definition early in development, or the failure to include the users of the project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
until the later stage of the systems development life cycle
Systems Development Life Cycle
The systems development life cycle , or software development life cycle in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems.In software engineering...
.
Scope management plan is one of the major Scope communication documents. The Project Scope Management Plan documents how the project scope will be defined, managed, controlled, verified and communicated to the project team and stakeholders/customers. It also includes all work required to complete the project. The documents are used to control what is in and out of the scope of the project by the use of a Change Management system. Items deemed out of scope go directly through the change control process and are not automatically added to the project work items. The Project Scope Management plan is included in as one of the sections in the overall Project Management plan. It can be very detailed and formal or loosely framed and informal depending on the communication needs of the project.
Features (Technology) scope creep occurs when the scope creep
Scope creep
Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled...
is introduced by technologists adding features not originally contemplated. Customer-pleasing scope creep occurs when the desire to please the customer through additional product features adds more work to the current project rather than to a new project proposal. Gold-plating scope creep occurs when technologists augment the original requirements because of a bias toward "technical perfectionism" or because the initial requirements were insufficiently clear or detailed.