Scope Creep

The clock ticks as your team races to meet the crucial deadline. What had once seemed an easily achievable target now teeters on the edge, precariously slipping away. If only you had time, just more time- a week or two, even just a couple of days.

Of course, wishes and horses do not mix well in the corporate environment. So you eat your hat and admit to the board that you will need more time to complete the project, or if they are happy with some modifications, then you can hand-over the almost completed product. It’s just as good as the finished item, and the sales team can start pushing to get it into the market- so you say. The truth that the flowery excuses try to deny is that despite the generous budgets and granular planning, the project has not been delivered. You know that it comes down to one thing- not enough time. Not because there wasn’t enough time allocated at the outset. No, there was more than enough time, and you even had the deadline extended thrice. Your undoing was the green-eyed troll of Projects- Scope creep.

Scope creep expands the initial ambit of projects and generally consumes resources, diverting focus from the desirable endpoint. Even outside of clearly delineated projects, it saps the focus, energy and time of teams as job descriptions diffuse to the point where the receptionist doubles as chief surgeon. Often, this uncontrolled expansion stems from poor definitions, flawed design or sketchy control of projects. The stimulus for creep may be elicited externally or internally. External sources may be client requirements especially in smart design systems when reviewing design milestones with end users. Unforeseen changes in industry regulations, general technological advances, competitor behaviour, acts of God and socio-political upheavals may also necessitate unplanned changes. Internally, creep may simply be in response to changes in staff, upgrades in tools, and advances in knowledge. Irrespective of the cause, the effect is often bloated budgets, lost focus and missed deadlines. One dangerous iteration of this, is the ‘perpetual project’. Not a programme, but just a project that keeps getting wheeled out at every corporate turn. The same objectives are restated albeit some small tweaks here and there but for all intents and purposes, the feeling of déjà vu is as real as the resource drain pipe that has been installed for the purpose of looking busy.

In a creative sense, creep may lead to an examination of previously unexplored possibilities. This is not uncommon in R & D, where new uses may be found for a product being designed for a predefined use. Pfizer’s wonder drug, Viagra was initially developed as a drug for heart disease. During phase 1 clinical trials, it’s erection-inducing function was discovered. It now rakes in 1.9 billion dollars a year! Of course, with most R & D projects, a stated goal is to explore other possible uses and discoveries from the project. While this blue-sky approach creates a corporate oyster with limitless possibilities, this is also the realm of the almighty creep. One way around this is to build in limited cul de sac mini projects to accommodate new opportunities. These projects can then be spun off as independent pieces of work based on the level of promise shown. The reasoning behind creating cul de sacs with overlapping timelines is to minimise the risk of allocating resources for offshoots that may never germinate, without necessarily shutting the door of opportunity.

Stop the Creep

Detailed planning and documentation with clearly defined timelines, scope and resources agreed and signed off by relevant stakeholders will minimise creep. Capturing the voice of key stakeholders is key to ensuring most bases are covered and securing their buy-in. Updating and sharing records of approvals and key communications will keep everyone on the same page and things on track. Cost the project but also have estimates for the effects of the most likely creep- the fear of extra cost is the best inoculation in external-client driven projects. Sharing and agreeing these estimates with external clients keeps all parties focused on efficient project completion.

Milestone reviews are good opportunities to reset any veering off and to minimise creep. The more frequent the checks, the more likely, you will spot cost and resource overruns in good time. Checks can however, become time traps, so maintaining a balance that is related to the size and complexity of the project is key. Integrate some level of detail into the milestone check but also set up controls for each process owner- the first signs of creep can often be seen in the little things. Setting tolerance levels will allow for some flexibility and help to define what constitutes a significant change.

A clear articulation of the end goal will help the team to keep an eye on the ball, and carefully-timed reminders can do no harm. An engaged team is more likely to be genuinely involved in the planning and design stages and will execute a project they own to the best of their ability- inject training to enhance capability and engagement to promote commitment.

Build a winning team and the only thing that will creep is success. Scratch that, success will turbo charge its way through!