8 Sneaky Sources of Scope Creep

This article explores the sources of scope creep that sneak up on you. We will explore 8 of these sneaky sources.

The common sources of scope creep usually include poor requirements analysis, limited user involvement, no change control process and adding too many nice-to-have features. However, there are also some sly ways that scope creep can happen to your project  without you being initially aware of it. This article will help you identify and guard against sneaky scope creep.

If you are new to the term scope creep, it is a term commonly used in project management to mean uncontrolled growth in project scope after the project begins.  Scope creep means more and more deliverables are being added to the the project during it’s lifetime causing the project to miss deadlines and be over budget among other problems. There are sneaky sources of scope creep because it isn’t usually intentional that the project gets uncontrolled growth.

Needless to say, scope creep is to be avoided. This is not to say we should be inflexible and unwilling to change, but rather to implement a good change management process to properly respond to change.

Here are the sneaky sources of scope creep to watch out for:

1. Impulsive bright ideas

One of the best ways to spot scope creep is when  a project member gets a bright idea in the middle of the project. Expressions like ” Oh yes, let’s add…” or ” We should also do…” or “Let’s also include…”.

When you hear  any expression that suggests adding to what already existed, your ears should perk up because these are trigger  statements to let you know scope creep is about to happen. The best way to deal with this is to temper the enthusiasm with a call to do further analysis to see the impact of the new idea.

2. Process design gaps

Another source of  scope creep  comes from gaps in the process design. In this scenario, the process has already been conceptualized but when it is reviewed, gaps are found.  The real culprit here is improper requirements analysis, but in order to fill in the gaps, new ideas are thrown around and sometimes it can get wild. At the end of it,  new suggestions to bridge the gaps can have unexpected impacts that increase the scope. To solve this, do better requirements upfront but  if you miss something and have to correct it mid-project, watch out for anything in the new process that does not align with the original scope.

3. Screen mockups and wireframe improvements

Another common sneaky source of scope creep is in the review of mockups when designing the user interface. Because this is a highly visual activity and everyone has an opinion on what looks and feels good on the screen, it is a primary place for subtle scope creep.

“Just add a button here to do xyz”, or “It would be even better if we added a  data grid here…”

Making changes to the UI may not be a big problem, but adding in new data that wasn’t originally planned for, can be. In this scenario, you may not have to worry too much about front end changes, but rather  be alert for the additional data that will be required for each new data elements being added to the display.

4.  Overpromising

A great way to have a project delivered past the deadline is by overpromising. It’s not often that people deliberately set out to overpromise, sometimes it happens unknowingly in meetings, especially when agreeing to things without properly considering the impact. Regardless of how it happens, promising too much too soon is a sneaky cause of scope creep.  (Salespeople, I’m looking at you!)

5. New strategy/regulations

Another sneaky source of scope creep is  new management strategies and new government regulations in the middle of the project.  In both cases, you may not have any choice, especially for government regulations. Be aware that these kinds of changes usually result in forced scope creep becuase they most often have to be done. Best response is to re-evaluate the impact of the new scope and re-negotiate a new deliverable deadline.

6. Not allotting enough time for informed analysis

Drum roll please for one of the biggest causes of scope creep… rushing!

Rushing to start on the project deliverable without taking sufficient time to do the proper analysis  up front, is a primary source of scope creep. This will cause you to get knee deep in the deliverable and then have many “oops”  along the way. Without proper analysis key details get missed and the scope gets underestimated in the first place.

Often management is anxious to get started on the project and  does not schedule sufficient time in the project plan for the necessary research that would be needed to scope out the work properly. The best way to deal with this is to highlight if possible, the dangers  of not being able to do the upfront analysis and respectfully ask for the time to do it.  Hopefully management will see the importance of this, however  asking for time is all that is in your power to do!

7. Focusing on the product value not the business value

Failure to focus on the right value on the project  is another sneaky source of scope creep.  If we focus on the product, then we run the risk of continually adding features that we think will make the product more valuable, which might turn out to be only “nice to haves”. This leads to scope creep.

In reality many added nice-to-have features in software products, rarely get used and adds complexity with little reward. The  best approach is to focus on the business value instead of the product value. The business values are the features that directly and quantifiable improve the business. Focussing on this will prevent adding extra features that lead to scope creep.

8. Not defining scope in the first place

The absolute best sneaky source of scope creep is to not have a  scope  in the first place!

If your project doesn’t have a scope definition then you are just winging it.  Figuring it out as you go along.  Even without a defined scope, the team has some understanding of what needs to be delivered. The problem is that it will be in the heads of the team members and everyone has a different idea of what that deliverable is.

This lack of preparation means that you are not having scope creep, you are simple having an ever expanding  original scope. Clearly this is not how it should be done. Ideally the project should have a scope document or a project charter or even  a sticky note checklist – just something written that delimits what the project should accomplish.  This way you have a reference point to evaluate new changes against. Without having a scope document then your project is likely to miss deadlines.

What to do about these sneaky sources of scope creep?

When faced with any of the above sneaky sources of scope creep, one thing you should do is be flexible. Do not approach change as a problem that you do not want to address. It is ok to have scope change, it is not ok to have scope creep. Know the difference.

Change is the only constant so have a plan for change. A change management approach is the first  line of defense against scope creep. Develop a positive attitude towards finding win-win situations. If you can find a happy medium to allow for the change without too much disruption or delay in your project deadline, then this is the way to go. You can read more on change management best practices here.

Download this free change request template to help you do change management!