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Shot Through the
Heart.
by Jit Agarwal
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| Project Killers:
Scope Creep Project Management
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Several projects
we've managed over the past few months have run into a common problem. They
have exceeded the intended design goals agreed upon from inception, or what is
also referred to as "Scope Creep." This is not an uncommon
phenomenon, in fact the opposite is true, it's the norm. However, the impact an
ever extending set of requirements has on the team working on the project can
be devastating. Worse yet, this devastation can extend to the entire company.
This article articulates 3 early warning signs exhibited by projects in trouble
and potential solutions to the problems these indicators highlight.
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The Never Ending Design Phase: Often projects that entail a design
phase that goes beyond a pre-defined period of time, are destined to cause
major scope creep. The rationale here is simple, when you look at it from a
distance. If the design phase is extended this allows more time for discovery
and also analysis. This effort often leads to additional areas of improvement
or enhancements for the project. After all that is exactly what a design phase
is intended to do. However, when a design phase extends into more than 1/5th to
1/3rd of the project timeframe, then your project could be headed for disaster.
This rule of thumb metric obviously varies by project and industry, but the
more time designers get to look at a problem, the surer you can be that they
will come up with other problems to solve. The way to address this scenario is
fairly straight forward, but that does not mean it is painless or easy. It
requires getting all the key stakeholders together in a meeting, often a
challenge in and of itself. In the meeting, you need to articulate the entire
project's design goals as completely and thoroughly as you understand it. If
these goals are lengthy, you might want to provide pre-reading for your
meeting. Finally, and most importantly, you need to drive the meeting to get
final sign-off on all the design elements for the project. Repeat this
procedure as many times as necessary to get that final commitment. Without it,
you're just spinning your wheels.
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The Last Minute Request: Most projects have a defined set of
objectives, a timeframe, and resource allocation for completion. However, the
market dynamics and the changing business needs between project inception and
completion often give rise to an insidious form of scope creep - the last
minute change. These can be simple tweaks to a complete overhaul of the entire
project. Unfortunately the fact remains you won't be able to avoid this
scenario, no matter how well you plan your project. Therefore, the key to
solving it lies in managing it effectively. To manage the last minute change
request, bring the stakeholders who are most affected by the potential change
together to discuss it in detail. Hammer the suggested change out to the point
where it is an unmoving and highly detailed target, and ensure that it is their
last request. Ask the project leads to examine and minimize the cost required
to make the immobile change, without committing to the change to the key
stakeholders. Once the project team gives its recommendation, loop in the key
stakeholders and work with them on the suggested implementation. One caveat,
the project team may come back with a "no go" or
"train-wreck" issue, in which case it is going to require delicate
management on your part. Hey, no one ever said your job was easy.
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The Moving Target: Projects and often the teams on them, by their very
nature, are date or goal driven. Therefore, a particularly difficult form of
scope creep comes into being when a project's dates keep moving. Often the
reason for these movements can be explained when macro factors are examined.
However, from the project team's perspective, these factors be damned, their
date moved. This is often one of the toughest types of scope creeps to address,
because the negative psychological impact it has on a team gearing up for a
date can be devastating. Oddly enough, getting more time is often worse then
having less time, given the massive lowering of expectations this new extended
date causes. The first step to address this situation is to reassess the
schedule and to come back with a firm and immovable date, along with evidence
to suggest it is set in stone. This is necessary to do the next step, which is
to sell it to the team as the new and final timeline for the project. Obviously
the team will face any new date with a certain amount of skepticism, however
those factors that caused the date to shift, ought to be on board to help you
sell this, since it is in their best interest to do so. However, be forewarned,
much like the little boy, you can't cry "wolf" on timelines too
often, else you'll lose all credibility with your team and on the project.
Not all of these suggestions may be applicable, or even relevant to your
project. However, if even one early warning indicator helps you avoid a blind
alley, it may have saved you a considerable amount of effort, in an already
difficult process.
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