-mm-
In project management, the term "scope creep" refers to a project digressing from its intended path and starting to address a matter or task beyond its originally planned scope. This problem naturally entails an increase in project costs, as well as an unnecessary expenditure of energy and resources. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of a project manager is to ensure a project does not expand uncontrollably and is kept within the set boundaries. Here are six tips on how to do this.
As CIO.com states, no project goes 100% as planned. This is why it is essential to define in advance what allowable limits (related to schedule, budget, quality, etc.) are acceptable for the project and its parts.
You must thoroughly familiarise all the people involved in the project with the limits you have defined in the first step. This includes subordinates and contractors, as well as the client.
Effective risk management is absolutely crucial to the success of any project. If you already know in advance there is a risk the project may be derailed in certain respects, identify, monitor and, if possible, eliminate these risks.
The results of the project must be monitored continuously. This also applies to the project timetable. If you stick closely to a predefined schedule and have no set time tolerances, you risk the costs of the project increasing unpredictably.
In order to be able to identify a potential problem as soon as possible, you need to set up clear, fast and transparent communication throughout the team. No stakeholder should be afraid to say that somewhere a project is out of control. As a project manager, you must lead by example and communicate openly with all stakeholders.
If you see a problem brewing, you need to address it at that moment. Do not wait until an overrun gets out of control; start dealing with it immediately.
-mm-