Scope Creep
Scope creep refers to an uncontrollable growth in the size of the scope of a given project. It is a common occurrence that affects the budget of a project as well as the timeline allocated towards completion of the project. This is because any change in a project’s scope can increase costs as well as delay the schedule since it will be hard to complete it within the allocated timeframe. Thus, scope creeps happen due to a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include undefined goals and objectives, lack of priorities for the project, adding new scope to and lack of effective communication among the team members (Suma & LakshmiMadhuri, 2013).
Scope creep can be avoided before the commencement of the project. For an on-going project, some measures are also essential in preventing occurrence if any occurrence of scope creep include of the project, fining the scope, the goals as well as the requirements of the project. project managers should also avoid adding more scope or features to an on-going project until it is completed. Furthermore, there should be a single decision-maker among the team members handling the project. This will prevent the occurrence of mixed ideas which can lead to conflicting decisions towards the project (Turk, 2010).
I think scope creep can be a good thing or useful if it helps project managers to discover a new scope or unknown, to assist in improving the features of the project. In this case, the scope creep will acknowledge that project managers are not aware of the entire scope or the desired product might be a nuisance as it is produced. Clients are paramount in the success of a project. I will professionally talk to the client and advise him or her to wait until the project is complete.
Other things that can lead to project failure include lack of communication, infrastructure and inability to mitigate or control project risks.
References
Suma, V., & LakshmiMadhuri, K. (2013). Influence of Scope Creep on Project Success: AComparative Study between Conventional ApproachVerses Agile Approach. In IEEE International Conference on Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology (ICARET).
Turk, W. (2010). Scope creep horror. Defense AT&L, 39(2), 53-55.