What is Scope Creep? 

No, it’s not about the weird person sitting across from you at the coffee shop?!

After a project begins, uncontrolled or controlled issues may move slowly and bigger from its original goals or what was originally promised to the project proposal or budgets. Scope creep happens when the project is not adequately discussed in full detail or documented. Is it the request for changes reasonable or not? It doesn’t matter, sometimes things happen. When it happens, be ready to make reasonable changes. If it’s beyond the budget, then add an amendment to the project in writing for extra costs, and timeline.

What does it mean to the project?

Does scope expectations meet scope reality? Does the client want an additional feature of the website? Maybe, the client wants forms but was not included in the original estimate or scope? Increase budget, downsize hours or take a loss. In the end, scope creep may result in project delays and budget cost overruns.

The following will help you guide your decisions throughout the project: 

1. Manage expectations
   

   Your proposal or letter of engagement agreement should state in black and white what you will and won’t do. For example, every proposal you send should outline in detail what functionality is included, what content will be placed, and how many design changes will occur.

2. Mention the monster
   

   The letter of engagement document should explain what happens if and when that monster pops up. For example, my letter of engagement state what I will do, what I won’t do, fees and the services outside the scope. The estimated cost of these additional services will revise the budget if required.

3. Track your time
   

   Do you keep track of all the time that you work on the website? I’m talking about meetings, phone calls, and those 3-second favours for the client. Jot it down and track them all; you’ll be surprised how quickly the minutes and hours add up.

4. Mention the changes to the client
   

   Even though you may not charge the client for the changes such as 20 minutes of additional coding; let the client know you did it. The client would appreciate the notice and may see the effect on your time. Hopefully, the client be more mindful before making further changes.

5. Speak up sooner
   

   Don’t wait until the issues are wrapped around your neck. Mention it as soon as it happens, and set your guidelines now. Setting guidelines at the end help nobody, particularly you.

6. Put it in writing
   

   If the client wants new content for the new services pages and you wrote the content and it took you 45 minutes. You call the client how long it took you. But, it’s a verbal conversation. If you email the client (see #9, buffer), and it becomes more real and it also becomes easier to track. Like all clients, some don’t want to pay you for your time, so you can remind your client who has had one too many favours already done for them.

7. Instigate change requests
   

   Now, when a client asks for a clear out of scope task, write up the change request, state why it’s out of scope, and what the financial impact it is to the project. You’ll quickly find fewer changes coming in as a result.

8. Get it signed off
   

   When the website is finished and approved, or any approval given, seek a signature or written confirmation (email is good enough). Having the client signing off makes them acutely aware they have now agreed to the conditions. Verbal confirmation is not sufficient for me. Always protect yourself, and get it in writing. They’ll be less likely to change their minds when you have a signature to wave when the tough gets going!

9. Add some buffer

   A real time-waster is emailing the client that it took you two minutes to make a change or writing up a change request that may take 10 minutes for that two-minute change. Add some cushion in your budget and the timeline from the start to cover those little scope creep.

10. Protect yourself
    

    Keep and archive all your emails, forms, signings of approvals. If you get a verbal approval or change of request, fire off an email confirming the acceptance or approval or revision of request. Always have a paper trail to protect yourself.

References:

What is Scope Creep? – Definition from Techopedia. Retrieved from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24779/scope-creep.