The Role of CASE in Handling Project Scope Creep and Project Changes

Before we explain how CASE can help in handling project changes, let’s understand what Project Scope is and why it occurs.

What is Project Scope?

In simple terms, project scope defines what a project will deliver. It includes the project's goals, deliverables, tasks, deadlines, and the resources required to complete the work. Essentially, the project scope outlines the boundaries of the project—what is included and what is not. Clear project scope helps ensure that everyone involved understands what the project aims to achieve and what needs to be done to get there.

What is Scope Creep and Why Does It Occur?

Scope creep refers to the gradual expansion of a project's original objectives, often leading to increased costs and extended timelines. It occurs when changes are made to the project scope without any control procedure like change requests. Those changes also affect the project schedule, budget, costs, resource allocation and might compromise the completion of milestones and goals.

Example of Scope Creep and Its Negative Impact

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is a prime example of how scope creep can significantly impact a project's budget, schedule, and overall success. Launched in the late 1990s, the program aimed to develop a single fighter jet design (F-35) with three variants (Air Force, Navy, Marines) to replace aging aircraft. Standardisation across variants was a key objective to achieve cost savings and operational efficiencies. However, the program became a cautionary tale of scope creep.

Here's how wanting too much caused problems:

• Big Goals, Big Problems: The idea of one plane for everyone sounded great, but each military branch needed different things (think Air Force stealth vs. Navy carrier landings). Constant changes and redesigns during development caused schedule slips and budget overruns.
• Hidden Hurdles: Building a plane with so many features turned out to be much harder than expected. New technologies and features caused delays and ballooning costs.
• Unclear Plans: Maybe the initial plans for the F-35 weren't detailed enough. This meant people kept adding new ideas as things went along, making the project even bigger and more expensive.

What should we learn from this?

The ambitious F-35 program spiralled due to scope creep. The initial budget of $78 billion ballooned to a whopping $1.7 trillion, and the jets arrived nine years behind schedule. The F-35 serves as a stark reminder of the importance of realistic planning and clear project scope. To avoid similar downfalls, projects should focus on delivering what was agreed upon upfront, while keeping a buffer for unforeseen challenges. New requirements can then be addressed in parallel using flexible resources like on-demand CASE hours. This approach helps maintain project timelines and budgets while allowing for necessary adaptations.

Managing Scope Creep Within the Project

Scope creep, the unwelcome addition of features or changes to a project after it begins, can derail timelines and budgets. Here's how to manage it effectively:

• Track Changes Wisely: Ideate a proper system for requesting changes. Analyse their impact on budget, schedule, and resources before anything shifts. Maintain clear versions of plans so everyone stays on the same page.
• Focus & Adapt: Dedicate most of your time to delivering the original plan. Schedule regular reviews to discuss changes, but don't let them become your sole focus.
• Set Clear Expectations: Define project goals and deliverables upfront. This minimises the need for major changes later. Communicate openly about any adjustments to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Moving deadlines can trigger a chain reaction of problems: missed opportunities due to delayed launches, budget strains from scrambling to catch up, and frustrated teams struggling with shifting priorities.

Managing Scope Creep with CASE

Even with the best planning, projects can encounter unexpected changes. New ideas, evolving requirements, or unforeseen challenges can all lead to scope creep - the unwelcome addition of features or modifications after a project begins. This can derail timelines and budgets.

Here's where CASE steps in to help you manage scope creep effectively, offering a flexible on-demand engagement model with CASE Hours of Capacity:

1. Project Change Backlog: The project manager establishes a clear system for capturing and tracking all change requests. This ensures transparency and allows for informed decision-making.
2. Prioritisation and Allocation: The project manager analyses each change request. Critical changes that are core dependencies for the project stay within the project scope. However, less critical requests or minor enhancements can be safely passed to the dedicated CASE Team.
3. CASE Team Delivers: The CASE Team, with its dedicated pool of CASE Hours of Capacity, prioritises and delivers the approved scope creep requests. This frees up the project team to focus on the core project goals.
4. Flexibility and Efficiency: Any unused CASE Hours of Capacity after the project is complete don't go to waste. The customer can leverage these hours for ongoing business-as-usual (BAU) support or minor enhancements after the project launch.

CASE maximises your project's success by:

• Providing a pay-as-you-go approach to managing scope creep through CASE Hours.
• Ensuring efficient use of resources by allowing unused hours to be applied to BAU or enhancements.
• Maintaining project focus and clarity by freeing the project team to deliver core objectives.

Bottom line

Project scope creep is a real threat, but it doesn't have to derail your project. By implementing a clear change management process and leveraging a flexible solution like CASE, you can effectively manage unexpected changes. CASE, with its on-demand CASE Hours of Capacity, allows you to prioritise and address new requirements while keeping your project on track. Unused hours provide additional value for ongoing support and enhancements. With CASE as your partner, you can achieve project success and ensure your project delivers the desired outcomes, even in the face of unforeseen changes.

Don’t let scope creep derail your project. Discover how CASE can help - contact us today to learn more!