Scope and Scope Control: how to Control Scope?

"I, Bob Burger, want to find more ways to better control the scope of my projects, ranging from how to deal with change and how to accept feedback. I want to be able to be flexible in my projects to create the best product possible."

Hey Bob, thanks for writing to us. Scope can be a difficult thing to manage on projects, so we understand the frustration and the want to improve upon this. First things first: the idea of scope, despite sounding simple, can get quite complex, so let's take it from the beginning. One should already know scope refers to what your project encompasses, as well as how big the project is itself. Scope itself is one of the most important aspects for projects, as it defines how the work for the project will go. However, scope control is all about managing this to maintain the goals that are supposed to be accomplished. This can mean a few things, ranging from changing functionality to full on full project changes. One should always look out for factors that could improve performance or similar, as choosing to avoid scope control can be a slippery slope to a project with no clear direction.

 When looking at scope control, it's exceptionally important to analyze the data for any variances to your initial plan (Take a look at the graph above for an idea). A good example would be if you were planning on having multiple shipments of computers - 20 to be exact. By the time you finish unpacking and marking down how many computers you have, you notice that you only received 16! In this scenario, the variance here, being the 4 missing computers, would affect the scope of the project, thus needing scope control to adjust plans and make things right. It's always best to tackle this problem rather than ignore it, as it can lead to scope creep, which basically means the project goes out of control. There are a good couple of ways to make sure you can make the most out of scenarios like this, and that's by doing what project managers do best: manage! Having your team stay up to date and receiving feedback from them can drastically improve any issues you face, as well as quickly find solutions. Be generous with time frames due to unpredictable scenarios being unavoidable, and make sure your team covers multiple fields (for example, a team of all IT guys may not be the best for some projects) as well. Don't just talk about things; have someone write down minutes during meetings, and write down what you plan to talk about to help keep things up to date and easy to track. Electronic documentation can be useful here too, letting anyone who forgets part of the plan easily look up and track what they're doing; it can also help your job as project manager by allowing you to know when specific steps in the project are completed instantly.

Another huge part of project management, should your project be meant for consumers and users, is to get feedback from them as well. A tough part of being a member of a project is being biased in the appearance and usability of your product. Prototypes do tend to be just that: prototypes, a first model meant to be tested and changed for the better. Having users test out your project can give you proper feedback on how to improve some smaller, unexpected things. For example, say you were making an app for a bank that helps users transfer funds from account to account. After users try out your first prototype, you discover that many of them could not figure out the user interface well enough to change their password. With this knowledge, you and your team make some edits and make things more clear, solving that issue with ease! Project quality management is a huge part of the job, and guarantees your project works more efficiently.

A big thing to double down on: Pace the project out. A big problem nowadays with project management is the idea of crunch: where a lot of work is done near the end of the project in order to meet a deadline. Sometimes, crunch can be inevitable, but as a project manager, it is your duty to scope control as much as you can to prevent any issues to the project or harm any of your project members. Always be proactive when you can, and always make sure to check in on any members you may be worried are being overworked. This being said, always be aware - and make sure all of your team is aware - of deadlines. Once you set a deadline, it's often difficult to change, often involving a loss of respect in your work. Setting up multiple deadlines through the project process can help ease this, but maintaining a balance between working efficiently throughout the entire time given is key to being successful in your work.

Lastly, to reinforce this idea, I'll make it as clear as possible: allocate resources specifically toward any changes made. Project managers tend to try and use scope control to keep things consistently on track... but that can fall apart by refusing to fix or put anything toward any changes that need to happen. Sometimes, being stubborn about the initial plan can backfire, thus comes the recommendation to accept the change and do what you can to integrate it. Pushing the change under the rug or ignoring it can lead to major issues down the line, ranging from crunch time to project failure. With all of this, and with other guides on how to be an efficient project manager on the site, I know you will do your best and handle this Bob! Please feel free to write to us again!

Kyle Murdock, ITIS 3300 Group 1

Source:
Schwalbe, Kathy Information Technology Project Management 9th Edition, Cengage Learning Inc, 2019
https://online-accounting.net/variance-analysis-formula-with-example/ (Picture)

https://medium.theuxblog.com/user-testing-v-s-usability-testing-c3a9edd04612 (Picture)

https://www.dhleonardconsulting.com/5-tips-tricks-tools-managing-multiple-grant-deadlines/ (Picture)