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Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.1
Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBAPresident and FounderWatermark Learning
@Rich_Larson
bapmtraining
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Training organization established in 1992, offering private and public classes and certification preparation in:• Business Analysis• Project Management• Agile-Scrum• Business Process Management • “Influencing Skills”
Courseware licensing Consulting and mentoring services Industry Partnerships
• An “original” PMI® Global RegisteredEducation Provider
• A Charter IIBA® Endorsed EducationProvider
• Offering BA, PM, and Agile Certificateprograms through Auburn University
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.© 3
The top 5 reasons for scope creep on projects and their causes.
At least one solution per cause that will work in your environment.
How Project Managers, Business Analysts, and Sponsors can work together effectively to manage scope.
When finished with this session, you will learn:
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Why is Scope Creep so Bad? Top Five Causes
#1 – Lack of Scope Definition#2 – Requirements and Scope not Managed#3 – Inconsistent Requirements Processes#4 – Lack of Involved Sponsor#5 – Length of Project
Solutions
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
What is your Primary Role on Most Projects?
1. Project Manager 2. Business Analyst3. Both PM and BA4. Other
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
1. What is Scope Creep?2. Why is it a Problem?
Discussion
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Item: What it Sounds like:Additional features or functions of a new product
“…it would be cool to …”
New requirements “… we have to have …”
Work not authorized beyond the agreed-upon scope
“… I think I will go ahead and …”
Scope creep is adding:
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
“Uncontrolled expansion to product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources.” PMBOK® Guide, 5th edition
In short:• Unapproved changes on
projects• Unintended additions to
projects.
What is Scope Creep?
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Extra time and cost devoted to unauthorized changes
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Projects must typically be finished with same cost and time constraints• Leaves less time for approved parts of the scope,
hurting quality• Approved features may not get completed • End-product is not what was chartered• May not meet business needs • May not even be used (“gold-plating”)• Time and cost overruns to finish the authorized
parts of the scope.
What Harm Does it Cause?
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Executives and Sponsors Project Managers Business Analysts Team Members All of the above?
Discussion
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
What has your experience shown to be the top cause of scope creep?
1. Ambiguous Scope Definition2. Scope/Requirements Not Managed3. Inconsistent method for requirements elicitation 4. Lack of sponsorship/stakeholder involvement5. Project Length
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Overview – New Energy, Inc. Project – Sales Commission System Progress – Selected Solution
New Energy™
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Don – Sponsor Mary – Project Manager Chris – VP of Sales Bob - Systems Analyst New Energy™
Don Mary Chris Bob
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sure, Mary. I’m really busy right now, but I trust your work. I’m sure you’ll do a
good job.
Hi, Don. Here’s the plan for the
new Sales Commission project In a
nutshell…OK?
DonMary
Guess what the scope-creeper would say:
PROJECT STATUS:• Package took
months to decide and install
• Stakeholder contention
• Behind schedule
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sponsor View• Focused on the business, not “Scope”• Not familiar or comfortable with Charters• Rarely think their scope is undefined – the PM
and team just don’t understand it.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Project View• Focused on projects• Define high-level scope: best documented in a
charter and expanded in scope statement • Elaborated using a WBS (Work Breakdown
Structure).
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Outcomes• Skipping detailed decomposition and
requirements analysis: scope remains ambiguous
• Typically resolved by:1) The team interprets the requirements and builds
what it thinks is right, or 2) The team clarifies the scope by eliciting
requirements directly from stakeholders and subject matter experts (SMEs).
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations1. Initiating
a. Work with Sponsors to develop own chartersb. Define the business need for a project
2. Planninga. Scope statements should include both features in and
out of scopeb. WBS decomposed into detailed work packages is a
mustc. Include time for detailed requirements work
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations3. Execution
a. BAs – use variety of elicitation methodsb. Analyze and document clear, complete
requirements. c. BAs – use scope models and diagrams (e.g.,
context diagrams and Use Case diagrams) for visual clarity and alignment
d. PMs – work with sponsor to negotiate realistic deadlines (later delivery, chunk scope, etc.).
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Example Use Case Diagram
TellerPay
Withdrawal
CashCheck
Customer System
Make Loan Payment
MakeDeposit
Banking System
Out of Scope:
Write Money Order
Issue Travelers Checks
Actor
System
Use Cases (in scope)
Use Cases (out of scope)
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Great! I don’t want our staff to spend too much time in requirements
meetings.
Hi, Don. We don’t need to worry
about defining requirements …we’ll let the
vendor do that.
DonMary
Guess what the scope-creeper would say:
PROJECT STATUS:• Discovery of new
interfaces needed• Bob is assigned to
define them all• No budget for
more help
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Case Study Summary • Fixed date• Undefined requirements
undefined scope. • Under resourced
New Energy™
NOTE: Mary did not adequately define the scope. Because of time pressures, she is over-relying on the vendor for requirements.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sponsor View• View the approved scope like a contract• Deliverables usually take more time to learn
and discover than was planned• “Discovered” features can become scope creep• Sponsors may abdicate small decisions.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Project View• Most projects have many new requirements • Easy to stray and let “rogue” ones in • Lack of clear scope management and decision-
making make it difficult to determine what is in and out of scope.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations1. Planning
a. Include a change management process in your planb. Include contingencies for changes
2. Executiona. Use effective scope management processesb. Use Agile/Scrum, if appropriate c. Clear roles and responsibilities for decision-makingd. Scope Management = “Ensuring that all new
features and functions requested are handled in away deemed satisfactory by all stakeholders.”
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations3. Execution (cont).
a. BAs make sure to review all requirements with stakeholders and get approvals
b. Employ requirements traceabilityc. Consider using a Defect Management process
Project LifecycleBusiness Objectives
Project Objectives
Reqs Baseline
Traceability
Changes Approved Design Test Deploy
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Process/ Phase RResponsible
AApprove
CConsult with
IInform
Plan Project Project Manager
Sponsor Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
Team, Stakeholders
Plan Requirements
Business Analyst
Project Manager
SMEs Sponsor, Quality
AssuranceAnalyze Requirements
Business Analyst
Project Manager
SMEs, End-Users,
Developers
Project Manager
Add Requirements –High-Level
BA, PM Sponsor SMEs, Developers
Team
Add Requirements –Detailed
BA, PM Lead SME SMEs, Developers
Sponsor, Team
RACI: Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Requirement Source Objective References
Design References
Test Case References
1.0 Change Order system
Sponsor Interview
BO1, PO2 TD1
1.1 Replace daily inventory updates with immediate stock level updates
2.0 Change Customer system
RW1 BO2 TD2 TC2
2.1 Integrate with Order2.1.1 Add age/gender info
Traceability Matrix: Manage Requirements
LEGEND: BO = Business Objective, PO = Project Objective, RW = Requirements Workshop, BPM = Business Process Model, TD = Technical Design, TC = Test Case
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.© 30
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
How’s this look? Our job
is to make sure you are delighted!
Bob, how’s the conversion? Say, any chance you
can you give us a web page for data
entry?
Bob
Mary said no…but it
wouldn’t be that difficult.
Chris
Guess what the scope-creeper would say:
PROJECT STATUS:• Bob is behind
schedule on his interface analysis
• Chris is concerned there won’t be a web interface
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Case Study Summary• Business problem not defined
• Requirements not traced to problem and objectives
• Changes process not planned
• Changes not tracked or communicated
New Energy™
NOTE: The business problem was never defined, so all requirements are considered equal. There was no process for handling and communicating changes.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.
Reason Best Practices1. Ambiguous Scope
DefinitionCharter, Business Requirements, Product WBS
2. Scope and Requirements not Managed
Traceability and Change Process,Agile/Scrum
3. Inconsistent Process for Collecting Product Requirements
RMP with processes to plan, track, document, authorize, report.
4. Lack of Sponsorship and Stakeholder Involvement
Sponsor role, accountability and ownership, shared expectations and risk.
5. Project Length Develop iteratively and release incrementally.
Top 5 Factors
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sponsor View• Sponsors assume the project team has a
consistent method for requirements• Do not think much about “elicitation”• Not eager for the team to take much time to
refine detailed requirements.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Project View• High-level requirements have fuzzy boundaries and
are open to misinterpretation• “Scope drift” occurs when porous boundaries let in
additional requirements • Unauthorized stakeholders – providing their
requirements, adding to scope creep.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations1. Planning - PMs: plan time in project for
requirements and change management 2. Execution
a. BAs – create scope models early in projectb. Build on them as product is progressively
elaboratedc. Collect and analyze requirements in
categories and “layers”d. Three iterations deep: Scope layer, Expanded
layer, and Detailed layer.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Code Design
Scope Diagrams
Detailed Process
Maps
Scope
SIPOCsSwim Lanes
Expanded Detailed DesignScope Expanded Detailed Design
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Case Study Summary• Requirements omitted
• Business process changes have not been considered
New Energy™
NOTE: Project scope didn’t include analyzing affect of system on business processes or whether the organization was ready for these changes.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sponsor View• Sponsors are busy• Not even aware they are not “involved”• May become disinterested• Negative events tend to refocus them.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Project ViewTop 3 contributors to project failure* include:
1. Lack of User Involvement - Vacuums, scope creep result.
2. Lack of Executive Support - Disengaged sponsors are more likely to abdicate, leading to potential scope creep.
3. Unclear Statement of Requirements – see Cause 3!4. Changing Requirements and Specs
* Source: Standish Group 2014 Chaos Report
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations1. Initiating
a. Sponsors should develop project charters to keep ownership where it belongs
b. Proper vehicle to describe vision and benefits2. Planning
a. PM - include lack of stakeholder participation as a risk
b. Build in contingencies
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations3. Execution
a. PMs should do reporting to keep sponsors engaged
b. Focus on progress towards deliverablesc. Quick, visual displays of statusd. PM and BA - use RACI to manage roles and
responsibilitiese. Clarify decision-making and confirm SME
participation.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
But, we’ve discovered things we need your
opinion on!
Talk to Alison in A/P. I’ve
“empowered” her to make decisions.
I’m very busy.I’ve gotta go…
Don, I’d like to meet with you to review
progress.
Don (on phone)Mary
Guess what the scope-creeper would say:
PROJECT STATUS:• Bob is behind
schedule on his interface analysis
• Chris is concerned there won’t be a web interface
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Case Study Summary• Disengaged Sponsor:
Decision-making Communications
• New stakeholder identified new requirements
New Energy™
When the business is not fully engaged but wants to keep the end date, shortcuts are often taken and inappropriate decisions are made by the wrong people.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Sponsor View• The longer a project, the more time they
have to expand scope• Business changes over the life of a long
project
Sponsor needsa Sprint
Sponsor gets a Marathon
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Project View• Larson’s Law:
“The longer a project, the greater the chance for scope creep to occur.”
• Longer projects always have more proportionate scope creep
• Agile methods help this issue.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Recommendations1. Initiating
a. Educate sponsors to chunk projects into shorter sub-projects with tight deliverables
b. Consider an Agile approach2. Closing
a. As sub-projects finish, close them out, conduct lessons learned, and celebrate
b. Reinforce benefits of deliverables and maintain momentum.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Case Study Lessons Learned• Long delays increased chances the business
would change (and it did)• Project teams had more time to add
unauthorized features
New Energy™
NOTE: Organizations will change during long projects. Plan how the project will deal with change. Adding features incrementally can help.
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.
Reason Best Practices1. Ambiguous Scope
DefinitionCharter, Business Requirements, Product WBS.
2. Scope and Requirements not Managed
Traceability and Change Process. Defect Management.
3. Inconsistent Process for Collecting Product Requirements
RMP with processes to plan, track, document, authorize, report.
4. Lack of Sponsorship and Stakeholder Involvement
Sponsor role, accountability and ownership, shared expectations and risk.
5. Project Length Develop iteratively and release incrementally.
Top 5 Factors
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
List the top 5 reasons for scope creep on projects and their causes.
Describe at least one solution per cause that will work in your environment.
Discover how Project Managers, Business Analysts, and Sponsors can work together effectively to manage scope.
Now that we are done, you should be able to:
Enhanced Performance. Enduring Results.©
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