3 Strategies for Managing Scope Creep
LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2023 — A well-managed project starts with a well-written plan.
For project managers, the first defense against scope creep is a clear and comprehensive product requirements document, which outlines the features, objectives and criteria for a product and provides a roadmap for its development. A good PRD defines the scope of a project. A great one also articulates what is out of scope.
Aviva Schmitz, a technical product manager at Los Angeles-based customer acquisition platform System1, explains that including a list of features and functionalities that are beyond the scope of a project helps prevent delays and disappointments down the line.
“With this list, I’m much better prepared to engage in a dialogue with a stakeholder who approaches with a request during the development phase,” she told Built In Los Angeles. “The request, or one like it, is probably already on my list, so I have evidence that the decision to descope it was not an oversight but rather a logical and intentional choice that was carefully considered by everyone who reviewed the PRD.”
If all stakeholders sign off in advance, everyone has an idea of what to expect and there’s less risk of a project getting sidelined by added deliverables.
Schmitz shares insights on evaluating the complexity of a project, differentiating between acceptance criteria and success criteria and keeping scope creep at bay.
Read full profile on Built In LA.