Practical Project Management - 5 Tips On How To Manage Project Scope
Due to the project scope being fixed for the period of time, but the customer's business constantly changing, the customer usually wants to change their scope frequently.
And what is even worse is that the larger the project, the more likely it will be that this will happen.
So here are five tips to help you manage the scope of a project.
1.
Cast in concrete.
This may seem easy, but it is very important that the scope is defined properly and in very much detail.
2.
Proper Planning.
When doing the project plan, it is best to group all the activities in relevant groups that are associated with your deliverables.
This way you can easily and quickly see which activities contribute to the delivery of which deliverable.
This will also ensure that once you have completed a group of activities, that you can mark the deliverable as completed.
This will also add the benefit of easily reporting on the status of each deliverable and to monitor the progress on each deliverable.
3.
Quality measurement.
As important as it is to complete and deliver a deliverable, is it to ensure that you deliver the quality that meets the need of your customer.
These expectations that describe how the deliverable will be measured to ensure they meet the customer's expectations are called 'quality targets'.
To ensure that you meet these quality targets, will require that you have 'quality controls' in place.
These controls will ensure that the deliverable will do what it was set out to do.
Only when this is in place, will you be able to ensure that your customer will sign off each deliverable and the project as a whole.
4.
Managing scope change.
Every time a customer requests a change to the scope of the project, ensure that the requirements are properly documented and review the impact on the project deliverables.
Ensure that once you have documented any impact, being cost, time or deliverable change, the customer signs the scope change document.
Then make sure that the additional resources, time, money or people are provided and assigned to the project.
Where necessary, hold scope change meetings to discuss the change and prioritize against the current deliverables.
5.
Reporting.
All changes and their effect on the project must be reported appropriately.
This will ensure that if you go past the project deadline that you can prove that is was due to a scope change.
This way the stakeholders will be more acceptable to the slippage.
Thus by defining the scope properly at the start of the project, adding your deliverables to your project plan, manage any scope changesand monitor the quality of all deliverables you will be able to manage the scope of the project in a more formal manner, which will give you the benefit of a better managed project.
And what is even worse is that the larger the project, the more likely it will be that this will happen.
So here are five tips to help you manage the scope of a project.
1.
Cast in concrete.
This may seem easy, but it is very important that the scope is defined properly and in very much detail.
2.
Proper Planning.
When doing the project plan, it is best to group all the activities in relevant groups that are associated with your deliverables.
This way you can easily and quickly see which activities contribute to the delivery of which deliverable.
This will also ensure that once you have completed a group of activities, that you can mark the deliverable as completed.
This will also add the benefit of easily reporting on the status of each deliverable and to monitor the progress on each deliverable.
3.
Quality measurement.
As important as it is to complete and deliver a deliverable, is it to ensure that you deliver the quality that meets the need of your customer.
These expectations that describe how the deliverable will be measured to ensure they meet the customer's expectations are called 'quality targets'.
To ensure that you meet these quality targets, will require that you have 'quality controls' in place.
These controls will ensure that the deliverable will do what it was set out to do.
Only when this is in place, will you be able to ensure that your customer will sign off each deliverable and the project as a whole.
4.
Managing scope change.
Every time a customer requests a change to the scope of the project, ensure that the requirements are properly documented and review the impact on the project deliverables.
Ensure that once you have documented any impact, being cost, time or deliverable change, the customer signs the scope change document.
Then make sure that the additional resources, time, money or people are provided and assigned to the project.
Where necessary, hold scope change meetings to discuss the change and prioritize against the current deliverables.
5.
Reporting.
All changes and their effect on the project must be reported appropriately.
This will ensure that if you go past the project deadline that you can prove that is was due to a scope change.
This way the stakeholders will be more acceptable to the slippage.
Thus by defining the scope properly at the start of the project, adding your deliverables to your project plan, manage any scope changesand monitor the quality of all deliverables you will be able to manage the scope of the project in a more formal manner, which will give you the benefit of a better managed project.
