View source for Scope creep

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{{short description|Project management issue}}
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In [[project management]], '''scope creep''' or '''feature creep''' is continuous or uncontrolled growth in a [[project]]'s [[scope (project management)|scope]], generally experienced after the project begins.<ref name="James P Lewis">{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=James |title=Fundamentals of Project Management |edition=Second |date=2002 |publisher=AMACOM |isbn=0-8144-7132-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofpr00lewi_1/page/29 29, 63] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofpr00lewi_1/page/29 }}</ref> This can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered harmful.<ref name="Kendrick2015">{{cite book|last=Kendrick |first=Tom |title=Identifying and Managing Project Risk: Essential Tools for Failure-Proofing Your Project |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BnuZBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |edition=3rd|date=2015 |publisher=AMACOM |isbn=978-0-8144-3609-7 |pages=50–52 |chapter=Chapter 3. Identifying Project Scope Risk }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Sanghera| first = Paul | year = 2019| title=PMP in Depth |edition = Third | publisher = Apress | isbn = 978-1-4842-3910-0}}</ref>{{rp|13}} These harms include overruns in costs, schedule, or both.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Kerzner |first=Harold |title=Project Recovery: Case Studies and Techniques for Overcoming Project Failure |date=2014 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated |isbn=978-1-118-80919-8 |edition=1st |location=Somerset |pages=250-268}}</ref> Though if scope creep is well managed, it can help projects by creating a better final product.<ref name=":0" /> Scope creep cannot be entirely prevented, so mitigating its harms is done by managing it after noticing it.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=Pennock |first=J.O. |title=Controlling Change |date=2001 |work=Piping Engineering Leadership for Process Plant Projects |pages=213–221 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780884153474500150 |access-date=2025-09-13 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-088415347-4/50015-0 |isbn=978-0-88415-347-4|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Scope creep has at least some presence in every project, and it can endanger many of them.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Page |first=Susan |title=Power of Business Process Improvement: 10 Simple Steps to Increase Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Adaptability |date=2010 |publisher=AMACOM |isbn=978-0-8144-1479-8 |edition=1st |location=Saranac Lake |pages=34-44}}</ref> Scope creep is also known as requirement creep, kitchen sink syndrome, mission creep, or feature creep, with the last two relating especially to government/military projects and software projects, respectively.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Nadeem |first=Muhammad Asgher |last2=Hasnain |first2=Muhammad |last3=Saleemi |first3=M. Mohsin |last4=Mohsin |first4=Muhammad Awais |last5=Ansari |first5=Mohammad Adeel |last6=Essalah |first6=Wissal |date=2024-03-01 |title=Challenges in Requirements Engineering for IoT Solutions |url=https://www.jcbi.org/index.php/Main/article/view/333 |journal=Journal of Computing & Biomedical Informatics |language=en |volume=6 |issue=02 |pages=55–63 |issn=2710-1614}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Paletz |first=Susannah B.F. |title=Project Management of Innovative Teams |date=2012 |work=Handbook of Organizational Creativity |pages=421–455 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780123747143000173 |access-date=2025-09-29 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-374714-3.00017-3 |isbn=978-0-12-374714-3|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Sometimes, scope creep and feature creep are defined separately, with scope creep referring to scope enlargements and feature creep referring to adding extra features.<ref name=":0" />

== Common causes ==
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=== Poorly defined project scope ===
Ineffective project management communication between a client and the project manager is a leading effect of project scope creep. An assignment that is not understood correctly will turn out to be completely different from clients vision. With that being said clients can also be to blame as they may not see a clear vision of what they want.<ref>{{cite web |title=Managing Scope Creep in Project Management |url=https://www.villanovau.com/resources/project-management/project-management-scope-creep/ |website=[[Villanova University]] |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711144303/https://www.villanovau.com/resources/project-management/project-management-scope-creep/#.U7_3_Dd_qcs |archive-date=July 11, 2014 |language=en-us |date=February 22, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=January 2022}}

=== Project vagueness or complexity ===
A factor in scope creep is when an unexpected hurdle comes up, and arguments occur on if the scope of work document covers it.<ref>{{Citation |last=Burke |first=Peter Y. |title=Scope of Work |date=2017 |work=Technical Career Survival Handbook |pages=207–208 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128093726000839 |access-date=2025-09-13 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-809372-6.00083-9 |isbn=978-0-12-809372-6|url-access=subscription }}</ref> When certain documents are either too technical or lack critical details, scope creep can appear through interpreting these documents.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Ajam |first=Mounir A. |title=Project management beyond waterfall and agile |date=2018 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-315-20207-5 |series=Best practices and advances in program management series |location=Boca Raton |pages=239-244}}</ref> As a project is planned to be longer or more complex, instances of scope creep are more likely, which could harm the project.<ref name=":0" />

=== Failure to capture all requirements ===
Properly defining project scope requires thorough investigation by the project manager during the initial planning phase of a project. Failure to gather all information from all relevant stakeholders is a common reason for incomplete scope statements and missing requirements, which can frequently and easily lead to scope creep later in the project. It is essential that everyone on the team understands the project requirements thoroughly -- and that the project sponsor and relevant stakeholders have signed off on those requirements -- before execution of the project begins.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guerrero|first=Felicia, PMP|title=What is Scope Creep and How Can You Control It?|url=https://becomeaprojectmanager.com/what-is-scope-creep-and-how-can-you-control-it/|access-date=2022-10-14|website=All Things Project Management}}</ref>

=== Lack of project management practices ===
Adoptions and adhering to project management practices and project management processes are confirmed methods of preventing scope creep from dismantling the project.

=== Addition of unnecessary features ===
Sometimes project teams tend to start adding additional features in order to impress the client.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sanghera| first = Paul | year = 2019| title=PMP in Depth |edition = Third | publisher = Apress | isbn = 978-1-4842-3910-0}}</ref>{{rp|482}} This may not work and tend to cause more work for such project and throw off the scope.

=== Low cost of change ===
Scope creep can more easily enter projects while presented as small, simple, and easy to implement changes.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Russell |first=Lou |title=10 steps to successful project management |date=2007 |publisher=ASTD Press |isbn=978-1-56286-463-7 |series=10 steps series |location=Alexandria, Va |pages=45-64}}</ref> However, the volume or actual complexity of these changes can risk project failure.<ref name=":5" />

=== Internal additions ===
Often, when project team members cause scope creep, they intend to improve the project, rather than having the expanded scope harm the project.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Todd C. |title=Rescue the problem project: a complete guide to identifying, preventing, and recovering from project failure |date=2011 |publisher=American Management Association |isbn=978-0-8144-1682-2 |location=New York}}</ref> One example is when team members suggest adding new features in the client's presence.<ref name=":6" /> Another example is a project team pushing the use of newer technologies, when management or the client may want to use older technology they are used to, which can cause scope creep through retraining and increasing complexity.<ref name=":6" /> However, there are some instances in which a member on the project team has a vested interest in causing scope creep.<ref name=":0" /> An instance is where someone fears a project will replace them, so they intentionally induce scope creep to delay the project to make its completion a non issue for them.<ref name=":0" /> Scope creep can also be used by a project manager seeking to look more competent by handling additional tasks or by a project team to ensure they have work when future uncertainty looms.<ref name=":0" />

=== Client additions ===
Clients may request project additions, causing scope creep, in response to pre-contract agreements or seeing new potential during project development.<ref name=":6" /> When clients find missing items and add them to a project, that is scope creep, but there is generally no ill intent behind it.<ref name=":4" /> Some clients use scope creep by pointing to unclear items to try to add items they want, but are not required for the project.<ref name=":4" />

=== Communication gap between project stakeholders ===
Another cause of scope creep is the communication gap between the stakeholders. Clients may not respond quickly enough to the project managers, causing the project to run into a bottleneck.

These aspects can affect the operational efficiencies of companies, especially when involved in long-term relationships.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Invernizzi|first1=Diletta Colette|last2=Locatelli|first2=Giorgio|last3=Brookes|first3=Naomi J.|date=2018-07-04|title=The need to improve communication about scope changes: frustration as an indicator of operational inefficiencies|journal=Production Planning & Control|volume=29|issue=9|pages=729–742|doi=10.1080/09537287.2018.1461949|s2cid=116129580|issn=0953-7287|url=https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129889/1/The%20need%20to%20improve%20communication%20Invernizzi%20Locatelli%20Brookes%202018.pdf}}</ref> Scope creep is a [[risk]] in most projects. Most [[megaproject]]s fall victim to scope creep (see ''[[Megaprojects and Risk]]''). Scope creep often results in [[cost overrun]]. A "value for free" strategy is difficult to counteract and remains a difficult challenge for even the most experienced project managers.

== Common effects ==

=== Risking the project by altering project foundations ===
Scope is key for defining both the physical facilities and project deliverables, and scope creep changes at least one of them.<ref name=":1" /> By affecting at least one, scope creep goes on to affect other parts of the project, such as project timeframe and cost.<ref name=":1" /> One part of how scope creep causes project delays is by creating the need for more meetings to discuss new scope parts and make decisions on if they should be implemented.<ref name=":0" /> Costs can go up due to these delays and new risks may emerge due to the new additions.<ref name=":0" /> When cost gets too high, the project goes on too long, or both, projects can fail and higher-ups may look for alternatives to the project.<ref name=":0" />

=== Useful changes and advantages ===
Scope creep can give a project advantages, such as by creating a better final product from the perspective of the client or making the final product better than similar products from other projects.<ref name=":0" /> When scope creep is controlled, it can help the project meet its needs by allowing useful changes through.<ref name=":5" /> Scope changes are common in projects more than a week, and that makes managing scope creep key to avoiding its negative effects while getting the benefits of useful changes.<ref name=":5" />

== Management techniques ==

=== Having clear foundational documents ===
It is critical to have documents that clearly define to both the client and project team what the project's scope is, what the goals are, and the methods for changing the scope.<ref name=":3" /> Such documents can help form a foundation for a project, lessening the danger of scope creep.<ref name=":2" /> Since requirement uncertainty can create the need for assumptions that cause scope creep, having a project's foundational documents define them can reduce this aspect of scope creep.<ref name=":0" />

=== Questioning or refusing changes ===
When a change is suggested, first analyze it by predicting whether it is excessively costly, in terms of time and money, to add.<ref name=":7">{{Citation |last=Ellis |first=George |title=The Critical Path Method |date=2016 |work=Project Management in Product Development |pages=43–56 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128023228000036 |access-date=2025-09-13 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-802322-8.00003-6 |isbn=978-0-12-802322-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref> If the analysis finds no excessive cost, then its implementation can be proposed.<ref name=":7" /> Another strategy that can be implemented when changes are proposed is questioning the suggested change to ensure it is well justified.<ref name=":0" /> For changes the client proposes, accepting them solely to please the client risks the project, and those changes could be a part of a follow-up project.<ref name=":0" /> Occasionally refusing customer requests is key for project management since it can reduce the risk of scope creep causing project cancelation.<ref name=":6" />

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Anti-pattern]]
* [[Cost overrun]]
* [[Scope (project management)]]
* [[Planning poker]]
* [[Escalation of commitment]]
* [[Instruction creep]]
* [[Mission creep]]
* ''[[The Mythical Man-Month]]''
* [[Second-system effect]]
* [[Software bloat]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Project management]]