Project scope management is an important aspect of project management, which defines and controls the project scope. This is critical in ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget with expected results.
What is this process, its components, and how to make it maximum effective? Find it out from the article.
Project scope management: Definition and importance
Let’s start by clarifying the concept of project scope. The project management body of knowledge defines project scope as the work that must be performed to deliver a product/service or another result with specified functions or features.
Project scope management is the process that defines the boundaries of a project, including its objectives, requirements, deliverables, and tasks. It is a project manager’s responsibility to define and control the scope of a project to ensure that it achieves its objectives.
Managing the project scope becomes much easier if a project manager utilizes specific project/ resource management software. For example, a resource management solution like Epicflow has various tools that help keep a project on track. We’ll review how it assists with project scope management later in the article.
Why is project scope management important?
Project scope management allows project managers to:
- define the parameters of a project;
- keep the balance between project outcomes, expectations of them, and a company’s business priorities;
- monitor the project progress regarding the due date, approved amount of work, and budget;
- prevent scope creep, and keep track of changing requirements.
Therefore, project scope management is an essential tool that helps keep projects on the right track. Let’s now consider the main stages of the scope management process.
The main steps of the scope management process
The scope management process consists of the following steps:
1. Scope management planning.
At this stage, you should gather project stakeholders’ input and decide how to manage the project scope.
2. Gathering project requirements.
Project requirements define the functions and characteristics of a project, including its qualities, risks, benefits, and costs. It’s important to agree on project requirements with stakeholders to ensure they are aligned with project goals. All of them should be documented to serve as a reference point later.
3. Determining the project scope.
This stage results in creating the scope statement that outlines a project’s goals, deliverables, and requirements. It defines the project’s boundaries and guides the project’s decision-making process.
4. Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
A WBS is a hierarchical breakdown of project tasks, subtasks, and deliverables. It is used to manage and track project progress and ensure that all project requirements are met.
5. Validating the scope.
This is a kind of approval of defined deliverables and project scope by stakeholders. As a result, a project manager receives accepted deliverables, change requests, and project document updates.
6. Controlling the scope.
This step involves making sure that the scope of a project doesn’t exceed the established boundaries, and if any changes are required, there should be a change control process in place.
It includes defining the process for requesting changes, evaluating their impact, and approving or rejecting them. Effective change control helps prevent scope expansion and ensures that projects remain within their defined scope.
Scope management best practices
The following recommendations will ensure the effectiveness of scope management.
Clearly define the project scope.
This is the first step in effective scope management, which involves the following actions:
- developing a detailed scope statement,
- outlining project requirements,
- creating a WBS.
The clearly defined project scope helps ensure that all stakeholders understand the project’s goals and requirements and provides a reference point for decision-making throughout the project life cycle.
Involve stakeholders in scope management.
It’s important to involve stakeholders in scope management to meet their expectations. Stakeholders should be involved in defining the project’s goals, requirements, and deliverables. Also, they should be updated regularly throughout the project lifecycle to ensure the project meets their needs.
Use a change control process.
Effective change control is critical to preventing scope expansion (scope creep) and ensuring the project remains within its defined scope. A change control process should be established early in the project lifecycle and embrace the process for requesting changes, evaluating their impact, and approving or rejecting them.
Monitor project progress
It is important to monitor project progress to ensure it stays on track. This includes tracking progress against the project’s WBS, monitoring the budget, and ensuring all project requirements are met.
Ensure effective communication
Effective communication is critical to successful scope management. Project managers should regularly communicate with stakeholders to ensure their expectations are met and keep them updated on progress. This includes developing a communication plan and using effective communication tools and techniques.
Use project management software.
Project management software can help streamline the scope management process and meet all project requirements. A software solution like Epicflow, which we’ve mentioned at the beginning of the article, can help improve project scope management in the following ways:
- Providing real-time data on project progress (the amount of time and budget planned and spent);
- Showing the state of all projects in the environment;
- Providing the ability to perform scenario analysis, which can be useful when testing responses to changing requirements.
Epicflow optimizes project and resource management processes in a multi-project environment and increases their efficiency for achieving excellent business outcomes.
Key takeaways
- Project scope management is an important part of project management that aims to define and control the project scope and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget with expected results.
- The scope management process includes the following steps:
- Planning scope management,
- Gathering project requirements,
- Determining the project scope,
- Creating a Work Breakdown Structure,
- Validating the scope,
- Controlling the scope.
- To make the project scope management maximum effective, you should:
- Define the scope clearly;
- Encourage stakeholders to participate in scope management;
- Use a change control process;
- Keep track of project progress;
- Communicate effectively with all project participants and stakeholders;
- Leverage the potential of project management software, e.g., Epicflow.