Project scope management is the process of ensuring all working efforts are being used to achieve the project’s objectives. Using project scope management techniques allows managers and supervisors to allocate the right amount of work needed to efficiently finish a project. This is an essential step to ensure product quality. But which factors must be considered while managing the scope?
According to PMI, there are 6 processes to be considered during the project scope management and we’ll talk about them below.
1. Plan Scope Management
The scope of a project is an overview that contains every detail of all work involved to deliver the final result. The first step of the project scope management is to create a plan that establishes how the management is going to work, how it is going to be validated, and how it is going to be controlled.
In other words, the plan must specify how the scope will be made, which tools should be used, how the scope will be managed and controlled, and how it will be evaluated in each phase.
2. Collect Requirements
After planning how the scope will be managed, it is necessary to perform a requirement-gathering meeting with the client. This process consists of understanding the client’s real needs, which functionalities are needed, and all essential features to achieve the project’s goals. Comprehension and communication are key here: you need to thoroughly comprehend the clients needs and requirements and communicate any roadblocks or recommendations to set all clear expectations.
For their requirements, there are two main types: functional and non-functional. The functional factors are those that are directly connected to the product, pointing to the functionalities of the project. The non-functional factors consist of all information indirectly connected to the project, such as safety and privacy policies in system development projects, or sustainability and durability in construction projects.
Requirement-gathering sessions usually happen through meetings with the client, briefings, and quizzes to help decipher their needs. Thus, it becomes clearer to those responsible for planning and execution what the project’s working structure should be and what are the crucial points for its success.
3. Define the Scope
After completing the requirements-gathering, the process of defining the scope begins. This process consists of adapting the plan established in the first step to the information gathered in the second one.
During the scope definition, some details must be established, such as:
- The product: This clearly establishes what should be the final deliverables of a project to all professionals involved in the development
- How is it going to be completed: Thisestablishes what are the execution practices, which tools will be used, and what development strategies will be taken
- Deadlines: This points to the timeline and final deadline of the project, considering all production factors
- How to deliver: This determines how the project is going to be delivered, ie: partially or fully
- Evaluation: This specifies what will be the acceptance criteria, considering all information acquired from the requirement-gathering sessions and the client’s needs
Defining the scope must take into account the entire execution process and every aspect involved. Before establishing and approving a final scope, leaders must analyze all the details regarding their departments such as deadlines, budgets, teams, and tools.
A scope’s formal approval with no deadline analyses, for instance, might impact the project’s delivery and even lead to a breach of contract, resulting in losing a client.
4. Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
During the scope management, the easiest and most effective way to monitor the project is by splitting it into stages. By separating and decomposing the scope, leaders are able to analyze the progress of each part of the project and check if the deadlines are being met.
Besides, some changes are always expected to happen along the way by strategic decisions or the client’s request. A WBS provides a clearer view of the impact of these changes, what other changes must be made, and it helps to establish a new scope.
5. Validate the Scope
It is necessary to have a validation phase for every completed step of the project. If any step is not accepted by the internal quality analysis or even by the customer, a change or alteration request must be made.
This request is necessary to start the new process and to keep the scope as established. With a formal approval or an alteration request, all leaders are aware of the project’s progress and possible changes to the deadlines.
6. Control the Scope
Scope control is the same as monitoring the project to ensure all requirements are met. With constant monitoring, leaders have more control of their teams and can check if there’s a need for any changes in the scope.
In addition to keeping the deadline up to date, managers need to be aware of compliance with the established budget. Unforeseen changes and scope management flaws can cost more to the company, impacting the quality of the results or even making it not feasible.
Conclusion
During project development, teams must have meetings with all staff involved to clarify any doubts or present possible challenges. This practice, as the usage of digital monitoring and project management tools, is essential to keep the project running and avoid communication flaws.
Knowing how to direct resources to projects with larger strategic impacts is essential to ensure the quality of the final product. Perform simulations that present which choices are more profitable, allowing managers to make better-informed decisions. Discover Teams Ideas Portfolio Analysis and see how it can help you make the best choice!