Scope Creep

📝 Context

The customer is asking for things that weren't in the original scope. This happens frequently - "just one more thing" adds up. Manage it proactively to avoid timeline blowouts and relationship issues.

📋 Early Warning Signs

• [ ] Customer asks for "one small addition"
• [ ] Requests start with "while you're at it..."
• [ ] Timeline is slipping but scope seems to be growing
• [ ] You're doing things not in the scope document
• [ ] Success criteria keep expanding
• [ ] Customer says "I thought this was included"

🎯 Prevention Strategies

During Scoping

• Be explicit about what's out of scope
• Document scope clearly and get approval
• Set expectations about scope changes
• Include a scope change process in the scope doc

During Execution

• Refer back to scope document regularly
• Don't say yes to everything immediately
• Acknowledge requests but park them appropriately
• Track scope changes as they happen

🎯 Managing Scope Creep

When They Ask for Something New

1. Acknowledge the request

   • "That's a great idea/request"
   • Don't immediately say yes or no

2. Check against scope

   • Is it in the original scope?
   • If yes, do it
   • If no, proceed to step 3

3. Park it appropriately

   • "That's not in our current scope, but let's add it to [post-POC roadmap/follow-up/phase 2]"
   • "That would require scope adjustment - let me check what that means for timeline"

4. Assess impact

   • How much additional work?
   • Impact on timeline?
   • Impact on other priorities?
   • Is it critical or nice-to-have?

5. Make decision

   • If critical and small: Do it, document the change
   • If critical and large: Adjust scope formally
   • If nice-to-have: Park it for later

🎯 Scope Change Process

For Small Additions

• Acknowledge and do it if it's quick
• Document the addition
• Note it in status updates
• Don't let small additions accumulate silently

For Significant Additions

1. Assess the request

   • What exactly are they asking for?
   • How much additional work?
   • Impact on timeline and resources?

2. Propose scope adjustment

   • "To add [X], we'd need to [adjust timeline/extend POC/add resources]"
   • "That would require extending the timeline by [X] days/weeks"
   • "We could do that, but we'd need to [adjust other priorities]"

3. Get formal approval

   • Update scope document
   • Get customer sign-off on changes
   • Adjust timeline if needed
   • Update success criteria if relevant

4. Execute and document

   • Do the work
   • Document what changed
   • Update status and timeline

🎯 Common Scope Creep Scenarios

"Can you also do X?"

• Acknowledge: "That's a good idea"
• Check scope: "That's not in our current scope"
• Park it: "Let's add that to the post-POC roadmap"
• Or assess: "That would require [X] - should we adjust scope?"

"I thought X was included"

• Refer to scope document
• "According to our scope doc, we agreed on [Y], not [X]"
• If it's reasonable: "We can add it, but it will [impact timeline]"
• If it's not: "That wasn't in scope, but we can discuss adding it"

"While you're at it, can you..."

• Don't automatically say yes
• "Let me check if that's in scope"
• "That would be [impact] - should we adjust scope?"
• Park it if it's not critical

Success Criteria Expanding

• "We originally agreed on [X] success criteria"
• "Adding [Y] would change the scope"
• "Should we adjust the scope document to include this?"

🎯 Saying No (Gracefully)

When to Say No

• Request is clearly out of scope
• It would significantly impact timeline
• It's not critical to their evaluation
• You've already accommodated other scope changes

How to Say No

• Acknowledge the request
• Explain why it's out of scope
• Offer alternatives (post-POC, phase 2, etc.)
• Don't be apologetic - scope exists for a reason

Example: "I understand you'd like [X]. That's not in our current scope, which we agreed was focused on [Y]. We can definitely add [X] to a follow-up phase or post-POC roadmap. For now, let's focus on validating [Y] so we can move forward with confidence."

⚠️ Gotchas

• Saying yes to everything - scope creep compounds
• Not documenting scope changes - they add up silently
• Not referring back to scope doc - customer forgets what was agreed
• Letting small additions accumulate - they become big
• Not assessing impact - small requests can have big consequences
• Being afraid to say no - scope exists for a reason

🔗 Links

• POC Scoping
• Kickoff
• POC Recovery
• Status updates
• Battle Card: Scope Creep Objection