Scope Creep & the Gift-Purchase Project



Scope creep or the addition of features or tasks beyond the pre-established plan or requirements can quickly occur and impact the extent of what is accomplished or produced (Larson & Larson, 2009). Whether positively or negatively, scope creep impacts timelines, budgets, and levels of stakeholder satisfaction. Each year, I am unsuccessful at managing the scope of a project without the intrusion of scope creep much to the detriment of the established budget.

The Christmas holiday season ushers in the start of the gift-purchase project - a major recurring project that I look forward to managing every year. In this scenario, I fill the roles of project manager, designer, key personnel, and stakeholder. From a project management standpoint, I analyze the individuals for whom I plan to purchase gifts followed by an examination of product availability and prices and establish a detailed budget, list of tasks, and timeline for task completion. The challenge of scope creep begins to occur. What some consider “Christmas creep” – the steady prolonging of the Christmas season (Merriam-Webster, 2022) - contributes to the scope creep of my project. As I begin to shop for the items on my list, I see items (often at reduced prices) that are not on my list. Based on my knowledge of the gift recipients, the items seem perfect for the individuals on my list. Completing the purchase, in my opinion, enhances the overarching project goal – to please the individuals that I care about. The outcome is an unplanned increase in the funds expended, but the offset is the number of happy faces, hugs, and sentiments of appreciation that I receive. To accommodate the scope creep and rebalance the budget, I cut back on expenditures for non-essential items.

The gift-purchase project is a personal one that I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to every year. Despite my commitment to not “overdo” and exceed my budget each year - I fail. However, I can quickly recover financially, and find great satisfaction in the response to the project, which far outweighs the inconvenience of the creep in scope.

References

Larson, R. & Larson, E. (2009). Top five causes of scope creep ... and what to do about them. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2009—North America, Orlando, FL. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Merriam-Webster. (2022). What is christmas creep. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-christmas-creep-slang-definition. 

Comments

  1. johnchimbora2021August 14, 2022 at 3:47 AM

    You made a great blog post; I like personal projects and the only challenge is that personal projects rarely move from start to finish without a few hiccups. As part of the initial preparation, putting a backup plan in place normally offers a safe zone. In an effort of having a successful personal project defining a process for addressing scope creep might be of advantage, especially when you assign someone who will be responsible for reviewing and approving requested changes or additions, especially with the cost associated with extra items.
    Having these thoughts before you begin your project will help you avoid potentially awkward moments down the road and keep your compensation in check. After all, one can handle scope creep in the project where the goal of the project manager should be to manage scope creep in such a way that ensures the success of the project and leaves the clients satisfied with your service.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mel WmsAugust 15, 2022 at 6:52 PM

    Usually, people are not very strict project managers on their personal projects. I always give myself more money and more time- guaranteed scope creeps.

    ReplyDelete

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