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TacklingScopeCreep Ebook 2014-2
TacklingScopeCreep Ebook 2014-2
TacklingScopeCreep Ebook 2014-2
BOOK SERIES
TACKLING
SCOPE CREEP
Est. 1974
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone | (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 1
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 2
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 3
Economies of Scale
The 10 percent rule is recommended as a “rule of thumb,” and
may vary depending on project size. In general, the percent of
the project fee allocated for project management is inversely
proportional to the size of the project. If the project is large, say
$700,000, you may need to devote seven or eight percent of the
budget to project management tasks. If the project is upwards
of $1 million, you might budget only five percent. However,
be careful how much you cut. Devoting two percent of your
budget for project management is stretching it a bit thin.
The opposite will be true for very small projects. If you are
doing a $5,000 site observation project, you may want to budget
12 or 13 percent for the smaller project.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 4
Warning Sign #1: The client asks for more scope and quality
than you agreed to provide. Potential causes include a greedy
or desperate client, fuzzy scope, and an over-promised sales
pitch. Make sure the baseline scope, schedule, and fee are
crystal clear, and never train your client to ask for more than
is fair.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 5
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 6
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 7
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 8
Visioning Workshops
Add this to your cache of tools to use at the beginning of
each project. Visioning Workshops are a powerful design
management technique with many advantages and no
disadvantages. The advantages include:
• Client participation in the concept design process;
• Early coordination and integration of different discipline
inputs;
• Significant reduction of wasted time on concept designs
that would be ultimately rejected;
• Powerful protection against scope creep; and
• A “paper trail” of agreed design priorities.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 9
10. Records are kept off the “red light” process and outcomes.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 10
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 11
YOUR PMs!
report. Use one section of the progress report to document
any changes in scope that have occurred since the last
report.
PMB
2015
Even if you do not ask for additional compensation, you at least
have good documentation of the changes that have occurred
A/E/C
Project should you need to ask for additional money. And, the client
MANAGEMENT
knows you are aware of what is in and not in your scope.
R
“The PM Bootcamp speaker kept all attendees engaged and the program far
exceeded my expectations.” - Adam Schreiner, Project Manager / Sega Inc.
4. “Change” as an agenda item at every meeting. Build time
APRIL 21-22, 2015 / ATLANTA, GA
APRIL 30-MAY 1, 2015 / NEWPORT BEACH, CA
“Wonderful instructor! Experienced and professional and kept us engaged.”
- Lindsey Busch, Professional Environmental Engineer / Carollo Engineers, Inc. for a short discussion on changes that have occurred
MAY 5-6, 2015 / CHICAGO, IL
MAY 28-29, 2015 / WASHINGTON, DC “Amazing seminar, full of information—speaker delivered and explained info
in basic wasys easy to understand.”
JUNE 4-5, 2015 / LAS VEGAS, NV
JUNE 11-12, 2015 / BOSTON, MA
- Steven Bellanger, Project Engineer / Environmental Partners
Our attendees have continuously rated this program 4.8 out of 5 stars!
change log or activities that you have been documenting in
Endorsed by:
the progress report. There is no need to spend more than
five minutes discussing. The idea is to keep the changes
SEE FULL COURSE DESCRIPTION, that are taking place in front of the client, so there is an
DETAILED AGENDA, AND
opportunity to discuss how to handle the changes and there
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
are no surprises to the client of work they were not aware of.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 12
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 13
After further design, the client returns and requests that the
remaining two sides be provided with roll up doors, again,
to provide protection from the elements. This change then
triggers structural and architectural changes, more lighting,
additional electrical to operate the doors, extension of the
fire sprinkler system, and possibly the addition of plumbing
and floor drains. And so, an initial minor request—add a
windbreak—morphs into a major project addition.
The fact is that scope creep is, too often, a budget-busting fact
of life in the delivery of projects. Here are six simple tips for
managing this:
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 14
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 15
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 16
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 17
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 18
It’s better to face scope creep and live to see another day than
to let it take over your livelihood.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 19
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 20
Project Accountant
If you are client-service oriented and interested in a role that
will give you ownership of over millions in annual revenue,
this position may be a perfect match for you. We are looking
for a team player who has a desire to solve and respond to
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 21
Behaviors
• Systematic with the ability to see a project through from
start to finish and has excellent follow through.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 22
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 23
This doesn’t mean that you should ask for additional fees
at every turn, “nickeling and diming” your clients, and
destroying a good relationship. But you should keep track of
every extra task your team performs, and politely mention
these changes to your client every once in a while.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 24
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 25
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 26
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web
TACKLING SCOPE CREEP E.BOOK SERIES 27
What to do
Deciding when to allow scope creep and when to prevent it
is not easy. The key is to carefully use scope creep to prevent
missed opportunity. Take these steps:
• Take the time to evaluate the cost versus the benefit.
• Overall, harness the opportunities for improvement that
expanding the scope provides, rather than eliminating it
entirely.
• Make the appropriate decision, factoring in cost, benefit,
and opportunities for improvement.
• Commit to your decision.
10 Midland Avenue, Newton, MA 02458 USA | (800) 537-PSMJ / (617) 965-0055 telephone
| (617) 965-5152 fax | info@psmj.com email | www.psmj.com web