Avoiding Scope Creep in Your Business

Scope creep is a problem that many businesses have to deal with when delivering their services to clients. Scope creep happens when the original project or piece of work changes and grows over time to require far more work or time than initially planned. This really eats into your profits and cash flow, not to mention damages relationships as either party can feel like they are being taken advantage of.

What Causes Scope Creep?

In a worst case scenario, scope creep often happens because you're working with the wrong clients who want to push their luck and get as much out of you as possible while making a minimal investment. This is common in the world of freelancing and consulting, especially in the first year in business when you might be experimenting with the type of clients you want to work with.

However, scope creep is not always intentional. Sometimes, clients simply aren't very good at explaining what they want or need from a project. They might assume that you know what they're talking about when really they haven't explained themselves clearly enough for an accurate assessment to be made on their behalf. It’s a communication issue.

Equally, scope creep may be down to miscalculations or underestimations on your part.  Perhaps your initial assessment wasn't thorough enough, or you didn't realise just how much time and resources the project would require.

So, what can you do to stop it? Here are four steps that you can take to avoid scope creep during the planning process and on an ongoing basis.

1) Strong Communication

They say that prevention is better than the cure, so avoid scope creep by improving your communication skills. It's important that you have open dialogue with your clients so they can give as much detail as possible about their needs from day one. Work together, not apart – it will save both parties time in future. Think about what systems you can put in place to strengthen this part of your client delivery. Common examples of this are: application forms before an initial consultation call, questionnaire about what goals/achievements the client was to reach from working with you, structured consultation calls that include very specific questions about project timeframes, budgets, and contingency plans for unexpected problems or opportunities. 

2) Put Clear Boundaries in Place

If you want to avoid scope creep, it's vital that your clients understand the boundaries of their project.  Set out in clear terms what is included and what isn't so that there are no misunderstandings or nasty surprises down the line.  If you do this, there's no room for disagreement or uncertainty, which will save everyone time in the long run.

For example, if you're working on a website for your client, make it clear that any additional functionality added after the deadline is an additional fee. Put everything in writing and refer back to this document as often as possible – it's much easier than having arguments later because something wasn't included. 

3) Be Vigilant

Scope creep is more likely to happen if you're not vigilant about it on an ongoing basis. It's easy to get swept away by the excitement of a project and lose sight of what you initially set out to do, so don't let this happen.

Create a script/email template that you can use when a client makes a request beyond the scope of the project. Don’t shy away from the conversation as this is just another part of doing business and your client should understand this.

It's important to be firm and not be tempted back down for fear of  losing the client. Remember, all those added extras, additional call times etc add up and a profitable project can quickly become loss making!  Be sure of your value and what you're offering. 

4) Offer a Logical Solution

Scope creep may feel like a problem, but it can actually be an opportunity to offer your client something that they didn't even know they wanted.

For example, if you're working on a website for one of your clients and they want some extra functionality added after the deadline, this could be an opportunity for  you to provide additional services and charge them accordingly. Perhaps it’s a sign that they will need ongoing maintenance support and this is something you can offer on a retainer basis.

If you're able to think outside the box and offer a logical solution, your client won't feel like they've been let down or that their needs haven't been met and you will be fairly recompensed for your work.

There are many ways to avoid project scope creep but, most of all, it's important to be aware of the time and resources you are committing to a project right from the start. Keep strong lines of communication open with your clients, be clear about boundaries and don't let yourself get swept away by excitement of what you are working on. Remember to track the profit on any projects or client delivery right from the start so that you can take action if you need to!