Project Scope Management

Project Scope Management Defined

• Scope refers to all work involved to create a project's products, including the processes.
• A deliverable is a product made as part of a project like software, hardware, or planning documents.
• Project scope management includes defining and controlling what is included (or not) in a project.

Project Scope Management Processes

• Scope planning is deciding how scope will be defined, verified and controlled.
• Scope definition reviews the project charter and preliminary scope statement by adding requirements as they develop.
• Creating the WBS subdivides major project deliverables into manageable components.
• Scope verification formalizes the project scope acceptance by stakeholders.
• Scope control manages changes to project scope impacting project cost and time goals.

Scope Planning and Scope Management Plan

• The scope management plan describes how the team prepares the project scope statement.
• The scope management plan dictates how to create the WBS and verify deliverable completion.
• The document outlines how to control requests for changes to the project scope.
• Key inputs include the project charter, the preliminary scope statement, and the overall project management plan.
• The project sponsor should review the scope management plan to ensure expectations are met.

CRM Success Example: Dynamic Mutual Funds (DMF)

• Financial service companies use customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
• CRM systems improve understanding of and responsiveness to customers.
• DMF launched an enterprise-wide, national program to build and manage customer relationships.
• DMF proposed a faster, organized, participative approach called project scope design.
• DMF won an eCustomer World Golden Award for world-class innovation.

Seven Steps of Dynamic Mutual Funds (DMF) Project Scope Design

• Analyze the project climate, stakeholders, and centers of influence.
• Align the project scope with the organization's strategic objectives and business challenges.
• Determine where to add value to the business.
• Study the process flow between business units.
• Develop an efficient communication strategy.
• Develop the project approach.
• Coordinate the new project with existing initiatives.

Sample Scope Management Plan Elements

• Preparing the scope statement involves reviewing it with the project sponsor, suppliers, and users.
• The length and complexity of the scope statement will evolve, including details in attachments.
• Each version of the scope statement is labeled, dated, and communicated to personnel, with availability on a project website.
• The project team creates the WBS, reviewed by the sponsor and steering committee.
• Review WBSs of similar projects and company guidelines when creating a WBS.
• The lowest WBS level should take no more than two weeks to complete before revisions are approved
• The project manager works with the sponsor and steering committee on a process for verifying deliverables.
• Completing tasks is dependent on receiving deliverables from outside sources.
• All scope change requests follow formal change control procedures.

Sample Project Charter Elements

• The information Technology (IT) upgrade Project began March 4, 2008.
• Kim Nguyen is the designated project manager ([email protected]).
• The 9 month project budget allows $1,000,000 for hardware and software, and $500,000 for labor costs.
• Project objectives necessitate upgrading employee software and hardware across the company.
• Updating the IT inventory database will help determine upgrade needs.
• A detailed cost estimate informs a request for quote to get hardware and software.
• Internal staff should be used for planning, analysis, and installation tasks as much as possible.
• CIO Mike Zwack stated that the project must be done within 10 months at the absolute latest.

Scope Definition and the Project Scope Statement

• The project team develops a preliminary scope statement during the initiation of a project.
• The preliminary scope statement, project charter, assets, and change requests create the project scope statement

Mandatory Project Scope Statement Elements

• The project scope statement should include a description with objectives and a justification.
• Detailed descriptions should be provided for all project deliverables.
• Characteristics and requirements of produced projects and services should be included as part of the project's goals
• Helpful information could include project success criteria and boundaries.
• Other factors could be product acceptance criteria and schedule milestones.
• Magnitude costs can be estimated by order

Further Defining Project Scope

• The project charter mentions that upgrades may affect servers.
• The preliminary scope statement dictates servers must be compatible with existing servers.
• Describing and submitting enhancements to the CIO for approval may be required.
• The CEO must approve a detailed plan of the location and server's details two weeks before installation.
• Requires purchasing 10 new servers for web network, database, etc.
• Two of each server type will be purchased, and detailed descriptions provided in Appendix 8.

Dangers of Reality TV: "Changing Rooms" Breakdown

• Television series set in place tight budgets with a limited two-day timeline.
• Budget restraints leads to scope changes.
• Unlike regular customers, the team has full control over redecorating.
• Applicants sign waivers releasing the series from responsibility, even If homeowners don't like the redesign.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Defined

• WBS is a grouping of work involved in a project, and defines the total scope.
• It provides the basis for planning changes, resources, costs, and project schedules.
• Dividing smaller parts into the project is decomposition.
• A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS.
• The WBS represents work to complete the project with specifications for certain areas.

Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• The project scope statement and the project management plan are inputs for creating a WBS
• WBS outputs include a scope baseline and updates to the project scope statement and scope management plan.
• A WBS is often depicted as a task-oriented family tree of activities.
• A WBS can be organized around project products, phases, or using the project management process group

Partial WBS

• An intranet can be shown broken down into multiple sections
• A partial WBS can also be arranged into project phases or project type through the Gantt chart.

WBS Tabular Form

• Common Project steps are listed numerically to define the specific functionality for a project.
• Gantt Charts are useful for organizing tasks with defined start and end dates.

Developing WBSs

• Guidelines can be used from organizations to prepare WBSs such as the DOD.
• An analogy approach involves reviewing WBSs from old projects and tailoring them to new projects.
• A top-down approach begins by breaking down the largest parts of the project.
• A bottom-up approach starts with specific tasks and moves up.
• A mind-mapping technique uses branches radiating from a core idea.

Mind Mapping Elements

• Mind mapping creates pictures to show ideas as represented in the human brain.
• Brains use words, numbers, color, logic, rhythm to build up information.
• Easy to understand ideas can be linked together and remembered easily.
• This can be achieved by using key words with images that align with the main objective.
• Use color to depict themes to make things stand out.

Creating a WBS Dictionary

• Vague WBS tasks can be explained in more detail to clarify what and how long items will take regarding project scope.
• A WBS dictionary has detailed information about each WBS item.
• The approved project scope statement and its WBS/dictionary form the scope baseline.
• It is used to measure project scope goals.
• A unit of work should happen once in the WBS, and include a WBS item in documentation to create consistency.

Scope Verification Defined

• A good scope statement and WBS can be difficult to create.
• Verifying project scope and minimizing changes can be even harder.
• Scope verification has formal acceptance of project stakeholders.
• Acceptance can involve customer inspection and a sign-off key on deliverables.

Project Scope Failures

• Project sizes that are too large can cause problems.
• Scope creep and technology overemphasis caused FoxMeyer Drug's bankruptcy.
• McDonald's canned a real-time intranet project ($170M spent).

Scope Control Elements

• Controlling changes involves the project scope objective.
• Goals influence scope control and ensure any changes follow established procedures.
• Managing implemented changes involves a control system and configuration management.
• Variance measures the difference between what was planned to actual performance of tasks.

Avoiding Scope Problems

• Keep the scope realistic and break large projects into smaller, manageable ones.
• Involve key users in the project scope, giving them ownership of requirements definition and scope verification.
• Off-the-shelf hardware and software should be used whenever possible with business needs prioritized over new technology.
• Good project management should handle scope and other processes.

Improving User Input

• Project sponsors must be from the user organization.
• Users should serve important advisory roles in the project.
• Regular meetings should have defined agendas with user sign-offs on completed deliverables.
• Deliver sponsors on a regular basis, only after it can be guaranteed.
• Consistently co-locate users and developers.

Suggestions for Reducing Incomplete and Changing Requirements

• Follow a requirements management process, and user case modeling.
• Prototyping and a JAD get users more involved and allows requirements to be in writing and easily availalbe.
• A requirements management database tracks and controls requirements using CASE tools.
• Adequate testing should be provided throughout the project's life cycle.
• Reviewing systems helps project scope include the financial costs.
• Focused approved scope goals will keep a project on track.
• Completion dates create a high sense of urgency.
• Allocating resources will handle ResNet changes and enhance performance.

Software for Project Scope Management

• Word processing software helps create documents and spreadsheets.
• Charts and graphs can be generated to facilitate scope tasks.
• Communication software clarifies and communicates scope information.
• Gantt charts can track performance by using project management software .
• There is specialized software to assist in project scope management.