What is Scope Creep? [closed]

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This is going to be the noobist of all noob questions, but what exactly is scope creep, what does it entail?

Answer 1

Scope creep is any change to the originally agreed on specification/project scope/definition. The change could be due to discovery of prior unknowns, internal/external market changes, technology changes or plan ole' sponsors wanting something more. It negatively impacts the project when there is no change control process in place to review and accept or reject the change.

Answer 2

features, budget, schedule: pick any 2 but not all 3

Answer 3

Scope creep is like pornography: you know it when you see it.

Answer 4

When you start your project, you set certain parameters. These parameters are your scope. You should think about what your project is supposed to do, how much will it cost, and how much time is it going to take to complete. When more functionality, time, money.... creeps into the project this can be referred to as "scope creep",

Answer 5

Wikipedia expresses it more completely than I could.

Scope creep (also called requirement creep, or kitchen sink syndrome) in project management refers to changes, continuous or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, at any point after the project begins. This can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered harmful. It is related to but distinct from feature creep.

Scope creep can be a result of:

• poor change control
• lack of proper initial identification of what is required to bring about the project objectives
• weak project manager or executive sponsor
• poor communication between parties
• lack of initial product versatility

Answer 6

Scope creep "refers to uncontrolled changes in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered a negative occurrence that is to be avoided."

Source.