Scope Creep & Gold Plating
What happens if all the changes, irrespective of their nature and impact, you will accept and implement in the project and pamper or make the customer happy? Let us see some scenarios.Â
This concept is well applicable to the predictive (plan-driven or waterfall). But, not completely applicable to adaptive (change-driven or agile) as agile projects are change driven and they embrace the changes.
Scope Creep
The uncontrolled expansion of product or project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources is known as scope creep. Adding a new feature that is requested by a customer/stakeholder without adjusting time and cost is purely a scope creep.
Example: You are working on a software project. One of the stakeholders requested a change in the functionality. So, you are modifying the functionality without following a formal change control process. The scope creep can be eliminated by having a well-defined scope statement, and not allowing any changes without proper review by a change control board (CCB).
Example: You are working on a software project. One of the team members is adding an extra functionality thinking that the customer gets benefits/satisfaction. These additional features are not part of the scope statement. So, you are adding extra features without following the change control process.
Gold Plating
Intentionally adding extra features or functions to the product/service which is not included in the scope statement is known as gold plating. Adding or modifying a new feature that is not requested by a customer/stakeholder and that is not part of the scope statement is purely a gold plating.
Both scope creeps and gold plating can be eliminated by establishing a change control process and strict guidelines on what is needed as per the scope statement.
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