Iron triangle environment Vs. Agile reverse triangle

Michael Brian Fl, United States

Since the scope is fixed outside of an agile environment and cost/time are the variables, in an adaptive project is it tougher to control the scope in comparison?

Being that time and cost are fixed, is controlling the scope more of a challenge? Scope seems to be one of the most important factors of the project. After all it’s what actually defines why the project is being created.

What if the scope becomes bigger than it’s fixed time and cost attributes? How can you maintain the quality of what is expected to be delivered if that translates to either revealing that more time or cost might be needed to accomplish that? How do you condense the scope to fit a set budget and set schedule?

I assume that expanding the scope would be easier as expectations would typically involve more versus less. If your scope is small, but time and cost allow you to create some flexible growth, that would probably be a more ideal situation right? If time and cost is more of a constraint, I imagine it to be a bit tricky to consolidate scope if expectations or the vision is exceeding to that.

Posted: Jun 5, 2018 9:51 AM (Updated by author: Jun 5, 2018 9:52 AM)

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Anton Oosthuizen Senior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self Employed Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Jun 06, 2018 7:46 AM

Replying to Sergio Luis Conte

...

First, Agile is a practice. You can apply Agile with waterfall life cycles. Is nothing related to fix the scope or something like that. Second, is not true that you can make what you wish with scope in Agile based methods. Change management process is still in place. Is a big missunderstanding that you can put changes when you want. Unfortunatelly "embrace change" has been missunderstanding for lot of people. So, there is nothing new behind the sun. When you use Agile based methods you have a change management process defined into them in implicit or explicit way.

If we spend more time doing and less time concentrating on the terminology we'll get a lot done. Being agile/adaptive means that you have the ability to adapt to change, and that change includes scope. Correct that other management disciplines like change, communication and stakeholder management does not disappear, and nobody said anything close to that. Common sense dictates that you need to manage change if you want to control it.

But the days where I give you 5 apples for $5 just because you said so is no more. I will identify WHY you need the apples and then provide you with a solution to answer that WHY within the $5 constraint. But because I am agile I realize that your needs might change while the apples are growing so I might change the one apple for 2 pears which means that 2 apples will become a low priority and outside the scope for now.

So YES agility has got a LOT to do with the scope, to name just one. Oh and adaptive scheduling is like you say a repetitive waterfall without the initiation and closing phases.

Posted: Jun 6, 2018 9:21 AM

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Iron triangle environment Vs. Agile reverse triangle

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