Scope Creep relates to expansion of scope without any formal change request approval, does it cater for compression of scope as well? Saving Changes...
Sort By:
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
In accordance to the PMBOK scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion to product scope or project scope without the adjustments to time, cost and resources. Business Analyst is accountable for product scope while Project Manager is accountable for project scope. Both are roles but it demonstrate that both roles must work together. Saving Changes...
That is a very good point about the responsibilities you have brought up. What I am interested to know is whether any compression is scope which is unplanned also is treated like in scope creep. What would be call anything reverse of scope creep? Saving Changes...
Dominic LawProduct Manager| PCCW GlobalHappy Valley, Hong Kong
I suggest it is better to be well communicated to all stakeholders in order to understand their expectation of the compression of scope. Normally people would expect a reduction of time or budget as a result. Or maybe some stakeholders object the compression of scope! The communication method may well be a formal change management meeting so to record that every stakeholder agrees on the new scope. Besides, the Project Manager may well make some savings in time or budget.
Saving Changes...
Thank you Dominic for your valuable and useful opinion//comment. I was asked this question by one of my students and I m since looking for a word comparable to scope creep for unrecognized scope compression, not expansion. This has been bothering me that, though I do understand the concept as you have already commented, but I cannot give it a name. We definitely cannot call such compression as scope creep, it is some kind of reverse creep or something. Saving Changes...
Dominic LawProduct Manager| PCCW GlobalHappy Valley, Hong Kong
I think that, as long as it is a "Scope Change" the Project Manager needs to take action. It could be a "Scope Creep", "Scope Compression" or "Change of terms". Saving Changes...
Rubaiyyaat AakbarHead of IT and Cybersecurity| DocDocSingapore, Singapore
Scope creeps states new features in the product or additional items delivered against original requirement ... it may or may not have some impact on cost or schedule .. but most likely scope creep won't impact when testing against acceptance criteria as it will deliver more than what has been asked.
On the contrary, scope compression may cause delivering less than what was asked and might actually fail to pass acceptance criteria. Hence, it must be checked otherwise will surely cause re-work Saving Changes...
James SlatonR&D Projects Manager| OI AnalyticalCollege Station, Tx, United States
Maybe we could term it "scope seep", as in scope is seeping away through the cracks of the project execution. As a bonus, it rhymes with scope creep and provides its own pneumonic device. Saving Changes...
IMO "Compression" is not an antonym for "Creep". Scope Creep denotes an increase in time, money or objective - the components of Scope. The opposite would be a decrease or reduction in any of these components. So perhaps Scope Shrink may be more fitting. Saving Changes...
Robyn Cary RoscoePrincipal| Lyric ManagementVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Joining this discussion late, but very grateful to find it. I, too, have been asked by students to describe the opposite of scope creep. As I've been presenting it, scope creep are small, incremental, and uncontrolled modifications to scope - these become scope change when they are recognized and accepted into the project, with the corresponding changes to time, cost, and quality.
I like the term "scope seep" to apply to small, incremental, and uncontrolled changes that are reductions in scope, such as if a scope element is missed or reduced without consideration for time, cost, and quality. These could be steps that are skipped in the mistaken belief that the project will "save" time or cost. These scope seeps could similarly result in a change in scope, if the missed element is not added back in and the change in time, cost and quality are similarly determined.
Like creep, seep can also result in re-work if the missed element must be added back in, thereby incurring additional time and cost.
I also like the mnemonic device of rhyming creep and seep :-). Saving Changes...
