Don’t Fear the (Scope) Creeper

Scope creep, the change of a project scope, most often occurs in the later stages of a project, and while most project managers plan for scope creep to occur, it is often referred to as “the devil” that leads to project failure (Gurlen, 2003).

Recently, I had an addition put onto my house. I hadn’t planned on the addition, and had set aside the resources needed to repair a leaking carport. However, as we began the repair process, which consisted of replacing the 2 support posts and resurfacing the flat, rubberized roof, we found that it would be in the best interest of the home to replace the entire carport, as well as to enclose the back slab patio which was attached to it. Our “scope creep” came when we began to remove the aluminum wrapping from the original posts and found that the posts had rotted through and were soaked, both as a result of the failing roof, which we found had not been properly replaced the first time, but instead the original roof had merely been covered with a rubberized roofing surface. Because the seam of the roof had not been properly sealed, the cinder roof surface underneath became waterlogged and had potential to collapse at any time. The small weekend project had evolved into one that was out of our league!

What was under the aluminum wrap

The cinder roof that was under the rubber roof

   

It was after this discovery that the decision was made to replace the carport entirely. Upon meeting with a contractor to discuss my options, it was decided the new carport would consist of a peaked roof, which also meant the roof for the rest of the house would need to be replaced in order for it to match. The project began to spin out of control as we realized the carport was attached to the overhang roof of the back slab patio, which was made of fiberglass. Also, the carport backed up to a storage unit, that while structural at the time was sound, it would need some repair work. As we looked at the two options, which were to replace the carport and the house roof, and to then at a later date to replace the patio roof and make the repairs to the storage shed, or to do it all at the same time, the costs to do everything at once were much less than those involved in a two-step process.

Looking back on the renovations, should I have had someone more qualified than my dad and myself look at the carport initially before he and I decided to make the repairs ourselves, I would have had more of an actual idea of the “size of the beast” we were about to attack as opposed to finding out mid-battle. By knowing that, I would have been able to make a better decision financially in regards to the project, as well as had time to look at other options that could have been as effective but less costly.

Scope creep, while a lurking devil that will without doubt make an appearance, can be a nuisance, but acknowledging it is lurking when making your battle plan can keep your project from falling apart.

 References:

Green, S. (2003, December 2). Scope creep. Retrieved from http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/6840_f03_papers/gurlen/