Project scope management and its benefits

What is project scope management?

Project scope management is a process that helps to define and outline everything that needs to be done within a project. This will include defining and outlining the project’s objectives, deadlines, budgets, outputs, and more. The term scope management mainly focuses on the steps that managers or supervisors take to complete a project. The processes used in project scope management are vital to ensuring that a project does not begin to become out of the project manager’s control as this could prove costly to the company in both time and money. The most important part of project scope management is the project scope statement. This is a document that outlines the project including the expected results, work responsibilities, limitations, and assumptions. It is key to create a clear indication of what work is required for the project to be a success.

‍The benefits of project scope management

There are several clear benefits of utilising project scope management. Firstly, project scope management helps managers to estimate how much time, money, materials, and labour a particular project would need to complete the project successfully. Another key benefit is that project scope management helps to keep your project on track to avoid any mistakes being made which may affect your progress and budget. A final benefit to highlight is that it helps to portray to business partners, stakeholders, and clients your project’s vision, helping to easily manage their expectations and assist in keeping your project in line with its initial concept.

‍Processes of project scope management

In project scope management, there are usually six processes involved:

1. Plan scope management process: this is the initial document created which outlines the project scope statement, the project requirements, expected delivery     dates, any contingency plans, and any further information to assist in starting the project. This document is important to keep referring to throughout the     project.
2. Collecting requirements: the second step in project scope management is to document the stakeholder’s requirements and outline how you will meet their     expectations. This should include exactly how often and how you will update progress of the project, the stakeholder’s goals, the business’s requirements, and staffing requirements. This section is important to give solutions that meet realistic expectations for both the stakeholders and the company.
3. Define your scope: this process is a detailed outline of the project’s goals as well as how you believe you are going to achieve them. This is a document that can be easily referred to by your team throughout the project.
4. Create a work breakdown structure: this process is where the project manager will break down a high-level scope into smaller scopes to make the work more manageable for the team. This will include creating work packages and outlining what is included in each of these and include who will complete this.
5. Validate scope: this is the process where the customer will formally approve the project deliverables. This needs to be completed before the project starts to     ensure the stakeholder can give feedback and review your plans before you begin to avoid any confusion throughout the project.
6. Controlling scope: the final process is controlling scope. Project managers need to ensure that the project stays within the defined scope throughout the duration of the project. This is vital to ensure your project is being executed correctly and in line with your stakeholder’s approval.

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