“Just One More Feature…”
It all started with a simple goal: redesign the company website. The project team was excited. The objectives were clear—modernize the design, streamline the user experience, and launch in six months. But halfway through the project, something sneaky happened. The marketing manager asked for an interactive product gallery. Then, the CEO wanted a blog feature. Next, the sales department requested a custom CRM integration.
Each request sounded reasonable. After all, wouldn’t these “small” additions make the website even better? Soon, though, the timeline stretched, the budget ballooned, and the once-clear vision of the project became a tangled mess. What started as a sleek redesign became a Frankenstein of features, with no end in sight. The website was still unfinished after a year, and team morale hit rock bottom. Scope creep had struck again.
How Project Harmony Helps Keep Scope Creep in Check
Project Harmony’s principles are designed to combat this very scenario. Scope creep is one of the most common (and sneaky) causes of project derailment. Here’s how Project Harmony’s approach can help prevent it:
- Clear Objectives and Boundaries: At the beginning of the project, clearly define the scope, goals, and deliverables. Use Project Harmony’s framework to establish boundaries early on, and make sure everyone understands what’s in—and more importantly—what’s out of scope.
- Regular Checkpoints and Communication: By setting up regular project checkpoints, you can keep the team and stakeholders aligned on progress and prevent any additional features from creeping in unnoticed. Frequent communication ensures that if new ideas arise, they’re discussed and prioritized properly.
- Change Management Process: Project Harmony emphasizes a formal change management process. If new features are proposed, they go through a review process where the impact on timeline, cost, and resources is assessed. This helps prevent impulsive decisions from derailing the project.
- Focus on the End Goal: With every decision, keep the original project goal front and center. Project Harmony encourages teams to ask: “Does this new feature help us achieve the core objective, or is it a distraction?” This mindset keeps the project focused and moving forward.
The Outcome: How the Website Was Saved
In the case of the website redesign, the team eventually took a step back. They implemented a change management process and prioritized only the most critical requests. Some of the “nice-to-haves” were tabled for a future phase, and the team re-focused on delivering the core features. The website launched successfully a few months later, and with the foundations in place, they were able to add additional features without disrupting the user experience.
Takeaway
Scope creep is a silent killer of projects, but it doesn’t have to be. With clear boundaries, strong communication, and a formal process for managing changes, Project Harmony helps teams avoid the temptation of “just one more feature” and stay on track to deliver successful results. So next time your project starts veering off course, remember: a little discipline upfront saves a lot of headaches later on.
