Project management activities project scope vs product scope
Smartsheet Contributor Kate Eby. Therefore, project success can only be measured against a clear set of expectations that all stakeholders have previously agreed upon. To formally identify project requirements, hold teams accountable to their production schedule, and keep all parties up to date on project progress, you can employ project scope management. Note that project scope is not to be confused with product scope. Though similar in intent, product scope defines the necessary deliverables and constraints of a product, rather than of a project.
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Project management activities project scope vs product scope
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Content:
- How to define the project scope
- How to Effectively Define Scope in Project Management (Template Included)
- Project Management/PMBOK/Scope Management
- Getting the Scope Right and Keeping it That Way
- Best practices for managing project scope in Project Online
- What Is Scope Creep in Project Management?
- Project Scope Management – Definition, Importance, Processes & Tips
- Know where your scope is
- What Is A Project Scope And How Do You Define It (2022 Guide)
How to define the project scope
People like to use jargon in order to feel smart. The same is true in project management, where the word scope is one of the most frequently used terms. In a nutshell, project scope is the sum of things that a project has to take care of.
Rather, think of it as a list of responsibilities, tasks and tangible items or deliverables a project must take over, conduct or create so that the project goal is achieved. You define the scope while planning your project, so both planning and scope definition go hand in hand and are carried out by the project manager. Scope determines all important parameters of the project, including the timeline, cost and risks. So you talk to several furniture stores who offer custom made kitchens.
Maybe you want them to get the old kitchen stuff removed and of course to have the new one installed by a handyman. If an activity is in scope, this means a project will take care of it. Not in scope means the project is not responsible for it.
How do you typically define the scope in a project? It all starts with a conversation between the customer and the contractor the party running the project and doing the work. Customer side management will describe to the contractor their issue and what kind of solution they are looking for. They might say something like:. Customer: We have a lot of issues with managing our inventory. This is exactly what we are offering.
We can roll out that system for you in 4 months only. These kind of talks occur long in advance before an actual project is started, maybe even years in advance! Then, over the following months client and vendor will have further meetings. The content of their discussions will change from high-level topics to very specific questions :. The vendor will gather all such details and decisions in a document. Using this information he will later create an offer to the customer as well as a formal scope statement , which lists all items the company will do for the customer.
Before I go deeper into the scope definition process, please note this: defining the scope is not something you accomplish within one or two hours.
Put simply, scope is the sum of all project activities and deliverables. So, the most basic of scope definition would be a list of all planned project activities and deliverables.
Just to clarify, deliverables are results or things created in the course of the project, for example a training plan or a software could be a deliverable.
So you got your basic scope list from step 2. Your next step is to refine it further. Why is this necessary? Also, the client may have additional wishes or requirements that need to be considered for the scope definition click to learn how to gather requirements. Will the client perform the software installation himself or should it be done by the vendor? Maybe the software has different modules, and the client only needs 3 out of 5 modules.
Then those three modules are in scope and the other two are not in scope. As a consequence the software installation and configuration will require less effort and as a result cost will be lower.
As you can see, you have to be quite specific to get a good and complete understanding of the scope. Often it requires you to dig down deep with super-specific questions — almost like going through a checklist and checking each scope-related question carefully. The scope statement is a formal document that explains the scope of a project, including the activities, responsibilities and deliverables of the project.
Purpose of the statement is to make sure both customer and contractor have the same understanding of what the project is going to deliver. The document is normally signed by both parties.
I recommend using a proper template that already has the right structure and includes the relevant chapters. You can download the Word file DOC here.
The template contains all sections you need for proper scope definition with your customer. Note that scope statements are usually a lot more comprehensive than this sample — meaning they contain much more text. So, make the document as comprehensive as needed for your project. Sure enough, you want to make your project a success. But you also need a clear definition of what your project should do and how to accomplish its mission. The key thing that matters is that your plan is feasible.
Go from high level to detailed level: People love to discuss details, even though the overall project strategy and approach may not be clear yet.
This does not make sense. I recommend you always at the high level, looking at the major activities and deliverables and then breaking those down into smaller tasks and work packages.
Dealing with different options: Your sponsor or your stakeholders may have their own ideas on how to tackle the project. The problem is that their ideas may not be feasible, or they may not be optimal from an overall project perspective.
What you could in this case to convince the other parties of your approach is to put each option side by side in a spreadsheet and list all the pros and cons for each alternative. Then, have the team decide on which way to go. Also I hope you feel more confident defining scope in your project.
I created the site to help you become an excellent project leader and manage intense projects with success! See author's posts. What is meant by project scope In a nutshell, project scope is the sum of things that a project has to take care of.
That was a lot of theory, right? How to define the scope of a project How do you typically define the scope in a project? They might say something like: Customer: We have a lot of issues with managing our inventory. The content of their discussions will change from high-level topics to very specific questions : Sample Questions to clarify scope: Do you want a cloud-based inventory management system? Or do you prefer an installation on your own servers?
Do you need hardware? Do you want us [vendor] to optimize your warehouse structure? We offer that service. Do you want onsite training for your workers? Or do you prefer video-based training which costs less? Do you want us to do an inventory stock count? We offer this service. Example: software installation Valid question to ask: Will the client perform the software installation himself or should it be done by the vendor?
Does the client prefer a cloud-based solution instead of a dedicated installation? The answers have an impact on project scope. Documenting scope in a scope statement The scope statement is a formal document that explains the scope of a project, including the activities, responsibilities and deliverables of the project. Was this article helpful? Adrian Neumeyer Hi! Similar posts you might also like. The Ultimate Guide to Project Management. I took over a new project.
These were my initial questions.
How to Effectively Define Scope in Project Management (Template Included)
Rather, you want your project size to be just right: big enough to capture all of your project deliverables, but small enough to be an achievable goal. The way to do that is to define your project scope. Defining the scope of your project helps you hit your project deliverables on time and within budget—without overworking your team. By clarifying your project scope, you can ensure you hit your project goals and objectives without delay or overwork. A project scope statement is simply a written document of your project scope. Depending on the complexity of your project, your scope statement could be a section of your project plan , or it could be its own stand-alone document.
Project Management/PMBOK/Scope Management
What could be more basic to the practice of project management than an understanding of scope? Everyone seems to understand that a scope change will usually affect both cost and schedule. When a project fails in whole or in part, poorly defined or poorly understood scope is almost always identified as a key contributor. But while everyone seems to agree on the importance of scope, there is substantially less agreement on what it is and still less on where to find it. In searching both the web and the printed project management literature, I found three schools of thought:. School 1 says that scope is defined by the description of the product-of-the-project. Most of the advocates for this position seemed to represent project roles involved with deciding what these specifications should be, e. School 2 maintains that scope is defined by the work breakdown structure WBS. Most of those in favor of this perspective seemed to be involved with actually creating the product-of-the-project, e.
Getting the Scope Right and Keeping it That Way
Determining project scope and controlling that scope should be the first concern of most project managers. This white paper describes a dynamic flow that begins with the charter and concludes with the acceptance of the scope by the sponsor or customer. Further, the paper acknowledges the need for flexible project lifecycles. The flow begins with the project charter, continues with collect requirements, define scope, create WBS, verify scope, and control scope. The intended themes for this paper are:.
Best practices for managing project scope in Project Online
Fahad Usmani, PMP. May 31, Projects are undertaken to deliver a product, service, or result. In project management, you will find many important concepts vital to complete your project with minimal obstacles. Among these terms and concepts, project scope and product scope stand out. Project scope depends entirely on the product scope.
What Is Scope Creep in Project Management?
Scope refers to the detailed set of deliverables or features of a project. If you are managing a project, keeping an eye on the expectations of stakeholders and clients can be one of the most challenging tasks. But with a clear scope and set timeline, a project manager can more easily ensure that deadlines are met and time is efficiently used throughout the life cycle of the project. Scope management is a necessity for long-term project management. It allows an estimation of how much time, labor, and money will be necessary for accomplishing the project. Scope is a critical component of project management; it sets parameters for the changing aspects of the project life cycle. The scope of a project is the clear identification of the work that is required to complete or deliver a project successfully.
Project Scope Management – Definition, Importance, Processes & Tips
Every project manager hopes to deliver all the project requirements on time. But sometimes, things do not go as planned, necessitating the need for project scope management. The project scope defines and outlines the essential aspects of a project. This information includes the project stakeholders, deliverables, processes, requirements, and constraints.
Know where your scope is
Scope Management is the most crucial knowledge domain for all industries and all sizes of a project. Project Scope is the description of all the work that needs to be done to create deliverables and achieve the project objective. Today, I want to explain how to manage scope in a more reliable way AND with a real-life example. The concepts of project scope management will be the same for any project. Even a big one will have all of the same components. I have an in-depth guide on Work Breakdown Structure alone.
What Is A Project Scope And How Do You Define It (2022 Guide)
Scope: The extent of what a project will produce product scope and the work needed to produce it project scope. It is the sum of the products, services, and results produced in a project. It is often documented using a scope statement and a Work Breakdown Structure WBS , which are approved by the project sponsor. These two terms are not only one of the most important terms in project management but also are mostly misunderstood or at least used interchangeably. To understand the difference better, we should first clarify the definitions of Product and Project.
Project scope is defined as the work that must be done to deliver a product according to its required functions and features. A Scope Statement is a document that clearly delineates what work will be done and what will not. The scope statement for this project, for example, would define the limits of the project. Anything outside those boundaries would be out-of-scope.
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