KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE DELIVERING

Project scoping is a critical element in effective project management. The project scope can often be, if not managed correctly, amorphous in nature with scope creep being one biggest nightmares in any project that is undertaken. It kills budgets and timelines along with frustrating both the delivery team and the client.

SMART Project Scoping

One of the most effective ways to prevent creep is to ensure the use of SMART objectives at the project scoping/objective setting stage. Most of us have seen this mnemonic as it relates to performance management but it has also been used in project management for nearly thirty years.

While all elements are important, to me, the two most fundamental elements of SMART in a project management scoping context are the first two S (specific) and M (measurable).

Why? –  because these are the two that ensure nailing exactly what the project is going to achieve and how the output of the project is going to be assessed – i.e. the business case for doing the project in the first place.

Specificity in project scope definition

What do we mean by specific?

As an example, let’s take it that your business is looking at a new piece of software to help with a particular operational aspect.

The first question you will ask is why do we want to buy this piece of software and go through the hassle of a project to get it on board? And you should ask this question first and foremost.

Projects and change cost time and money – you need to see benefits at the other side. But this question needs to be further considered i.e. made more specific in nature. You may ask the following;

What are the benefits that we will achieve through the implementation? (in scope)

• Reduced time to market for our goods and services by 20%?
• Reduced costs and overhead by 35%?
• Introduction of a more formal process that we can then include in our value proposition to clients that will facilitate a 5% uplift in sales price?
• Simplification of a complex process to free up 3 people to focus on other things?
• …..

What do we not expect of this project? (out of scope)

• For the software to manage all aspects of our business.
• The management of, for example, a redundancy process for employees that are no longer required as a consequence of the implementation of the software.
• ….

For all of those items in scope, there is something specific that is being attained as a consequence of engaging in the business. Against these, the business case can be examined and an informed cost/benefit decision can be made.

Measurability in scope definition.

Using the above example, the measures are dictated by the specifics of the project goals. Based on these, the project can ensure that there is a measure of success being implemented as part of the project.

If we use the first example of a 20% reduction in the time to market the measure is how long it currently takes to get your deliverable out to your customer. After implementation, this is a tangible number against which to measure the success of the project.

Whatever the measure, the project should include the ability to track this improvement through effective reporting that allows the management team to immediately see the derived benefit of implementation. If this effective reporting does not exist in the operation today, then it can be included as a project deliverable.

Using SMART as a tool in the project scoping process will make a huge difference and ensure a “closed” scope that is understood by all.

Do you use SMART in your project scoping?

Photo: Rooneg