Scope Management Plan
The Scope Management Plan is one of several project management documents that your Project Manager at Solid Design Solutions Australia (Solid Design) will create to begin your new product development project. Setting up the project for success starts with a well-defined scope statement, scope of work (SOW) and the creation of this Scope Management Plan. The primary steps of creating the plan are:
- Create a scope statement to broadly define the scope of the project, usually a couple of sentences
- Review client’s environment for document control, process control protocols and tribal knowledge (SMEs)
- Collect requirements, engage Stakeholders and create the Product Requirements Document
- Create the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) built on the Phase-Gate or Technology Readiness Level framework
- Validate scope with Project Sponsor and key Stakeholders
Scope Creep
Incremental uncontrolled changes in scope, is referred to as Scope Creep. This is the most common cause of a project missing the cost and schedule objectives. Project Managers at Solid Design use many management tools to control scope including scope, requirements and change management.
One example of scope creep is when a member of the project team adds a feature to the product design which is not included in the Product Requirements Document. During execution of a product design and development project there will likely be many features and additional functionality identified that could be integrated. Members of the project team may include some of these functions and features without consulting with the Project Manager.
Controlling Scope
In addition to using scope, requirements and change management, Solid Design’s Project Managers direct work activities which are in scope while ensuring the time is not being expended on out-of-scope activities.
Project Management Plan
Within a Project Management Plan there are many sub plans related to the 10 BOMBOK® Knowledge Areas. Some may only be a paragraph in the in the overall Project Management Plan and will refer to related project documents that are revision controlled. Each one of these plans is created through a process of planning, collecting details, defining scope/tasks, analysing/estimating/validating and building the individual plan. Project Managers at Solid Design use these plan details to communicate project management strategy with the project sponsor, project team members and key project Stakeholders.
- Scope Management Plan
- Schedule Management Plan
- Cost Management Plan
- Quality Management Plan
- Requirements Management Plan
- Risk Management Plan
- Resource Management Plan
- Communications Management Plan
- Procurement Management Plan
- Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Change Management Plan
- Configuration Management Plan
Let’s get started and create a project plan that fits your product development project needs! Send us an email or give us a call. We’ll set up a meeting, review your new product development goals and objectives and get the process moving.