I think a simple way to avoid scope creep is setting out objectives for a project. It's important to know what the objectives of a project are prior to designing and planning out the project. Having objectives written down makes it easier to know what has to be done. From there, you can plan out a schedule, budget, and responsibilities for each team member.

In project management, establishing a scope means setting expectations in regards to specific goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines that need to be met throughout a projects lifecycle from initiating to closing. Scope creep occurs when additional requirements are introduced without taking into consideration the project timeline, budget, or available resources. Consequently, not prioritizing the work that needs to be done first and deviating from the original scope can lead to missed deadlines, lost time, money, or resources, and even a final product that is worse in quality. Typically scope creep is caused by miscommunication around project details, poorly defined project requirements/objectives, disengaged stakeholders, or last-minute changes to deliverables. To avoid this from occurring the team must see eye-to-eye and stay true to the original scope of the project which is only possible if the outlined scope and its associated requirements are detailed, clear, and agreed upon by all members of the team. That being said, we should not dismiss any potential scope changes and if changes are necessary for the success of the project then they should be discussed and agreed upon by all members of the team as well as stakeholders. This means going over the impact on the schedule and the risks and costs associated.

Establishing the scope of a project early on is essential for completing the project in a timely manner. I agree with the two posts above that an important step in preventing scope creep is setting clear objectives and deliverables for the project. In addition, weekly meetings are essential to promote communication between team members to see where everyone is. I think that when developing the project plan, an important step that decreases the possibility of scope creep is slightly overestimating the time needed to complete specific tasks. Determining the time that it takes to complete a task before even beginning the task is difficult because no one knows exactly how execution will be (e.g. manufacturing delays, additional requirements, etc. may occur). Therefore, overestimating the time required for a few days (or weeks, depending on the task) is beneficial because more time is provided to employees in the case of changes in the project or delays. One may argue that overestimating the time required to complete a task causes even more delays in the overall project, but if tasks get completed in time, then there is more time to delegate to other tasks or problems in the schedule. It’s better to have a later deadline and complete the task early than to underestimate your deadline and complete the project late. In addition, I think that a clear change control process should be provided to all employees so that they are aware of steps that need to be taken in the case of changes to the project scope, schedule, etc. With a clear understanding of the change control process, employees can more quickly adapt their methods to complete tasks on time.

I think that avoiding scope creep is a very important job for the Project manager and it is up to them to keep the team from expanding the scope too wide. I get that it is important to hear everyones ideas and not just throw them out but it is important to remember that the success of the project is more important than the feelings of the team members. However if there is slack in the project you can consider shifting the scope to be a bit wider and a compromise like this can be better for the company as a whole but again this is very dependent on the status of the project and how many resources you have to spare

As others have mentioned above, scope creep can be mitigated by defining the project's objectives from the get-go, and ensuring those objectives are clearly communicated to the project team. However, I also think it would further help to simultaneously define what is NOT in scope. Doing this sets clearer boundaries for the project so it doesn't balloon into something much larger than the originally intended goal. This can be achieved during a brainstorming session with representatives from all relevant departments during the initiation phase of the project. A common tool used in problem-solving that can be leveraged for this purpose is called an Is / Is Not analysis. This can be set up in a simple Word document where the problem statement is listed on the top of the page, and underneath there is a table with two columns, "Is" and "Is Not". The team would then proceed to brainstorm what is relevant and what is not relevant to the problem at hand and list each item in the appropriate column. This forces the team to really hone in on what they want to accomplish in this project, and nip scope creep in the bud before it shows up later down the line.

I agree that it is important for the project manager to ensure that the project scope stays manageable, but it is also very easy for someone with a lot of ideas and ambition to keep adding to the scope. Therefore, while I agree with the above responses that keeping the initial objectives is mind is a good idea to manage scope creep, I believe another way could be having team meetings before an item is added to the scope. Having constant input from reliable team members could help ensure that the manager doesn't add too many objectives or add objectives that are out of scope. The team members could question the manager's decisions and make them rethink whether it is possible to add an item to the scope. This can be especially effective if a team member is an expert in the field relating to the item the manager is trying to add to the scope. 

To stay on course and avoid scope creep with any project, a detailed plan needs to be formed before it project commences. Within that plan, there should be allotted time to address any unexpected hiccups that may occur during the project without jeopardizing missing the deadline. While the project is underway, project teams should have weekly or biweekly meetings to discuss the current status of the project and allow all team members to add input on the project's is progression. 

The best way to avoid a scope creep is to organize a map and pinpoint the destination. Communicate with the team the importance of remaining on task and meeting deadlines. Question and curiosity from the team should be addressed ahead of time maybe in the initiation or planning phase of the life cycle. The team can also set aside a team follow up for concerns to provide better understanding of the vision and get the team back on track to completing the project.

Setting clear cut objectives that the entire team agrees on is a way to prevent scope creep. It is important that a team is working to together to develop a solution to meet the end of the target population. By setting objectives no one’s ideas are not simply diminished. The team can discuss if an idea falls in line with the agreed upon objectives. If it does it can be incorporated if it doesn’t then it will be rejected. Allowing the team to focus on areas that will make the project successful.  

After reading the replies to the conversation starter, I am glad to see that most agree that project management is important to avoid this issue. Setting and agreeing on specific project objectives can help avoid scope creep, this allows the communication to be clear moving forward in the project because guidelines were set in the beginning. Proper communication will help lessen scope creep without creating tension within the group, everyone should have the same level of understanding when it comes to doing what is best for the project.

Scope creep is a trap that many projects can easily succumb to if organization is not adequately established. Prior to the start of any project, in the initiating phase, objectives are drawn and they should be achievable, understandable, and affordable. These aspects must be discussed extensively and the team must do its due diligence to ensure these three aspects are met and everyone on the team is in agreeance with the direction of the project going forward. If there is any discord or disagreements between team members, this can result in scope creep as changes may be suggested leading to missed deadlines, increased funds or other unforeseen events. 

There is nothing inherently wrong with being an overachiever, unless the ambition interferes with the completion of the basic requirements of the project. This is often the primary factor that leads to scope creep. Therefore, the main way to avoid scope creep is to ensure that all aspects of the scopes meet the project objectives without adding additional aspects of the project until all the initial project objectives are met. Along the same lines, the project objectives, as defined during the initiating phase, should be limited to the customer needs. As the project objectives already need to be enforced by the deliverables, the deliverables should also be limited to the customer needs. For that reason, all the aspects of the project should be limited to customer needs in order to avoid scope creep, and any form of ambition beyond the original scope of the project should be treated as "extra credit", and be approved by the customer before moving forward.

One user had previously mentioned that defining what is not within the scope would help avoiding scope creep. I agree with their point as it can ensure the team does not deviate towards any objectives clearly stated as not in scope.This better establishes what is not expected of the project and gives earlier warning to avoid it. This method further clarifies goals and avoids any ambiguity with the project. I would take this method a step further and recommend determining whether what is within scope is one cohesive project with clear objectives or can be divided into multiple projects; team members should determine whether any of the objectives would fall under a different project. If a simultaneous project may be needed, a potential solution is a separate project under a different team. Another solution may be to keep the whole project under different departments as Dr. Simon had mentioned in his lecture. There is also potential that the component of the intended project can occur after as a separate project. For example, a company wants to build a novel, first of its kind product. An initial project’s objective is better suited in developing a more basic device. The next project could be a more complex version of the device; the initial project gives more foundational work the next team can rely on. Starting with the development of a complex, novel device leaves more chances for project failure.