Project Description
When I was pregnant with my son, I wanted to convert one of the bedrooms into a nursery. At that time, the room was being used as an exercise room. We had another room downstairs that could easily be changed into the exercise room. I was fine with moving the exercise equipment downstairs, replacing the carpet, painting the walls, and decorating the room.
Scope Creep Issues
My then husband and I moved all the exercise equipment downstairs and started to rip up the old carpet. As we were working, we discussed how small the room was and how we could use another small bedroom next door as a playroom when our son got older. This room was now being used for storage. The two rooms were connected by a common closet that could be accessed from each room. My ex-husband decided to remove the closet and combine the two rooms into one larger bedroom. In order to do this, he would also have to remove parts of the wall around the closet. As the work progressed, he also decided to rewire the rooms as the wiring was old and 110 volts. He wanted to update to 220 volts (I am remembering this from 19 years ago, so I may be wrong). He wanted to complete all this work with just him and the help of his brother. My ex-husband is not the handiest of men, but his brother has remodeled a few homes. The only problem was that my husband worked the night shift and had Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, while his brother worked days with weekends off. The project ended up costing a lot more than what I had envisioned. Most importantly, the project was not completed until my son was almost ready to sleep in a toddler bed – two years later.
Dealing with Scope Creep Issues at that Time
My son ended up sleeping in a crib in our bedroom. This was not too much of an inconvenience, since my husband worked night shift. The bedroom also had room for a changing table and rocking chair, although it was a little cramped. My ex-husband and his brother would try to get together on the weekends to work. My ex-husband would come home from work and try to sleep for a few hours and then get up to work. However, his brother could only come one or two weekends each month, as he was also remodeling his own house at the same time. My ex-husband did not have the skills to do the construction and rewiring work on his own. Since the project took so long, we were able to come up with the extra money as it was needed. The project did create some tension between us, as I did not really want all that work to be done. It was also hard to convince my son to sleep in his own room once it was ready. He was scared to be in a room by himself. It took about a year until he stopped coming to our bedroom during the night.
Vince Budrovich (n.d.) asserts that every project requires the management of five variables: time, resources, expertise, quality, and scope. Scope is the variable that balances the other four variables until it begins to grow (creep). Once scope creep occurs, the project team needs to trade-off among the first four variables. The scope creep of this project increased the time, money, and people needed to complete the project. My ex-husband and I could have done the work that I originally wanted. Since neither of us had the skills necessary to do the work that my ex-husband wanted, this also increased the need for expertise.
Better Management & Control of Project Scope
In retrospect, if I was the project manager, I would have known that it is natural for people (clients) to want to improve the outputs of the project as it progresses (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 346). I could have told my ex-husband that I was really excited about all the new ideas, but maybe we could complete my plans first and then we could commit to redoing the rest of the work (Stolovitch, n.d.). I would have had my ex-husband and brother make a plan of how much time and work effort would be needed for the changes to the project (Portny et. al., 2008, p. 346-347). We should have then analyzed how the impacts the change would have on the project’s schedule, quality of finished product, costs, and work effort (Greer, 2010, p. 36). We should have discussed any added benefits or drawbacks and consequences to the targeted completion date (McGriff, 2000, p. 62). If this would have been a formal project, we should then have updated the project scope statement and project plan and obtained written sponsor approval of the change and revised plan (Greer, 2010, p. 36).
References:
Budrovich, V. (n.d.). Practioner voices: Barriers to project success. Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Video.
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
McGriff, S. J. (2001). Project management for instructional design in higher education. Retrieved from http://wgraziadei.home.comcast.net/~wgraziadei/PM/PMHigherEd.pdf.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stolovitch, H. (n.d.). Project management concerns: Scope creep. Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Video.
Any project can and usually will experience some form of scope creep. (Portny) But when it happens in a home project, especially with construction, it is very frustrating because of the limitation of time and budget. I remember I made the decision to paint several walls in my home when my sons went away to college. Two walls turn into four walls, then the entire house because of the freshness and clean and crisp effect on the walls, even though the color was the same.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evening Sue,
ReplyDeleteYour anaylsis of scope creep in relation to your son's room is perfect. My husband is not they handiest man either, but can do the essentials. however, I know that he is not capable of what your ex-husband did. Now, the difference between my husband and your ex-husband is he wants quiet and simple. In addition, I would be the one making all the decisions and wanting this and that because my brain is like fireworks with projects. THerefore, I would have to task your advice with planning and creating a budget because I would and will get out of control with, I want to do this and that.
Reading through the variety of personal or professional projects, it seems as though identifying the risks, timeline, and budget plan prior to the project. In addition, to having weekly updates with progress and struggles as discussed by Dr. Stolovitch in the video, "Monitoring Projects".
Great analysis of scope creep, Ms. Sue. I really enjoyed your blog.
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteA great example of scope creep from a domestic point of view! I feel the pain of your remodeling project as my wife and I finished building our house a year or so ago and I assumed the role of General Contractor. I experienced these kinds of things on many levels. You quoted from Portny that "it is natural for people (clients) to want to improve the outputs of the project as it progresses". While this is true, Stolovitch also states that with any project, plans change especially if there is no timeline which it seems you and your ex didn't really have. Of course, with a husband and wife team it is very difficult to follow the formal change order process that Stolovitch suggests in the video "Monitoring Projects". You would be lucky enough to still be married after such endeavours. However, one should still consider the skill level of those involved, such as the ex and brother-in-law, to make sure that this doesn't break the timeline and budget.
Great post.
Regards,
Dean
Stolovitch, H. “Monitoring Projects”, Video Program
Hello Sue:
ReplyDeleteYour original project sounded like a weekend or one week activity; and it became a two-year work-in-progress. To me scope creep sounds too simple for this; your original plan became a small component of an entirely new 'this old house' headache which comes across a total project replacement.
You make a good point an trying to hold to the original plan and save the grander concepts for later. You had an excellent reason for a simple, short project as your son's approaching birth is a concrete deadline for the simple room renovation you originally conceptualized. I see a missed conceive phase here as the original plan could answer yes to the can it be done and should it be done questions. The on-the-fly new concept from your ex answers with 'not with local talent' for the can be done question and 'not now' for the should it be done question; definite hold everything, no way conceiving there (Portny, et al., pg 77).
About your 'crew's' qualifications, I see a need for better definition of participant roles and a need for a work breakdown structure (Portny, et al., pg 82-88). With a two person team, one willing but inept and the other experienced but not regularly available, you really needed a work order system that specified the simple background tasks for your ex and the specialty tasks for his brother. With such a plan, your ex does what his expertise allows (sort of conditional activities) until his brother becomes available, then your ex is the helper to his brother completing more complicated tasks. This also brings in who can support the project when so welcome to the scheduling headache you already mentioned.
Reference:
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.