In the our last installment of our 10 part Minneapolis Web Design series, we went over our top 5 things to consider when choosing a Minneapolis Digital Agency partner. To succeed in a competitive market you need to have the best brand experience for your customers. That is why it is imperative that you find the right Minneapolis Digital Agency partner the first time. If you missed this post, be sure to click here to read Minneapolis Web Design: Selecting the right Minneapolis Digital Agency. Also be sure to download our free eBook "An Introduction to Growth-Driven Design". Click the image below for more information on the Growth-Driven Design process and the shift that all marketers need to make!

In our ninth installment of our Minneapolis Web Design series we will be discussing web design project scope creep and what you can do to avoid it. Preventing scope creep is an essential part of running a profitable business. As always, be sure to join the conversation by commenting at the bottom of this post and subscribe to our blog updates as well! 

AVOID WEB DESIGN PROJECT SCOPE CREEP

SCOPE CREEP CAUSES STRESS AND COSTS TIME AND MONEY. IN OTHER WORDS, IT SUCKS. 

Have you ever been part of a project where your responsibilities and deliverables grow far beyond the initial requirements? You start to ask yourself, "What did I get myself into? AND/OR "This is definitely not what I/we signed up for..." If so, this most likely means that you have experienced scope creep and it is something that we all fall victim to at one time or another. Like all industries, web design and web design related projects are not immune to scope creep. When left neglected, web design project scope creep causes stress and costs time and money. It is nearly impossible to always avoid scope creep, but you can learn to identify and attend to potential scope creep situations and minimize the damage that scope creep can cause. By learning how to identify and attend to potential scope creep situations you will keep your projects on track, improve communication with clients and/or partners, and may even turn potential project management problems into a business opportunity. 

SCOPE CREEP DEFINED

So what is scope creep? Scope creep refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. A simple example of scope creep is when a project's desired goals/objectives exceed or creep past the boundaries of the original goals/objectives that were defined at the beginning of the project. Scope creep is also known as requirement creep, function creep, and feature creep. 

Scope creep should not be viewed as a "cost of business" or something that is just a "normal" part of doing business. You should at all times be in control of your business which means that scope creep should be a non-existent factor. If you follow the process that we have outlined below, you are far more likely to deliver the clients desired features and specifications and avoid uncomfortable conversations about what was expected of you in terms of service and delivery.

TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DELIVERABLE(S)

Before you start a project with a new OR existing client, if there is only one thing that you are able to extract from them before you start the project, it needs to be a clear understanding of the deliverable(s) and what the client wants to achieve. This may seem very obvious but it is all too often that we see and hear deliverable statements like: 

"Our client would like us to build them a shiny new website."

OR

"Our client wants us to do some keyword research". 

Statements like the ones above are too vague and by accepting these as deliverables, you are begging to deal with some major scope creep and cost both you and your client more time and more money than each of you had accounted for. We need to be developing deliverable goals that sound more like: 

"Our client wants to increase online sales by 25% by creating a more user focused responsive website." 

OR

"Our client wants us to research keywords and implement a keyword strategy to increase website traffic by 50% in 2016."

Your largest focus with every client should be on the desired outcome in terms of business goals. Doing keyword research for a new client doesn't hint towards any specific business benefit but providing a service in which you aim to increase website traffic by 50% in 2016 creates an expectation that is both clear to you and your new client. If you truly understand what the deliverables are, in turn this will lead to a reduced chance of scope creep. 

analyze your clients ideas carefully

As we said above, it is imperative that you understand the deliverables for each project that you work on. If you truly understand what the customer wants delivered, it will allow you to be a Dynamic Provider: a service provider that works with the client to establish what they need in order to achieve their goals. You want to avoid being a Passive Provider: a service provider that allows the client to tell them what is expected of them. If you allow the client to tell you what they think they want, the likelihood that you will experience scope creep at some point in the project skyrockets.

Instead of being an order taker, collaborate with your client and produce an action plan that will most likely be a success. If you choose to always do what the client asks, it is likely that your client will at some point during the project adjust their plan in order to achieve the goal that has not yet been achieved. It is at this very point that scope creep becomes a very real possibility. Remember, it is your involvement in the planning process that reduces the likelihood of scope creep. 

CLEARLY DEFINE THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

9 times out of 10, scope creep comes from poorly defined project scope. Clients aren't concerned about what is in your agreement. They are concerned about their business and the outcome of the project that both of you are working on. Whether or not your customer does it with the best of intentions, if they feel that something needs to be done in order for all of their goals to be met, they will request more work from you without a second thought to the original scope of the project.

This is why a clearly defined scope of work that is understood and agreed upon by both parties is absolutely essential to avoiding scope creep. Not only is it important to have an agreement that establishes the specific deliverables that are clearly and unambiguously worded in your agreement, it will also imperative that you make sure that the client has read the scope in its entirety and is fully aware what is included and what is not included in the agreement. Bottom line, you do not want the client to go into a project with expectations of a certain set of deliverables that are not matched by the details outlined in the scope of work in your proposal. If this happens, scope creep is inevitable. 

MAKE SURE THE PRICE IS ALWAYS RIGHT

When you break it all down, scope creep really comes down to an issue of price. If the resources expended on completing a project are greater than the intended amount, then you have failed to manage the project properly and your business may suffer as a result. To avoid this, you must not only define the deliverables but you must also have a very clear understanding of the materials and resources that will be required to complete the project. 

Of course your pricing method will vary depending on the vary nature of your business and the way you choose to tackle each project but the key is to break each project down as much as possible and make sure that everything is accounted for. You can then assign specific resources to each portion of work and develop a conservative cost for the project. 

A word of advice: Just like remodeling projects around your home, it is important to include a contingency of at least 15% within your pricing. This is your insurance policy to account for potential discrepancies in your estimate. This isn't to allow for scope creep, but is meant to be a safely net in case you missed something or you have a client that is unhappy because they feel they were misled, or something was left out of the original scope. 

GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. absolutely EVERYTHING.

Once both the client and you are comfortable with the scope of work and the deliverables are clearly stated in a proposal, it is vitally important that the client reads, understands and signs off on ally necessary documentation. It is also absolutely essential that the contract states that work that is not stated with in the scope of the project is considered "extra work" and must be agreed upon in writing by both you and the client. In order to hammer home that extra work will cost more money, we suggest a predetermined rate for additional work. While the growth of a specific project is often unavoidable, you can encourage your client to prevent extra work by establishing repercussions if all deliverables are not included in the original scope of work. 

Make sure to remember that the most important part of this step is your client's understanding of the project and the scope, not their signature. We want to make sure that they know what they are paying for and not paying for. The more your client understands, the less likely scope creep will rear its ugly head during the project.  

AVOIDING SCOPE creep, IN A NUTSHELL....

In conclusion, you should think of the avoiding scope creep as an easy 5 step process: 

Step #1: Truly understand the deliverable(s): Your largest focus with every client should be on the desired outcome in terms of business goals.

Step #2: Analyze your clients ideas carefully: If you truly understand what the customer wants delivered, it will allow you to be a Dynamic Provider.

Step #3: Clearly define the scope of the project: 9 times out of 10, scope creep comes from poorly defined project scope. Clients aren't concerned about what is in your agreement. They are concerned about their business and the outcome of the project that both of you are working on.

Step #4: Make sure the price is always right: When you break it all down, scope creep really comes down to an issue of price. If the resources expended on a completing a project are greater than the intended amount, then you have failed to manage the project properly and your business may suffer as a result.

Step #5: Get everything in writing. Absolutely everything: Make sure to remember that the most important part of this step is your client's understanding of the project and the scope, not their signature. We want to make sure that they know what they are paying for and not paying for. The more your client understands, the less likely scope creep will rear its ugly head during the project.  

Sometimes scope creep can't be avoided. Even the best agencies and project managers get nipped by the scope creep bug once in awhile but if you follow these 5 steps you are far more likely to deliver the clients desired features and specifications and avoid uncomfortable conversations about what was expected of you in terms of service and delivery. Just remember, by removing scope creep from the equation you will be able to offer your clients top of the line service in terms of assessing their needs and providing a solution. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post!

In our 10th and final installment of our Minneapolis Web Design series, we will be discussing the inbound marketing process and what it can do for your business.

If you haven't already, be sure to download our free eBook "An Introduction to Growth-Driven Design". This e-book is a must read for anyone who has ever encountered a "website redesign nightmare" or who is not happy with the results they are getting from their current website.

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