What's your approach to managing scope creep, and how do you balance flexibility with the need to stay within the original project parameters?

The best way to handle scope creep is to establish early on in the project a scoping document and use that as the Bible when checking whether changes are in or out of scope. If they're out of scope, you invoke "change control" and offer the user the opportunity to say whether the change is essential, required or nice to have. Then it's up to them whether they decide to pay for the changes. In scope means you have to bite the bullet and incorporate the change into your plan. If it's too much of a change, then a full and frank conversation with the stakeholders is needed.

At MJC Agency, we handle scope creep by keeping a close eye on the project’s original goals and boundaries. We start by clearly defining the project scope at the beginning and make sure everyone understands what’s included and what’s not.

As the project progresses, if new ideas or changes come up, we assess their impact on the timeline, budget, and resources. If the changes are important and beneficial, we discuss them with the client and decide together how to integrate them without derailing the project. This might involve adjusting deadlines or reallocating resources.

We always aim to be flexible and responsive to client needs while ensuring that any adjustments are manageable and don’t compromise the core objectives of the project. By maintaining open communication and setting clear expectations, we balance flexibility with the need to stay on track and within the original parameters.