Scope creep management challenges in an outsourced e-commerce project management company in Cape Town

Abstract

Scope creep is a common cause of project failures. This results in wastage of money, decreased satisfaction and causes the project value not to be met. Most projects seem to suffer scope creep and stakeholders, and project teams are continuously frustrated by it. Why are the effective means of managing scope seemingly escaping us? There is a lot of literature on the most effective methods of curbing scope creep. Various methodologies and project management software has been developed to deal with the issue of scope creep. However it is still regarded as one of the main challenges facing various projects. One of the active outsourced e-commerce project management companies in Cape Town, South Africa, observed that scope creep was affecting almost every project. Even well-executed e-commerce projects that meet time and budget constraints often fail to meet the expectations of the clients. In most cases the root cause can be traced back to scope issues. It has been observed that almost all e-commerce projects have to deal with scope creep. Project managers, customers and developers do not shoulder all the blame. This research study explores the challenges of managing scope creep. It aims to unveil the extent to which scope creep affects projects, and the underlying challenges of managing scope creep. More and more projects are failing regardless of the documentation, and training programmes on scope management. Perceptions of all the stakeholders are highlighted. The study also seeks to assist project managers on how to avoid scope creep. It has been proven that attempting to avoid it does not eliminate the problem. Therefore, this research study aims to bring about a practical solution to scope creep in e-commerce projects. This research study adopted both a qualitative research approach. Stemming from the findings of this study, recommendations such as employing well trained project managers, who are also trained developers, to assist in scoping the complex projects were made. Clients should also be participants in the scope management initiatives and should be consulted throughout the project. This research study was also done with the intention of assisting Project Management students’ training by contributing to the Project Management body of knowledge. This would help trainers and educators understand the real challenges in the field, and prepare them to provide solutions for future practice.