Scope creep is an issue everyone in the industry deals with. Whether it’s a client’s expectations reaching beyond what was agreed on or something else along those lines, scope creep is real and must be dealt with.
Here at Trinity Web Media, we pride ourselves on being a collaborative company. The issue with scope creep is that expectations are taken beyond what was communicated. So, with no one remaining on the same page, issues & inconsistencies are expected.
Let’s talk all about dealing with scope creep on today’s Trinity Web Minute with Greg Taylor. He breaks down similar issues we are dealing with and how our team responds.
Do you have more questions regarding this topic or more? Don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact form or on Instagram by clicking here!
[Transcript]
Hey everyone, check it out. Another bonus episode of the New Marketing Show, catch us on Instagram TV, YouTube, all that good stuff. We have full length podcasts coming soon.
So we’ll keep everybody updated with gone bit of a hiatus with everything going crazy right now with the Coronavirus, COVID-19, all that stuff. But right now I want to talk to you about a problem that affects everybody in the industry. And it affects everybody in a different manner. And I want to talk about scope creep.
Scope creep is one of those things when communications and expectations are not clearly defined. And that’s clear politically, though. When you’re not defining exactly what you’re going to do in a set amount of time, for the desired amount of money.
Things get a little murky. So we encourage everybody to have a firm contract, affirm scope of work, to make sure that everyone is on the same Same page from the beginning.
Now at some at any point in the project, if you’re the contractor, ie us, and requests are getting out of hand, now, we’re pretty accommodating. If it’s a small request, we’ll take care of it.
If it’s a couple small requests, we’ll take care of it. But when they’re big, big requests, when five custom pages end up going to 19, or 20, such as the case that we’re in, you have every right to stop, hit the brakes and say, This is not what we agreed on.
Please review our scope of work. This is we need X amount of dollars to move forward. And when you do that, what you’re doing is one, you’re demonstrating your value and your command and you’re getting paid what you’re worth.
And also what’s happening is there’s no animosity or no attitude or no bias during the project. You’re willing to get everything done as a professional as long as you’re being compensated for it.
So scope creep really comes down to defining expectations, clearly communicating what each party is responsible for what you have agreed to do, and in a timely manner. Now, when somebody starts creeping on the scope, and you say yes to it, make sure that you redefine the timeline.
Because obviously, if they double the amount of work, the timeline and the project benchmarks are not going to go according to what was previously planned. So, scope creep, be on the lookout for it. Don’t let it rob you of your sanity. Don’t let it rob you of profitability. Don’t let it rob you of doing a great job for your clients.
It’s your job to communicate what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it. How you’re going to do it. What you need to do that. So Hey, everybody, thanks for watching us again. We’re gonna be back with a full length episodes on the New Marketing Show shortly. And hope everybody’s well out there.
While I’ve known Greg for years from our time together in the marketing scene, I’ve only recently had the chance to work with Trinity Web Media on a client project. Not only was the team professional and their work spot on, they were amazingly quick to respond and required very little hand-holding along the way. I chalk that up to their past experience and a deep understanding of best-in-class services.
I have hired Greg and the Trinity team multiple times for work on my own websites, and have also hired them to work on behalf of multiple clients. He is simply a pleasure to work with, in every respect. Smart but without the giant ego of some developers, Trinity Web Media works with his clients to achieve their vision in the best way possible — with careful attention to their interests, and thoughtful recommendations based on his expertise. • Susan Baier – Founding Marketing Strategist – Audience Audit