Question

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

As a software developer, we want to have a process in place which we can use to create systems over and over again and become more predictable as to when they will be completed and to what standard.
Sometimes we have scope creep which happens when a customer wants to add more functionality to a system while we are developing it.

1. How might you handle scoped create?

2. What are some things you might make changes to in a system and not have the due date or costs affected?

3. What things might require additional costs and time?

Answer 1

1. How might you handle scoped create?

It is important to create written documentation formally finalizing the requirements and the estimated efforts and cost required with all the stake holders in the project (such as the project sponsor i.e., the funding management, the end-user representatives, the development team management. The best way to tackle the problem of software creep is to agree the requirements and scope of the project between the project sponsor and the developer team/management.

As a software developer, you should work on approved documents such as the software requirement specifications which include functional requirements. Use formal mechanisms such as UML use-case diagrams etc. to have precise definitions and meaning of the terms and scope. You should also put in a formal change management and version control system in place.

2. What are some things you might make changes to in a system and not have the due date or costs affected?

You can approach the sponsors and negotiate the requirements. Further, you should get the requirements prioritized from the project sponsor / end-user representative. If new requirements introduced due to scope creep are to be given high priority, then try to reduce the low priority requirements from the end result/delivery of the project so that the project due date and the cost are not affected.

3. What things might require additional costs and time?

Scope creep is a real problem in software project because it is easy to add new code in software address new requirement. However, if the software design is not modular or if the new functionality needs a design or architecture level change, then it is difficult to handle such cases of software creep. Scuh requests for new changes, features or functionality might require additional cost and time.