Outlining the Benefits of Scope in Agile Project Management

Introduction

In project management, scope outlines the features and requirements needed to be accomplished and the necessary materials required to adhere to deadlines in an effective and efficient manner. Scope in agile project management is best described as what the project will produce and the work required to produce it. A common issue that is prevalent amongst scope use in projects is scope creep. Scope creep describes a period when the project's scope continues to grow and change as the project is still in the works. Despite this, agile project management tends to embrace scope creep. The reason for this is that agile frameworks are designed to be embraced. Change is expected and accepted throughout the longevity of a project. Agile project management approaches allow for change by focusing on the most important feature and moving on from there. The controversy surrounding scope creep is due to the expectation that the same amount of work is expected to be done with the same resources and deliver those results in the original timeframe. Some other forms of scope creep include the acceptance of deadline extensions to complete said additional work and the additional funding to pay for more staff. Now, enough talk about scope creep, let's discuss some of the pros of scope in agile projects.

1. Increased Visibility

Agile methodologies have proven to increase visibility in projects. What does visibility mean in this context? Visibility refers to the overall dexterity of a company or organization. If the overall dexterity of an organization is improved upon, then it is easier to make strategic changes according to the market. Visibility in a company or organization also can help increase the transparency of leadership. By increasing visibility within a company or organization, it can help everyone understand how their work contributes to a greater good and why they are so crucial to the team’s mission statement. Agile’s methodologies aim to increase visibility in a company or organization by using certain applications to provide status of the progress of the project as well as the product itself. Applications such as Kanban, which is a visual management system that is intended to conceptualize the processes and workflows of the project they are striving to complete. This visibility of projects can ultimately help increase customer satisfaction. Agile project management methodologies can help ensure that the project features meet the customer’s needs and expectations and to identify and straighten out any issues that may arise. 

2. Increased Adaptability

In addition to increased visibility, Agile methodologies also increase adaptability within a company or organization. Adaptability in this context is defined as the responsiveness to change over following a scheme or project. Similarly to visibility, technological advancements are ever changing so being able to adapt to changes along the way is important. Adaptability is important at every stage of completing a project. As a team strives to complete a project, it grows more and more complex and ultimately when things become more technical, people can become slower with their progress. When the rules and regulations start to change, it is important for everyone to be able to keep up with the changes. Agile’s methodologies coincide with adaptability because the basis of Agile’s principles is repetitive development which is achieved through completing assignments in small pieces or sprints. This is different from traditional projects because most traditional projects invest a lot of time and effort into planning according to time estimates, while Agile methodologies focus more on adjusting as you go. 

3. Reducing Waste by Minimizing Resources

Agile project management methodologies reduce waste by minimizing resources by using a top-down approach to address the entire project or organization at once. The primary advantage of using the top-bottom approach in agile projects is the likelihood to listen to the team. The members of the team are encouraged to express their plans on what they envision for the company or organization. The top-down approach defines and establishes the scope in order to reduce wasted time and money on spending weeks-months defining details that may or may not be included in the final feature. 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, scope in agile project management methodologies prove to have many advantages. Scope in agile project management advantages include: increased visibility, increased adaptability, and reducing waste by minimizing resources, and many others. With these benefits, companies and organizations are able to help increase customer satisfaction, allows input from the team members to ensure everyone is on the same page and keeping up with the changes, and lastly, help ensure the time and money is being utilized efficiently. 

References...

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Rachaelle Lynn                                                  Senior Marketing Manager                Rachaelle Lynn, et al. “Benefits of Agile.” Planview, 9 Mar. 2020, www.planview.com/resources/guide/agile-methodologies-a-beginners-guide/benefits-agile/.

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Image: https://www.benlinders.com/2012/fixing-scope-in-agile-projects/