Scope doesn’t creep… Understanding grows. (Jeff Patton, User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story

Nov 15, 2018 | Blog

Why is scope creep always thought of as a bad thing? Typically, it’s because people correlate scope creep with a delay in output. Using product minded thinking we look at scope creep as nothing more than an increased understanding of your customer’s problems and an evolution of the solutions to solve those issues.

A typical project timeline begins when users come together, determine a project plan and then start working it. Inevitably, an assumption will be incorrect, or a major problem that was previously unknown is uncovered. As a result, you’ve created output that went beyond your understanding therefore creating waste and causing a delay in delivery. Your leadership team is upset because you wasted time and money. Your customers are upset because you didn’t solve any of their problems, or even worse- you’ve created more.

The image below shows this graphically over time.

Using a product focused approach in development, we work to match the pace of understanding with the product outcomes. This allows our customers to minimize risk and maximize the value of spend in order to build the best products that their customers love. By keeping your understanding ahead of the product output, you can maximize the value over time, as reflected in the updated version of the graph below:

By developing a deep understanding of your product’s digital ecosystem, a roadmap can be created to align business objectives with the overall product vision. From this roadmap a plan of strategy, design, and development to ongoing optimization and support is created.

Ensure the success of your digital product by finding a strategic partner that will help you develop your product as their own.