HBR Guide to Project Management

HARVARD MANAGEMENT UPDATE

Will Project Creep Cost You—or Create Value?

Setting strict limits on scope can help a project succeed, but you need a system flexible enough to recognize value.

by Loren Gary

Allow the wrong changes to your project, and you can veer off course, run over budget, and miss key deadlines. Reject the right change, and you may fail to capitalize on a major opportunity. Hence the dilemma: How do you stay open to improvements without succumbing to “creep,” in which small tweaks add up to budget- or schedule-busting modifications? By making sure the project’s boundaries are sharply delineated and the impact of potential alterations or slippage can be quickly calculated.

The Planning Phase

A surprising number of projects get ...