How to Prevent Scope Creep and Get Paid What You’re Worth
What is Project Scope?
In its simplest terms, project scope is the project definition. It’s the details of the project given to you in the client briefing, which you then turn into an estimate for approval.
What is Scope Creep?
Scope creep occurs when a project goes beyond the agreed-upon scope without additional budget. Often this happens a little at a time, hence the “creep”.
For our purposes, scope creep is NOT a job that keeps growing, if you’re getting paid for those additions. That’s just a long, messy job.
Top 5 Reasons for Project Scope Creep and How to Prevent Them
Let’s start at the beginning…
Scope Creep Reason #1: You Get an Inadequate Brief
Many projects have a poor start and continue that way. That’s often due to a “light-on-details” verbal or email briefing.
The real problem is when you don’t recognize that the briefing is inadequate yet create an estimate based on it.
Or you do recognize it but don’t speak up. In other words, you’ve accepted a crappy brief.
How to Prevent It:
This is where experience comes in. If you’ve done similar projects, you know what it takes to deliver this project. You also know you need more info.
If you start the job without agreement on details, you’re going to be guessing. That leaves it open to interpretation, and that creates rounds of revisions and scope creep.
To reduce the potential for scope creep, write a list of questions to get the information you need from the client. Then edit the brief to include the new information. Get approval.
You may think it’s not your job to create the brief. Fine, but be ready for pain later. Better that you help the client define the project.
I can’t overstate the importance of agreeing to a detailed brief. This will be your reference document for creating the estimate and determining what’s in scope throughout the project.
Charge for your time to do this. Just bury it in your estimate.
For more significant projects, especially tech jobs with particular requirements and many potential options, your first estimate should be for Scope Definition. You’ll work with the client to define project scope. This becomes a project unto itself.
In the past, I partnered with a big IT company. For major projects, they had an upfront fee of $25,000 for scope definition.
Their pitch was that even if they didn’t do the project together, the client would benefit from having a fully defined scope to get anyone to bid on.
If the client didn’t agree to the upfront scope definition phase, they wouldn’t proceed.
Scope Creep Reason #2: Adequate Brief, Inadequate Estimate
Let’s assume that you have a well-defined brief with all the information you need.
But perhaps you got lazy and created a poor estimate in response. Remember that it’s your estimate that gets approved and will become the reference document for project scope.
How to Prevent It:
While the client brief defines WHAT is required, the estimate should outline HOW you’re going to deliver the project, including the limits on that delivery.
An estimate should cover:
The details of the project
Your process for completing the project
The limits at each step
A timeline (for big projects)
Payment terms
Use the brief as a basis for your estimate. Although it may seem repetitive to regurgitate the brief, it’s necessary. However, don’t just cut and paste the brief into the estimate. Instead, break it down by your specific deliverables, phases of delivery, and, most importantly, limiting factors.
When you include the details of the brief, you allow your client to see how her brief fits into your delivery of the project.
Also, in bigger organizations, your estimate will be reviewed not only by your direct client but by her boss, other internal stakeholders, and even procurement departments. So you want to give them the complete story.
You might be surprised by how project scope can change once others have input. You want any changes to happen now, before you start, rather than halfway through the job.
Scope Creep Reason #3: Poor Definition of Limiting Factors
Every project should include several limiting factors. If you don’t have them, the client may feel there’s no limit. It’s up to you to define them and then stick to them.
How to Prevent It:
Have a checklist of limiting factors to include in every estimate. For example:
How many options for each element in the initial creative presentations
Detailed deliverables within each creative option
Length of copy for the finished product
Number of pages for finished documents, websites
The number of elements to be produced (charts, graphs, illustrations, photographs, animations, etc.)
How many creative options are you providing? (This generally applies to projects that included graphic design.) We usually offered three options. Three was a magic number for us. However, you may want to provide more for projects such as logo development. Whatever it is, define it and agree to it now.
What are the deliverables within each option? For a website, we might say that we’ll show five key pages of the site for each option. Again, get agreement on the number.
For copy, I would typically reference an approximate word count.
For documents and websites, I would define how many key pages we showed.
For charts, graphs, illustrations, and photographs, I would define how many options for styles, and based on chosen styles, how many completed units. (Charts and graphs have a way of growing in number, so you’ll want to show a cost per unit).
In summary, limit the number of options and choices for everything.
The Most Critical Limiting Scope Factor—How Many Rounds of Revisions
This is where most scope creep happens. You deliver the project, and then the revisions start. How do you cut it off? How do you tell them that what they’re asking for will cost extra?
You need to tell them upfront. Here was my standard language in every estimate:
“Includes up to two rounds of revisions. Further revisions will be estimated if necessary.”
BTW, notice the “up to two”. If there is only one round or none, there are no refunds.
For new clients, be sure to discuss what constitutes a revision. For us, technically, a revision occurred any time we opened a document to make a change.
So, we encouraged our clients to get feedback from all stakeholders and give us all changes at once. We’d rather do ten changes in one sweep rather than open the file ten times.
If, after one round of revisions, it looks like you’re heading into round two, mention it to the client. This is the signal that this next round is the last round included in the project scope, so they should gather up all loose ends now. Let them know, in the nicest way possible, that any further revisions will be estimated. In other words, they will cost extra.
Let’s say they’ve done their two rounds of revisions. And here come some more…
You have to make a quick decision. If it’s a 5-minute job, you can decide whether or not to “throw it in”. But the important thing is, you have to say something. When you get that call or email, ask if that’s all there is. Then you can say something like, “Well, technically, we’ve completed the revisions included in the estimate, but we’re happy to squeeze this in.”
Why say that? Because if yet another bunch of revisions comes in, nobody should be surprised when you say you’ll provide an estimate for the out-of-scope work.
Make a point of reviewing all limiting factors with the client before you start. Why? Clients may ask you to include more rounds of revisions upfront because they know their company’s detailed approval process. One of our clients always asked us to factor in up to five rounds of revisions. Not a problem. Better to build them in at the beginning.
What is Not a Revision? A Complete Change of Direction in Scope
Along the way, find a moment to talk about what is NOT a revision.
If the client asks you to change direction because the CEO had a brainwave, you may be better off agreeing to bill for work to date and start with a new estimate.
Ideally, you and the client will agree that this makes sense well before anything like this happens.
Scope Creep Reason #4: Poor Definition of Process
The larger the project, the more critical process becomes. You need a clearly defined process that the client understands and agrees to. Otherwise, projects tend to wander, and that leads to scope creep.
How to Prevent It:
Your process should include:
How you’re going to start the project. A formal kick-off meeting? (I hope so)
How you’re breaking down the project into stages/phases
The deliverables for each phase, which include the number of revisions in each phase
Where you need approvals along the way before going to the next phase
A timetable, assuming the timing is essential, especially for approvals (timing should be important, for your sake)
A summary of payment requirements, including deposit, payment upon deliverable completion, final payment
Super Important for Big Projects and New Clients:
If you have a process for successfully delivering jobs, stick to that process, and don’t let a client change it too much. Stay with what works.
Explicitly review the estimate, section by section, with the client, either on the phone or F2F. This gives them a chance to ask questions, confirm their understanding, or request changes.
Don’t just send it in. You have no idea whether the client has read it in detail. Otherwise, later you’ll hear, “Oh, I didn’t catch that…”
Get Approvals for Each Phase Along the Way
This is where project scope often goes off the rails. The freelancer works ahead before having approvals for previous steps.
For example, you didn’t get agreement on a design style for charts, and you went ahead and finished 50 charts. Client says, “Nah, don’t like it.” Now you’re re-doing them all.
Don’t work ahead without explicit approval of an example. You just bring scope creep upon yourself.
Whenever possible, you should build in preliminary review phases. For writing, do a small sample to get approval of tone and language. For design elements, design one, tweak it, get approval, then do the rest.
Call this phase an outline, example, overview, rough sketch, or whatever is appropriate. Tell clients it’s a chance to review, to make sure you’re “on the same page”.
If Timing is Important, You Need to Agree on a Timeline
I like to include timing in projects. It keeps the clients focused, and the job gets done. Taking six weeks to do a one-week project isn’t efficient. While technically, it may not be out of scope, it’s not a good way to work.
So, put in a timetable and get the client to agree. Typically you’ll have deadlines to meet deliverables, and the client will have deadlines for approvals to allow you to move forward.
Adding a timeline makes you look more professional too.
Scope Creep Reason #5: Fear of “Money Talk” = Weak Payment Terms = Scope Creep
Now we’re going deep…
Perhaps you shy away from “money talk”. It makes you uncomfortable. There’s a fear that the client won’t like it, that you won’t get paid or rehired. There’s also a desire to please, and asking for money gets awkward, especially money upfront.
So, you don’t ask for deposits or payment by deliverable. You think it’s OK to get paid when the job is done.
Do you see the problem here? You’re putting yourself in a position to be held for ransom.
“The job is over when I say it is, and that’s when I’ll pay you, and not a penny more! And if I don’t like it, I’m not paying anything!”
This can lead to endless scope creep and revisions, and you have no power. The client has your deliverables to date and all of the money.
How to Prevent It
Money talk is part of business. Get comfortable, confident, and consistent with it.
Get upfront payments, especially with new clients. You have expenses to pay. Depending on the project, get anywhere from 25%—100% upfront.
Get payment by deliverable. It helps you and the client “wrap up” that deliverable, so it’s less likely that the client will backtrack.
Getting paid upfront and along the way means you’re not chasing receivables.
It also means you’re not doing endless revisions because you’re afraid if you don’t do them, you won’t get paid at all. Do not allow yourself to be held for ransom.
Scope Creep Summary
Scope creep starts at the briefing and estimate stage. Both should be detailed.
Explain your deliverables as precisely as possible.
Incorporate limiting factors wherever necessary.
Outline your process and where you’ll need approvals to proceed. Get approvals before going to the next phase.
Review estimates in detail with the client. Ensure you both have the same understanding. Don’t just send it in and assume they read every word.
Get paid upfront and along the way.
Final Words
If you’re not working with detailed briefings and estimates now, it will seem like a lot of work to change these processes.
It is a lot of work the first time. But your documents will become templates, so it gets much easier.
Lastly, a small personal preference. Call it an estimate, not a quote. Too many people hear “quote” as “final quote”, as in no extra charges, no matter what happens to the project. An estimate means the price I’m estimating today based on what I know and what we’ve agreed to here.
More on how to increase your billing with detailed estimates.
There’s much more on preventing scope creep in both of my books.
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