When we talk about project management, we all know it is a series of tasks to achieve a desired goal by applying knowledge, tools, and techniques.

Now the main question is what is meant by project scope by project scope management?

Let’s start with Project scope, it is the component in project management that helps to define the boundaries of the project, like a map guide telling us what is included and what’s not.  Some things that can be included are goals and objectives, tasks and activities, workflow management strategies, and the result.

What is Project Management?

The term "Project Scope Management" describes a set of processes that must be followed before the final delivery of a product, service or result depending on its features or capabilities. A focus of scope management is "how we get there." Alternatively, a better statement may be "what's the process we follow to get there?" In order to complete the project, project managers and supervisors define and map these steps in order to determine how much work will be needed and how the team should prioritize its efforts.

This section provides a comprehensive description of all aspects of a project, including all activities, resources, timelines, and deliverables, as well as its boundaries. The project scope statement explains in detail what the project is all about, what's included and what's not, along with key stakeholders, processes, assumptions, and constraints. All of this crucial information is included in the scope statement.

Key processes in project scope management include:

• Defining scope: Scope definition ensures that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of what is included and excluded from the project scope, and it serves as the foundation for project planning, execution, and control.
• Planning project scope: scope planning includes identifying the goals, objectives, tasks, resources, and budget. This process involves developing a detailed plan that shapes the project scope that will be managed throughout the project lifecycle.
• Create Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): For completing a complex, multi-step project, the project needs to be broken down or deconstructed into simpler steps, that’s what work breakdown structure does.
• A work breakdown structure is a key project management element that organizes the team's work into manageable sections.
• Scope Verification: In project management, scope verification is the process of determining whether a project's product or service fits the project's scope and deliverable requirements.
• Scope control: This is the last process in project scope management, scope control process includes monitoring project status and administering changes to the scope. With a scope control plan, one can manage the number of changes, the impact of those changes, and when and how those changes are integrated.

Implementation of scope management in a project is vital in today’s scenario, today projects can be expensive and complicated and need to be broken down into visual and simpler representations.

To minimize misunderstandings, align expectations among stakeholders, and guarantee that everyone agrees with project outputs and objectives, clarity is crucial.
Project planning and execution are guided by scope management, which offers a systematic framework from beginning to end. By structuring a timeline of tasks and milestones, scope management gives project teams a structured approach to managing the project lifecycle. It increases productivity and lowers the possibility of miscommunication or project delays.

The Project Scope Management Process Includes Three Steps.

• Planning- In this phase, the project is defined and the steps (or processes) required to implement it are determined.
• Controlling- In this phase a project manager oversees, manages and monitors the progress of a project. This includes documenting, tracking scope creep, for each phase of the project, and disapproving change requests as they arise.
• Closing- It involves reviewing the project deliverables, assessing the results against the original plan, and wrapping up the process.

The Importance of Project Scope Management.

One of the most challenging tasks project managers faces is managing the expectations of stakeholders and clients. By clearly defining the scope of the project, project managers can easily stay on track and adhere to deadlines during the project lifecycle. When project scope is effectively managed, it provides an understanding of the time, labour, cost, and resources involved in the project. It allows us to determine what is essential for the completion of the project and what isn't. An important aspect of project management is defining the scope of the project from the beginning to address factors that might change during the project lifecycle.

The project scope management process will help in various aspects listed below-

• Facilitate informed decision making during a project.
• Assesses risks and plans mitigation measures.
• Ensures the right expectations are set for stakeholders.
• By bringing stakeholders together, you can facilitate effective communications.
• Establishes priorities that keep projects on track and reduces unplanned work to save money and time.
• Helps clients, workload balancing, and team morale by managing their expectations.

Why is Better Project Planning Necessary?

If you don't plan and manage your project properly, you're more likely to waste time in the long run. According to a study, 80% of people spend at least half of their time on rework. A few extra minutes of planning could have avoided losing that many valuable hours.

Align stakeholder interests from the beginning, so you can get buy-in, minimize client pushback, and set the scope of the project.

Make sure everyone understands exactly what their roles are and when they should accomplish them.

It is imperative to flag the risks prior to your project so you know what to look out for. These warning signs will vary from project to project.

Don't take planning for granted. Having plans doesn't mean you can't change or adapt. Best plans leave room for wiggle-room so you're able to stay flexible and adaptable.  

By defining the scope of a project, teams can keep track of all their work in an efficient manner. A project scope that is effective ensures the project gets started on the right path, is completed on time and on budget, and meets the expectations of the end-user.

What is involved in project scope management?

Here's where we get down to the process of building that scope statement. The PMBOK recognizes six major scope management processes involved in managing and defining a project's parameters. These are:

• Planning scope management: A scope management plan is created based on input from the project plan, the project charter, and consultation with stakeholders.
• Collecting requirements: A requirements management plan is created based on the scope management plan plus stakeholder input. Interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, and more will be used to understand requirements. This will all be documented.
• Defining scope: A project scope statement is produced based on all the requirements documentation plus the project charter and the scope management plan. This definition will be the basis for all project activity.
• Creating the Work Breakdown Structure: A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is built after analyzing the project scope statement and the requirements documentation. The WBS is basically the entire project broken down into individual tasks, and deliverables are clearly defined.
• Validating scope: Here, deliverables are inspected and reviewed. Either they're accepted as complete or further revisions are requested.
• Controlling scope: As the project is executed, scope must be controlled. Performance reports are compared against project requirements to see where gaps exist, which may result in changes to the project plan.

FAQ's:

What is meant by scope in project management?

Scope is the component in project management that helps to define the boundaries of the project, like a map guide telling us what is included and what’s not. 

What is the difference between scope and objective?

Scope defines the limitations or boundaries of an activity or a procedure on the other hand objective defines the output or the accomplishment of that procedure or activity.

What is scope management?

Scope management is the process of identifying, defining, and controlling the benefits, results, or outcomes of a project.

What is the difference between product scope and project scope?

Product scope identifies the features and characteristics of a product or service. Characteristics like physical features of a product such as size, material, color, etc.

Project scope is the part of project planning that includes identifying the goals, objectives, tasks, and resources. Project scope helps to manage the workloads of individuals in an organization.

What is the Work breakdown structure?

A work breakdown structure is a visual representation of the breakdown of tasks into simpler forms, mostly in a hierarchical structure. It is a key project management element that organizes the team's work into manageable sections.

Who defines project scope?

A project manager, with input from key stakeholders, is usually responsible for defining project scope. Stakeholder needs are often a key influence on the scope of a project.

It is often the project manager’s job to factor in the human and financial resources they need to meet these requirements.