Introduction
Scope refers to the combination of goals of a project and actions to achieve the goals. A definite scope facilitates making cost and time estimates for a project. Defining the scope is critical to managing a project. Scope management enables resource allocation and saves money and time.
Understanding Scope
In planning a project, an organisation needs to first define the scope and purpose of the project. A scope sets out the objectives, actions, and the monetary and other resources necessary for meeting the project requirements. The scope also describes the steps, stages, or processes for the completion of the project. Proper planning of the project saves money and time for an organisation.
The scope can be project scope or product scope. Project scope is wide and encompasses all the activities, resources, steps or processes necessary to execute a project. However, product scope is limited to the functions of the product or service, as the case may be.
Product scope deals with the look and feel of the product, the external design and body features, such as height, width, and so on. It also deals with the performance of the product, the functions it is designed to perform, and the end-use. The objective of the product scope is to track the completion of the various steps in the production of the product or service.
On the other hand, project scope provides details of the planned activities, different milestones at different stages, team members in each stage, and deadlines for each stage. It also includes the details of the tasks assigned to different teams/team members. The project scope also contains details of the budget allocations to each stage of the project. Under project scope, the activities are divided amongst teams and co-ordinated to achieve the end result.
Conclusion
Project scope or product scope helps in maintaining the focus and discipline to achieve the objectives, keeping a tab on the costs, managing cost overruns, and so on. With the progress of the project, some changes may be necessary and may result in a change of estimates of time and cost. However, a scope should be well planned to avoid any errors.
