Deciding On Project Scope
Scope management procedures must also be created and enforced to prevent "never ending project" syndrome. Constant scope changes, whether increases or decreases, cause confusion among project team members. The primary focus of scope management is on defining and controlling what is and is not included in the project. The project manager must work with other departments to clearly define the project scope. If the project scope is not defined properly, required work is missed, jeopardizing the project success. On the flip side, work outside the scope of the project may be done, hurting the budget.

The scope of an ERP project has several components. The ERP project team must decided which business processes will be included in the implementation. This decision, in turn, effects which ERP functionality will be implemented. If an organization has more than one business unit or line, the team must decide which divisions to include in each phase of the rollout. The IT organization must determine which technologies will be replaced and upgraded, and which will exchange data through interfaces, until the rollout is complete.

To prevent scope problems, make sure a project charter or mission statement exists. Be sure to really nail down the project requirements, and have them documented and signed by the users and senior management. Clearly define change control procedures and hold everyone to them. Tight change control procedures may end up causing tension between the project team and those who do not get changes they want. Ultimately, though, the project can't be successful if the project team is trying to hit a constantly moving target.