What is Scope Creep?

The Scope Creep in project management is analogous to planning to build a treehouse but then choosing to add a slide, a swing, and a mini-zoo—it occurs when the project grows beyond what was initially anticipated. In layman’s words, scope creep occurs when additional ideas, features, or tasks are introduced to a project after it has already begun. These additions may appear little at first, but they can add up to make the project larger and more difficult, causing delays or exceeding the planned budget. It’s as if your project is gradually extending beyond what you anticipated, like a snowball rolling downhill, growing larger as it goes.