Exploration and analysis of scope creep within project processes in the South African building industry
Date
2014-02-17
Authors
Wiggins, Vincent John
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Abstract
Project delays and cost overruns are an inherent part of the building industry both globally and in South Africa.
This paper is predicated on the principles of the iron triangle in project management. The study assumes that an increase or change in scope, in most cases, is largely to blame for the incumbent time delays and cost overruns. These slippages in both time and cost are therefore established on the belief that scope definition is the primary offending constraint. Continued scope creep suggests that there may be an inherent fault within the core business processes prior to the execution phase of the project life cycle. Further analysis is therefore required to explore the fault within business systems.
The exploration and analysis of scope creep within the initial phases of the project life cycle, reveals the current methodologies used by project management firms, which are then assessed against model theories to test any discrepancies. A qualitative, exploratory research methodology was adopted to gather the appropriate data to answer the pertinent research questions. The findings of the study suggest that the level of decomposition, during scope definition, may be inadequately vague for the South African building industry and that the introduction of additional change control measures into the process may add further value.
Description
MBA thesis
Keywords
Project management, Construction industry