What is Scope creep?
Scope creep is the gradual, often unplanned growth of a project's requirements after work has started, as new features, changes and edge cases are added without matching adjustments to budget or timeline. It differs from deliberate scope changes, which are discussed, estimated and approved.
Why it matters for your business
Unmanaged scope creep is a common reason software projects run late and over budget. A clear change process lets new ideas in while keeping costs and deadlines honest.
Midway through an e-commerce build, requests arrive for gift cards, a loyalty program and a new shipping rule. Each is estimated and scheduled for a later phase rather than squeezed in.