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For the last two+ years I've been involved in a project for a large company, that began as a back-of-a-napkin idea. I can't describe the project as it is all proprietary [customer] information, but the issue of scope drift is still interesting to consider. I will do my best not to be too cryptic.
We began with two goals: The primary objective X [which can't be discussed directly], and low cost. Early on we were challenged to justify the logic of certain aspects of the project. We justified the work according to the net benefit Y, which basically came down to an operational cost reduction argument unique to our design concept. I wrote an argument for this that passed muster.
As the project progressed, we hit on a number of ideas that gained popularity in their own right. Eventually these ideas became more important than the primary objective X, which had been mofidied to such an extent that it no longer resembled the original goal. Also, as the scope of the project continued to change, the cost of the project increased dramatically. In the end, the project cost much more than originally intended, the original goal X no longer applied, my argument no long applied, and the project is a huge success for reasons never intended.
We began with two goals: The primary objective X [which can't be discussed directly], and low cost. Early on we were challenged to justify the logic of certain aspects of the project. We justified the work according to the net benefit Y, which basically came down to an operational cost reduction argument unique to our design concept. I wrote an argument for this that passed muster.
As the project progressed, we hit on a number of ideas that gained popularity in their own right. Eventually these ideas became more important than the primary objective X, which had been mofidied to such an extent that it no longer resembled the original goal. Also, as the scope of the project continued to change, the cost of the project increased dramatically. In the end, the project cost much more than originally intended, the original goal X no longer applied, my argument no long applied, and the project is a huge success for reasons never intended.