Scope Creep
- “what is scope creep”
- “how to prevent scope creep”
- “scope creep vs feature creep”
- “gold plating meaning”
:: COMPARE ::
Scope creepvsGold plating
The short answer
Same symptom, opposite culprit. The client widens the scope; the team widens the polish. Change control fixes one of these and has no effect at all on the other.
Side by side
| Aspect | Scope creep | Gold plating |
|---|---|---|
| Originates with | The client | The team |
| Requested | Yes | No |
| Fixed by | Change control | Definition of done |
| Feels like | Being imposed on | Doing good work |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Scope Creep rather than Gold plating are usually searching for phrases like “what is scope creep”, “how to prevent scope creep”, “scope creep vs feature creep”.
Where the confusion comes from
“All unrequested extra work is scope creep.”
Gold plating is the distinct case where the TEAM adds unrequested polish past the point of diminishing returns. Scope creep typically originates client-side. Same symptom, opposite culprit — and opposite remedy.
Read either one in full