Why changing tech project scope is a good sign, how to manage it and get better ROI on your tech and software – this is how and when project scope change is a good thing

Worried about your tech project scope changing halfway through execution? 

Don’t be. Research shows that at least 52% of tech projects require scope management. And there’s good reason to believe it’s a key contributor to eventual success.

Why?

Project scope change is often the first sign your team is learning. And learning leads to better outcomes.

“Scope change is a given,” says Jaco van Schalkwyk, Director at SA software specialists, Kohde.

“Business realities evolve. What seemed like the perfect solution in month one might not be by month three, because you’ve learned something new. That’s a good thing.”

Kohde helps SA companies modernise their software systems to improve business performance. And across these projects, we’ve found that project scope change isn’t a problem, it’s a feature. 

When handled well, good scope management unlocks deeper value, aligns systems with real-world workflows, and delivers better ROI.

Why Project Scope Change Means You’re Doing It Right

One of the most common misconceptions is that changing project scope means you didn’t plan well. But in reality, it often means your team is gaining clarity.

“In most projects, the team starts hitting ‘aha’ moments,” says Jaco. “They’ll spot a better solution or uncover a deeper pain point. And when that happens, we adapt. That’s how business value gets unlocked.”

In fact, Kohde has seen scope shrink just as often as it expands. In one recent case, cutting a set of underperforming features midway through the project freed up time to focus on a small change that had a major impact on staff productivity.

What Project Scope Change Is Not

Many tech founders fear project scope change because they’re afraid that changing the scope means it’ll cost more. That’s why they have such rigid specs and worry that deviation means mismanagement.

But Jaco challenges those ideas head-on.

“The most expensive software is the software nobody uses.”

In other words, sticking to a fixed plan, despite new information, is more dangerous than adapting. And while scope changes can introduce risk, the bigger risk is launching something that solves the wrong problem.

He’s also quick to push back on the idea of scope creep: “To me, there’s no such thing. That phrase assumes we knew everything upfront. But the plan today isn’t necessarily the plan six months from now — and that’s okay.”

How to Manage Project Scope Change Without Losing Control

Kohde’s approach to software projects allows for flexibility without losing grip on timelines or outcomes. These four principles help ensure that any project scope change is intentional, strategic, and tightly aligned with business value.

1. Start Small — Deliver Value Fast

Before diving into technical builds, define a minimum feature set that solves a real problem — one that your team or customers feel every day. This doesn’t mean building a “lite” version of your end goal. It means focusing only on what’s essential to deliver impact early.

The faster you deliver something that works, the sooner you can validate your assumptions, unlock momentum, and avoid wasting time on features nobody needs. In Kohde’s experience, most projects are over-scoped at the start, not because teams are reckless, but because they’re too focused on possibility instead of priority.

As Paul Graham puts it in his essay Hackers and Painters, building software should be more like painting than construction: fast, iterative and flexible. You get better results not by planning everything upfront, but by shipping early and rewriting often.

2. Release Early and Learn from What’s Real

The best project decisions aren’t made in planning decks. They’re made when users start clicking buttons and hitting roadblocks.

“Working software tells you more in a week than planning tells you in a month,” says Jaco. That’s why Kohde focuses on releasing usable versions early in the process — even if they’re not polished.

By getting feedback from real users as soon as possible, you learn what’s valuable, what’s unclear, and where the scope needs to evolve. It’s the opposite of wasted effort — it’s a shortcut to building the right thing.

3. Involve Stakeholders Every Week

Too often, software projects stall because the people who understand the business problem aren’t brought into the process until the end when it’s too late to change course easily.

Kohde solves this by keeping ops leaders and business owners directly involved through weekly sprint planning, backlog refinement, and reviews. That doesn’t mean drowning them in technical detail — it means surfacing progress, blockers, and trade-offs in plain business terms.

“Collaboration isn’t a handover — it’s a rhythm,” says Jaco. This approach ensures that any project scope change is aligned with operational reality, not just technical ambition.

4. Prioritise Outcomes, Not Features

In fast-moving businesses, it’s easy to get caught up in feature checklists. But more features don’t mean more value. The focus should always be: what changes when this goes live?

At Kohde, project success is measured not by how many items are ticked off, but by whether teams work faster, customers are happier, or revenue flows more smoothly. Every scope decision is weighed against that standard.

If something doesn’t move the needle — no matter how “nice to have” — it can wait. This outcome-driven mindset is what turns project scope change from a cost centre into a value multiplier.

This lets managing directors and heads of corporate services maintain clarity without having to drive the project themselves.

The Leaders Who Benefit Most from Embracing Change

In Kohde’s experience, the most successful owner-led companies are those that remain flexible, but not vague. They know what problem they’re solving, but accept that how they solve it may evolve.

“Founders who adapt are the ones who win,” says Jaco. “They stay focused on the outcome, not the original spec.”

That mindset shift, from planning to learning, is where the real performance gains happen.

Don’t Fear Project Scope Change, Use It

If you’re halfway through a build and considering a project scope change, that doesn’t mean your project is failing. It probably means you’re paying attention.

Plans aren’t sacred. Business needs shift. Great software teams — the ones that deliver real value — don’t just tolerate that. They plan for it.

Or as Jaco puts it:

“There’s no such thing as scope creep — just scope clarity.”

At Kohde, we help organisations roll out ROI-first tech projects that deliver business value. 

If you're rethinking your build or want to turn change into a strategic advantage, chat with Jaco and the team.