How do you estimate features and prevent scope creep while keeping delivery on track?

At E-Sutra Technologies, we use a structured, agile-driven approach to feature estimation and scope management to ensure delivery stays on track without sacrificing flexibility.

🔧 Estimation Process

• Input Required: Well-defined user stories, acceptance criteria, edge cases, and business objectives.

• Estimation Techniques: Story points, planning poker, or T-shirt sizing based on project complexity.

• Cross-functional Involvement: Developers, QA, and product leads collaborate to surface dependencies and risks early.

🚧 Preventing Scope Creep

• Baseline Lock-in: Scope is frozen post-kickoff; deviations trigger a structured review.

• Change Control: All change requests go through:

  • Technical impact analysis

  • Re-estimation (effort, cost, and risk)

  • Stakeholder approval before inclusion

🧭 Staying Aligned

• Continuous Communication: Weekly stand-ups and client syncs to flag misalignments early.

• Backlog Grooming: Regular backlog refinement to reprioritize based on value and constraints.

• Transparent Reporting: Timeline and budget impact shared in real time for informed decisions.

By combining strong estimation practices with disciplined scope control, E-Sutra Technologies ensures predictable, high-quality delivery — even in dynamic project environments.

1. Before estimating

• Ask for a written scope - business goals, clear user stories, acceptance criteria, priorities, and what ifs.

• Why? Lets you size effort

2. Estimating & commitment

• Use story points or time ranges

• “Enough detail”: ability to describe user flow, inputs/outputs, and success condition without guessing.

3. Handling changes post-kickoff

• Send all changes through a single decision-maker (client product owner or steering group).

• Re-estimate new work and present impact on scope, timeline, and budget.

4. Keeping alignment

• Weekly check-ins and Document all approved changes and impacts in writing.

At ITForce we commit only after clarifying goals, user stories, and acceptance criteria — though the needed level of detail depends on the project and client’s needs. We stay honest at every stage and never avoid discussing changes: all requests are re-estimated, impacts communicated, and scope, timeline, and budget kept aligned through transparency.

For me, what I do first is to make you tell me your story - who you are and what you do. This gives me an insight of the kinda person I’ll be dealing with. Then I can now proceed to the reason we’re having the conversation which is your project. The Scope of Work and deliverables are discussed so we have an understanding before I provide the cost. I also go to make the client understand that for every additional task outside what we have discussed and agreed will be charged for. If not, I don’t engage further. So he or she better be sure of what he or she wants because when I start, there’s no going back and forth. We have concluded and it stands. In some cases, I document it. And it works for me all the time.