09/10/2025
🧠 A Real Lesson in Scope, From the Dentist’s Chair
This is Thami here, business manager at PΛCE Projects. Today I'd like to share an interesting experience I had with a dentist which translates perfectly into the work we do on a day-to-day basis.
It is my hope that you will learn from my experience. Let's get started!
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Today I booked a routine appointment to clean my teeth at a dentist. That was the scope.
Very Simple, straightforward, no surprises.
But midway through the procedure, the dentist decided to fill a tooth he thought needed work. (Extra scope)
No discussion with me. No consent. I was incapacitated, the suction was in my mouth, and I had no way of communicating my approval.
When the job was done, I was told the filling was “extra" and the fee was, well, nothing short of ridiculous.
I’d need to pay more.
I refused.
Not because the work wasn’t useful, but because the work was out of scope and the Dentist should have advised me of the proposed change, indicated the extra cost and obtained my approval prior to continuing with the work. (Change management 101)
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🏗️ Now Imagine This on a Building Site
You hired a contractor to install a ceiling for and everything is going great.
Midway through the project, they decide, on their own, to paint the ceiling because they think it would look pretty neat afterward and that you would love it. (Out of scope work)
No discussion. No formal approval. Disaster waiting to happen.
Then, to your surprise, they invoice you for the paint.
Suddenly, what started as a simple job becomes a dispute.
Not because the paint was a bad idea, but because it wasn’t part of the original agreement.
This is where Change Management comes into play and how you can protect yourself from unexpected surprises in your building project.
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📋 What Is Change Management?
In construction, change management is the process of handling any changes to the original scope, whether it’s added work, new materials, or revised timelines.
It’s not just paperwork. It’s a system that ensures every change is:
- Identified
- Properly documented
- Clearly priced and most importantly,
- Approved by the client before it’s done
Without it, even well-intentioned changes can lead to confusion, cost disputes, and broken trust.
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🛠️ Why Scope and Change Management Matter
🧾 Scope defines what’s included, and what’s not. Always make sure that this is clear from the get-go.
✍🏽 Changes must be discussed, documented, and approved. Do not ever allow extra work to be done without prior written approval.
🛡️ Clear systems protect both sides from confusion and conflict. Trust is important and clear and simple systems can maintain that trust and ensure your projects finish smoothly.
The key thing to takeaway here is that Scope and Change management go hand-in-hand.
Make sure your scope is clearly defined in your agreement and ensure that a simple change management process is also documented regarding how changes will be dealt with.
More about Change management in upcoming posts. We hope you enjoyed this one!
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💬 If you found this useful?
Drop us a comment, a like, or share the post with someone who may find it useful.
And remember, don't just build.
Build with Clarity. Build with Confidence. Build with PΛCE.
