What Is a Scope Diagram?

What Is a Scope Diagram?

A scope diagram is used to provide a high-level conceptual description of the process under review and elaborate upon the issues associated with the process (often called the process in scope). It begins by placing the process-in-scope in the spotlight and then displays all stakeholders (persons or groups) as well as all the external processes that interact with the process-in-scope.

In other words, a scope diagram illustrates the depiction of all kinds of data. The second step is evaluating data, whether the interaction of the data with external and internal factors is acceptable, questionable, or not sufficient enough.

A flow diagram may then be created to analyze the internal processes of the method to manage the problems. In a nutshell, the scope diagram sets together with the process and the individuals involved in the discussed process and the key problems to be addressed.

Uses of Scope Diagrams

1. Defining product vision and scope of the project

A well-defined scope diagram sets the right set of expectations among the project stakeholders. This helps create a link between the project and the stakeholder involved. The external interactions between the business and the rest of the world are established.

The scope diagram enables the project manager to evaluate and make realistic commitments on the resources needed to implement the project. It is important to note that the definition of scope determines the limits of the project manager's duties.

2. Measure reach of the project

A scope diagram illustrates the reach of the project at a high abstraction level. The diagram explicitly reveals nothing about the internal system: no features, functionality, or look-and-feel information. And it portrays how the business interacts with external boundaries to offer a systemized measurement for the project's impact.

The system is implied with its functional behavior by the labeled flows connecting the system to external entities. Also, flows are highly abstracted so that the complexity of the diagram is regulated.

3. Determines the interaction and collaboration caliber

Scope diagram helps present a broader range as the diagram displays the system's cross-boundary communication and not just its external interactions.

In a nutshell, diagrams can be used to understand the back and forth between projects to better understand the whole process. This helps organizations understand the level of their projects and provides a well-defined overview.

Benefits of Using a Scope Diagram

• At a glance depicts the ranges and limits of a system with other interfacing systems.
• Technical jargon is neither required nor presumed to be required to understand these diagrams.
• Simple to draw and change because the notation is minimal and eliminates the issue of complexity.
• Easy to extend through different data flow diagram levels.
• Have a broad understanding of the public, including stakeholders, corporate analysts, data analysts, and developers.

How To Draw a Scope Diagram Using EdrawMax?

• Step 1 Open EdrawMax -> and select a blank canvas.

• Step 2 Use the wide range of symbols from the libraries available to create your scope diagram.

• Step 3 Add in your text and design the scope diagram to suit the requirements. You can also use icons from the multitude of options available.

• Step 4 Save and export your diagram to any file type you wish to. EdrawMax is compatible with multiple file types like JPEG, PDF, WORD, etc.

Examples of Scope Diagram

This example depicts the business process's scope diagram and includes key interactions like management and support processes. And it examines the inputs and outputs of the entire system.

The above example illustrates the scope of a "digital platform" and its interaction with four key areas - advertisers, freelancers, accounts management teams, and end-users. And it also depicts their to and fro interactions with the digital platform.

Key Takeaways

Any project's scope is debated in every product development team, and team members frequently talk about the constant scope change. This is where a scope diagram comes into the picture. It is also known as a marketing criteria document, or business case document (usually containing the case diagram and context diagram).

A scope diagram document for a small project is not a compulsion but an extremely useful business tool. Any project, irrespective of its size and scale, will benefit from such strategic guidelines even if they illustrate the key pointers of the business or project.

EdrawMax is a conceptual diagramming program that helps construct the flowcharts, hierarchical charts, mind maps, network diagrams, floor plans, and scope diagrams. All shapes and clipart are vector format design, which means your scope diagram will never get blurred, irrespective of the size you decide to change.