The purpose of defining scope either for projects or for any other issue in an organization is to provide means to control and manage the issue at hand.
Scope control/ management is not only important for software development or project management but also for several work related issues at the organization level.
Many times software engineers land in dilemmas of limiting or expanding the features they are handling. Project schedules, management concerns and peer related reviews pose dilemmas about which route to take. At such cross roads, the best action is to document such issues and follow up at a designated time.
If the organization and management have processes that allow room for failures, limitations and have procedures for follow up, that is a blessing. If not, documenting for future follow up is the best option.
Scope management is a required skill for any professional in the software industry. It requires support and commitment at the organization and management level. The individual/ professional must be willing to face obstacles along the way to follow up and resolve pending issues.
