Despite months of planning, late scope kept creeping in. Jobs that should’ve been identified early were surfacing late in the planning process—driving up costs, compressing schedules, and increasing safety risks.
Sound familiar?
Late scope is one of the most persistent challenges in turnaround planning and execution. And while some late scope is inevitable, much of it isn’t.
The cost of avoidable late scope is steep: It typically runs three to five times higher than work identified and scoped on time. Even with rigorous planning and disciplined execution, best-in-class organizations expect up to 7% late scope—and that’s considered a benchmark.
In this post—the second in our turnaround series—we share five leadership actions that help minimize avoidable late scope and build a culture of planning discipline. These actions are grounded in behavioral science and proven in practice. Because reducing late scope isn’t just about better planning—it’s about changing the behaviors that cause it.
So, how do you reduce the avoidable late scope?
Based on our work with clients across asset-intensive industries, here are five leadership actions that make a measurable difference:
1. Set a bold but achievable goal
Start with clarity. Align your leadership team on the critical drivers for a successful turnaround and define what “good” looks like. A well-articulated goal focuses attention and energy on the behaviors that drive early scope submission.
Behavioral science shows that goals increase persistence and effort—especially when setbacks occur. If you want different results, you need different behaviors. And that starts with a goal that’s both ambitious and achievable.
2. Define the “how” with a clear procedure
A goal tells people what to aim for. A procedure tells them how to get there.
Leaders must align on and communicate the process for submitting, reviewing, and approving scope—including how to handle discovery work, compliance jobs, and last-minute opportunities. The key question is: What work can—and should—be identified in advance?
Clear expectations build a culture of planning discipline. They also make performance reviews more effective and fairer.
3. Remove barriers and provide support
Goals and procedures are essential, but not enough. Leaders must actively remove obstacles and provide the support that teams need to plan earlier and stay on track.
That means addressing broken processes, outdated tools, skill gaps, competing priorities, and resource constraints. A high-performing turnaround steering team is a powerful mechanism for this. One client implemented a five-year look-ahead process to surface future resource needs and ensure critical studies start on time.
4. Monitor leading indicators
Turnarounds have long planning horizons. To stay ahead, leaders need leading indicators—early signals of whether scope input and planning behaviors are on track.
Are studies and inspections starting on time? Are planning teams forming and kicking off as scheduled? Is work flowing smoothly through scoping, planning, and scheduling, or piling up like an overloaded dump truck?
Regular, data-driven reviews by the steering team help leaders intervene early—with feedback, coaching, resources, or barrier removal.
5. Make late scope approval rigorous
To change behavior, make late scope approval difficult. High hurdles for endorsement reinforce planning discipline and build business literacy around the true cost of late scope.
Establish a standardized risk assessment and review process. Evaluate cost, schedule, resource impact, and lost-profit opportunities. This not only improves the current turnaround but also builds long-term planning capability across the organization.
Bottom line
Reducing late scope isn’t just about managing one turnaround at a time—it’s about shifting work practices and cultural norms. Leaders play a pivotal role by setting direction, removing barriers, monitoring the right indicators, and enforcing disciplined review.
Let’s talk about how ALULA can help you reduce late scope.
Next in our turnaround series: Why Contractor Liaisons Are the Linchpin of Turnaround Success
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