Gold plating refers to intentionally adding extra features to the project without getting approval from the customer and without getting any returns in exchange (such as increased budget and/or extended project duration). Gold plating is done intentionally at the decision of the project team or a team member. For example, on a software project if a project team member adds an extra functionality that is not a part of the project requirements just to earn credit, this would be gold plating.

Why Should Gold Plating Be Avoided?

Gold plating is a risky investment. It results in increased project costs and risks without providing any promised benefits. The customer may not need or like the added features. If this is the case, the project team may need to perform rework. Or, the customer may get into the expectation of getting more extras in the future without paying extra.

For these reasons, project managers should ensure that the project team avoids gold plating and only concentrates on meeting the exact project requirements, nothing more, nothing less.

Gold Plating VS Scope Creep

Even though both scope creep and gold plating refer to doing extra scope of work with no returns in exchange, note that they are not the same thing and have different causes. Gold plating is done intentionally by the decision of the project team or a team member. While scope creep is caused by different factors, such as the requests from the project sponsors or because of poorly defined project scope. Knowing this difference is very important for the PMP and CAPM exam. Click here if you want to learn about scope creep.

PMP And CAPM Exam Tips On Gold Plating

Gold plating is in the scope of the PMP and the CAPM exam. For that reason, knowing gold plating is essential if you plan on taking the PMP or the CAPM exam.