Scope Creep Starts Earlier Than You Think: A System Integrator View

Why early automation and OT decisions shape cost, schedule, and long-term performance in food and beverage capital projects

Scope creep is one of the most common challenges in capital projects, yet it is often misunderstood.

This perspective draws from a recent Food Productions Solutions (FPSA) panel discussion on scope creep in food and beverage capital projects, including insights shared by Tim Barthel of Cybertrol Engineering, who participated in the discussion from a system integrator standpoint.

As Barthel noted during the discussion, automation and OT challenges often surface late not because they were changed, but because they were never fully defined at the beginning. Many teams associate it with late change orders or shifting requirements during construction. In reality, scope creep frequently begins much earlier, long before equipment is installed or systems are commissioned.

From a system integrator standpoint, scope creep is often the result of early omissions rather than late additions. Automation, OT infrastructure, data requirements, and standards are regularly under-scoped at the front end of projects, only to surface later when changes are more expensive and disruptive.

Fit-for-Purpose Equipment vs. Fit-for-Purpose Systems

Where scope creep often begins

Capital projects are typically scoped around major pieces of equipment. A filler, a blender, or a packaging line is selected because it meets a defined process need. While this approach makes sense, it often overlooks the systems required to make those assets work together as a cohesive operation.

Networking, controls integration, data collection, and cybersecurity rarely appear on early equipment lists, yet they are essential to plant performance. When these elements are not defined up front, they reappear later as unplanned scope additions that impact cost, schedule, and execution.

From the automation perspective, many of the most challenging projects are those where the equipment was scoped correctly, but the systems that connect, monitor, and manage that equipment were not.

Why Automation and OT Are Especially Vulnerable

Invisible early, critical later

Automation and OT systems often operate in the background. When they function properly, they receive little attention. When they do not, they immediately become critical.

Because these systems are less visible early in project planning, they are frequently underrepresented during scope definition. Data needs, historian requirements, ERP integration, and cybersecurity considerations are sometimes deferred or assumed, rather than explicitly planned. As operations teams begin to see what data and visibility are possible, requests grow, often late in the project lifecycle.

This is not a failure of planning intent. It is a natural outcome of bringing system-level considerations into the conversation too late.

Early Standards Reduce Late Change

Consistency upfront prevents rework downstream

One of the most effective ways to reduce scope creep is establishing standards early. This includes:

• Common automation platforms
• Standardized visualization and HMI approaches
• Defined hardware and network architectures
• Agreed-upon data and integration requirements

When standards are set early, OEMs and contractors can design to them. Maintenance teams know what they will be responsible for supporting long term. Operators face fewer training challenges. Most importantly, late-stage rework is significantly reduced.

Early standards do not mean building everything at once. They mean creating a framework that allows systems to grow without requiring major rework.

Planning for Growth Without Overbuilding

Building flexibility without adding scope

A common misconception is that planning for future needs requires full implementation on day one. In practice, effective planning often means installing the foundational elements that allow for expansion later.

In automation, this might include:

• Network infrastructure sized for future devices
• Control architectures that support additional lines or assets
• Data pathways that can be activated when needed

These decisions are typically low-cost when made early and significantly more expensive when retrofitted later. Planning for growth is not about adding scope. It is about avoiding future constraints.

Better Outcomes Start Earlier

Clear scope is an early decision

Scope creep is rarely the result of poor project discipline late in execution. More often, it stems from incomplete system-level planning at the beginning.

Engaging system integrators and automation teams earlier in the project lifecycle helps surface these requirements when they are easiest to address.

For owners and project teams, this means treating automation, OT, and data infrastructure as foundational elements of the project, not downstream details. It allows owners, design-build partners, and integrators to align on standards, expectations, and long-term operational needs.

The result is not more scope, but clearer scope, better budgets, and fewer surprises during execution.

Want to explore this topic further?

These themes were discussed in more depth during an FPSA-hosted panel on scope creep in food and beverage capital projects, featuring perspectives from owners, design-build firms, and system integrators.

If your team is evaluating how early automation and OT decisions affect project risk, schedule, and long-term operability, this conversation offers practical insight grounded in real-world execution.

Have questions about defining automation or OT scope early? Let’s start the conversation.