Stabilize Scope for CRM Launch

Project Context

HubSpot is preparing a 10-week launch of a new AI-assisted lead scoring workflow for its mid-market CRM product. The project team includes 8 people across product, engineering, design, QA, and analytics, and the feature is expected to improve sales conversion before the next quarterly revenue push. You are the program manager responsible for keeping the launch on schedule while a key stakeholder repeatedly requests requirement changes.

Key Stakeholders

The VP of Sales wants additional customization options for top enterprise prospects and keeps introducing new asks after scope has been agreed. The Engineering Manager wants to protect team capacity and avoid rework. The Head of Customer Success wants a stable release with clear documentation for onboarding. The GM of CRM expects the feature to launch this quarter because it is included in investor guidance.

Constraints

• Launch deadline: 10 weeks from today, with no extension approved
• Remaining budget: $120,000, including vendor QA and enablement materials
• Team capacity: 5 engineers, 1 designer, 1 QA lead, 1 data analyst; no additional headcount
• Dependency: model quality improvements from the ML platform team are due by the end of Week 4
• Current scope already consumes 85% of available engineering capacity

Complications

1. The VP of Sales has now requested three new workflow rules and a custom reporting dashboard for two strategic customers.
2. One senior backend engineer is allocated 30% to a production reliability initiative and cannot be fully dedicated.
3. Customer Success has warned that changing the workflow too late will require retraining 120 account managers.

Your Task

1. Create an execution plan for handling ongoing requirement changes without losing the quarter-end launch date.
2. Define how you would evaluate, accept, defer, or reject new stakeholder requests.
3. Propose a communication and decision-making process to align Sales, Engineering, and Customer Success.
4. Identify the top risks created by scope volatility and how you would mitigate them.
5. Define launch success criteria and what would trigger a phased rollout or scope reduction.