# Gold plating

> poor practice in project management

**Wikidata**: [Q5578967](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5578967)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_plating_(project_management))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gold-plating

## Summary
Gold plating is a poor practice in project management where a team adds extra features or enhancements to a product that were not part of the original requirements. This is often done with the intention of impressing the client, but it can introduce risk, increase costs, and deviate from the agreed-upon scope. It is considered a concept within software engineering and a specific type of software feature.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Poor practice in project management
- **Wikidata Description:** poor practice in project management
- **Instance Of:** Software engineering
- **Subclass Of:** Software feature
- **Sitelink Count:** 6 sitelinks across Wikimedia projects
- **Wikipedia Languages:** Arabic, English, Spanish, Hungarian, Portuguese, Chinese
- **Wikipedia Title:** Gold plating (project management)
- **Spanish Name:** The official name in Spanish is "Chapado de oro"
- **Aliases:** Baño de Oro (Ingenierìa de Software), Baño de Oro (Ingeniería de Software), Gold plating (Ingeniería de Software), Chapado de Oro (Ingeniería de Software)
- **Freebase ID:** /m/05pc5x9

## FAQs
### Q: What is gold plating in project management?
A: Gold plating refers to the practice of adding features or functionalities to a project that were not requested by the client or included in the initial scope. While sometimes well-intentioned, it is considered a poor practice because it adds unapproved work and potential complexity.

### Q: How is gold plating related to software engineering?
A: Gold plating is a concept within the discipline of software engineering, which studies systematic approaches to software development. It is classified as an instance of software engineering and a subclass of software feature, specifically describing a feature added outside of the formal requirements.

### Q: What are the different names for gold plating?
A: The term has several aliases, primarily in Spanish, including "Baño de Oro (Ingenierìa de Software)," "Baño de Oro (Ingeniería de Software)," and "Gold plating (Ingeniería de Software)." Its official Spanish name is "Chapado de oro."

## Why It Matters
Gold plating is a significant concept in project management because it highlights a common source of project failure: uncontrolled scope expansion. By adding unrequested features, teams risk introducing new bugs, delaying project timelines, and exceeding budgets, all without the client's formal approval or a clear understanding of the feature's value. Understanding and avoiding gold plating is crucial for maintaining project discipline, managing stakeholder expectations, and ensuring that development efforts remain focused on delivering the agreed-upon value. It underscores the importance of strict change control processes and clear communication between developers and clients to prevent wasted resources and keep projects on track.

## Notable For
- Being a widely recognized poor practice or anti-pattern in project management.
- Describing the specific act of adding unrequested and unapproved features to a product.
- Being formally classified as an instance of software engineering and a subclass of software feature.
- Having a presence across multiple languages on Wikipedia, indicating its global relevance as a project management concept.

## Body
### Definition and Classification
Gold plating is defined as a poor practice within the field of project management. It occurs when project team members add enhancements or features to a product that were not part of the original scope or requirements. In formal classification, it is considered an instance of software engineering and a subclass of software feature, meaning it is a specific type of feature—one that is superfluous to the agreed-upon specifications.

### Terminology and Identification
The concept is known by several aliases, most of which are in Spanish. These include "Baño de Oro (Ingenierìa de Software)," "Baño de Oro (Ingeniería de Software)," and "Gold plating (Ingeniería de Software)." The official name in Spanish is "Chapado de oro." The entity is identified in the Freebase knowledge graph with the ID `/m/05pc5x9`.

### Relationship to Software Engineering
Gold plating is a key concept within the academic discipline of software engineering, which focuses on systematic and structured approaches to software development. The practice is studied as an example of scope creep and poor project management that can undermine the principles of efficient and reliable software creation. Preventing gold plating is a practical application of software engineering principles related to requirements management and quality assurance.

### Online Presence
The concept is documented on Wikimedia projects with a total of 6 sitelinks. Its English Wikipedia article is titled "Gold plating (project management)" to distinguish it from other uses of the term. The topic has been documented in multiple languages, including Arabic, English, Spanish, Hungarian, Portuguese, and Chinese, demonstrating its recognition as a notable concept in international project management circles.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)