Comments on: How To Easily Extract Excellent Estimates

By: PM Hut

PM Hut — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:27:51 +0000

Oh, and btw, here’s a decent article on requirements gathering in software projects, hope you’ll have the chance to read it and leave your feedback.

By: PM Hut

PM Hut — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:26:23 +0000

The key is in the requirements gathering, if it’s done right, then the estimates can be realistic. Btw, an estimate, by definition, is “an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth” (Princeton), so it doesn’t have to be 100% accurate. Most executives fail to understand the real definition of estimates.

By: John Estrella

John Estrella — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:51:38 +0000

Woody, you made two good points. When I said, “Without well-defined requirements and comparable historical information, project managers often resort to randomly pulling a number from thin air.”, I could have said “some project managers sometime”—which is actually what I meant to say.

I also like your second point about agreeing on the approach—well said.

devans00, I guess it boils down to how you communicate your need for well-defined requirements AND the maturity of the organization to define/follow proper estimating processes. Without these, it is indeed an uphill and frustrating battle.

By: devans00

devans00 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:00:38 +0000

I hate when managers as you to build a project plan without well-defined requirements or comparable historical information. They can’t even describe what the end product is going to be.

If you resist or try to find out more information, you get labeled as difficult, not good at your job and/or not a team player. It’s as if they get perverse joy in setting you up to fail.

By: Woody Williams

Woody Williams — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:06:02 +0000

As a project manager of some decades experience, I have never in my career done anything like “randomly pulling a number from thin air.” In my career, I have known and worked with hundreds of project managers… None of whom have done anything like that either to my knowledge.

However, this charge is often heard from dysfunctional teams whose estimates were, shall we say, less real than they could have been. While dysfunction among the team is certainly something that can be laid at the feet of the project manager, the estimates from thin air charge is not.

The amount of time it takes and the amount of money spent to complete a project is not known until completion. Estimates are not actuals, otherwise we would call them “exactimates.” In addition to the good advice given regarding assumptions, scope, three-point estimates, and standard deviations, I would add defining, communicating, and gaining agreement on what estimation approach is used and what the final estimate means.